Jack and Jill

Author: Lucy Cavendish
Publisher: Penguin books

This book is about a young boy who is called Jack and his sister who is called Jill. He is 7 years old and she is 3 years older than him. They live in London with their mum. Their dad left them when Jill was 5 years old. She does not know much about him because she has only a little memory of him and there are no photos of him at home. Also she could not ask some questions about her dad because her mum never liked it.

Jill loves her brother very much but her brother cannot speak at all and she does not know why that is. Actually he is not dumb because her mum said he used to speak until he was two and he had a lovely voice, pure and high like an angel.

One day they had to go to Auntie Glenda's and Uncle Paul's house in the country because their mum said that she had to work over the summer holidays so she could not take care of them. However, when they went to their auntie's house Jill heard some bad news about her brother from a boy, who is called Dick and lives next door. It was a story about a murder and a horrible thing that had happened to Jack. Jill was very angry and she really wanted to know about it. Uncle Paul told her about the reason why Jack could not speak and their father's secret.

While I was reading this book it was a bit disturbing for me because it made me have lots of questions and doubts. Firstly, why Jack cannot speak. Secondly, why they do not live with their dad and why they have to live in their auntie's house. Thirdly, what the village people talked about; about her brother and why it was a secret. Finally, is their dad really a murderer?

I thought this book was gripping because I could not stop reading it. The reason was because the plot was so interesting and the secret was not revealed until the ending. I would like to recommend this book to children and students who learn English at intermediate level because you will be interested.

Review written by Ho-Kyoung Song (Skills for Life English Language)