Synopsis: Sam is an 11-year-old boy with a range of interests and a way with words. He presents his thoughts in scrapbook form and tells his story, that is, what it is like having terminal leukaemia.

Review: Had I not been encouraged to read this book, I would not have chosen it. Thank goodness I did take the plunge - I was bowled over by it. It is impossible to describe how Sam's lively interest in the world and his condition translates into a life-affirming account of his decline with leukaemia. Sally Nicholls really delves into the mind of this lad, showing his ups and downs and creating a thoroughly believable rounded individual. The other players in the story are also very well-drawn: father who retreats, not unkindly, into the assurance of his newspaper, mother who is trying to hold the family together, Felix, the good and whacky friend first encountered in the hospital ward. There are lovely vignettes, from Sam's questions about the world around him, particularly UFOs, to the visit of three aunts who do not know how to handle what is probably their last encounter with their nephew. Amazingly it is joie de vivre that leaps from the page despite the inevitable poignant moments and the wondering, as Sam notes early on, as to how he will write about his own death.

 This is a first-class read, treating a serious subject in a thoughtful and compelling way, and treating us to a healthy dose of entirely appropriate humour on the way. ...And the ending works. What a stunning first novel!

Mal Peet in the Guardian

Waterstones Children's Book Award winner

2008-01-17