CHILDREN’S

book of the week

THE CANTANKEROUS MOLLY DARLING

by Alvy Carragher,

Chicken House, £7.99 (ebook £6.47)

★★★★ ★

THIS book follows the story of Molly, a teenage girl who lives on a farm in rural Ireland. Molly has a lot to deal with: Her mum spends all her time painting in the attic, her dad has abandoned them, leaving only a PowerPoint presentation to explain his actions, and her sister Polly has run off with a mummy’s boy.

Worst of all, her beloved chickens have suddenly disappeared!

Molly goes out of her way to find them with her best friend Tess. To make things worse, Tess is in the middle of a social media battle with their rival Claire.

The fast-paced story follows the ups and down of this family drama. There are lots of twists and turns, and it’s a great mixture of laughs and tears all the way. The sadness in the background is balanced by lots of comic moments. You really care about Molly.

All in all, this is a very entertaining read.

Review by Isla Brotzel, 12