Author:Catherine Ryan Hyde
This thought-provoking, compulsive novel shows how a simple story has the power to move you in the most extraordinary ways. From Richard & Judy bestselling Catherine Ryan Hyde, perfect for fans of Mark Haddon, Mitch Albom and Alice Sebold.
'Hyde's book delivers a profound vision: The simple magic of the human heart' - SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
'The philosophy behind this book is so intriguing, and the optimism so contagious... a book that lingers long after the last page'- DENVER POST
'The story is quick read, told with lean sentences and an edge... Hyde pulls off a poignant, gutsy ending without bathos' - LOS ANGELES TIMES
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THE EXTRADORINARY STORY OF A PERFECT IDEA...
It all started with the social studies teacher's extra-credit project: Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action.
Whilst this proved a little ambitious for most of his classmates, twelve-year-old Trevor thought he would start by doing something good for three people. But instead of paying him back, he would ask them to "pay it forward" by doing a favour for three more people.
If it all went to plan, Trevor thought, it would be the start of a long chain of human kindness . . .
Sound unlikely to you? Well a lot of other people had their doubts too - Trevor's teacher, his classmates, his mother, in fact everyone in his small California town.
It could never really work. . . could it?
Now a feature film starring Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey.
Heartwarming, funny, and bittersweet... A quiet, steady masterpiece with an incandescent ending
—— Kirkus ReviewsThe philosophy behind this book is so intriguing, and the optimism so contagious... a book that lingers long after the last page
—— Denver PostHyde's book delivers a profound vision: The simple magic of the human heart
—— San Francisco ChronicleThe story is quick read, told with lean sentences and an edge... Hyde pulls off a poignant, gutsy ending without bathos
—— Los Angeles TimeA funny and macabre novel
—— Washington PostIn the world of Flagg, plots, situations and outcomes that would normally make you fling a book across the room, here just have you reading on, smiling and hoping
—— Julie Myerson , GuardianLodge's vignettes of army life are spiced with a wit that is both droll and mordant, and his characters are deftly rendered...Lodge's novel is a moving glimpse of a world on the cusp of a change: Janus-faced, profound above all in its uncertainties.
—— Lettie Ransley , ObserverAn engrossing novel
—— Image MagazineShe represents historical research as exciting, romantic and as offering personal catharsis.
—— History TodayMaxwell's achievement is to show how human relationships work in spite of the confines of history, language and nationality
—— Daily TelegraphStylishly, subtly, the enjoyment of getting to know another country is conveyed with authority and a perceptions that's rare in our careless times
—— The OldieAn incredibly emotional read
—— GraziaA thrilling page-turner
—— Alexander Larman , SpectatorThis is a novel that strikes both horror and joy in the reader, the first-person narration deftly articulating Judith's escalating confusion and fear ... A talent to watch
—— Lucy Scholes , The Sunday TimesA touching, delicate book, it's hitting the shelves with high hopes...On March 1, head out and buy Grace McCleen's book
—— Louis Wise , Sunday TimesA distinctive debut that pulls off the use of a child narrator in delightful style
—— We Love This BookTouching and funny… a compelling and wholly original debut.
—— Marie ClaireShimmers with little miracles.
—— Peggy Hughes , Scotland on SundayThis is a promisingly bold book and McCleen is a talent to watch
—— Lucy Scholes , Sunday TimesA gripping and mesmerizing debut of an unforgettable ten-year-old heroine and her battle with good and evil… A harrowing and powerful story about isolation and belonging
—— My WeeklyAn original new voice... Haunting and absorbing, this is a joy to read
—— Jackie Carrier , Suffolk Free PressA seemingly slight work that is, in fact, possessed of almost infinite depth. It's an elegant inquiry into what we can know and how we can know it - and it's gripping too
—— Erica Wagner , The Times, Books of the YearIt sets off a moving meditation on ageing, regret and the unreliability of memory
—— Sunday Express, Books of the YearHas rightly been praised for its economy and elegance
—— Margaret Drabble , Guardian, Books of the YearBelatedly and deservedly, this was the year of Julian Barnes
—— Mark Lawson , Guardian, Books of the YearExquisitely written and deeply engaging
—— Lorrie Moore , Guardian, Books of the YearElegant verbal exactness, analytic finesse and a witty portrayal of contemporary and 1960's life complement the intricate plot
—— Peter Kemp , Sunday Times, Books of the YearA worthy Booker laureate of this or any other year, our most versatile novelist...a perfect present in these last days of the book as a singular object
—— Philip French , Observer, Books of the YearA worthy winner of this year's Booker prize: short, but certainly not slight, precise and insightful
—— Kate Cunningham , Herald, Books of the YearThis novel packed more emotion into its 150 pages than any other I have read this year
—— Bob McDevitt , Herald, Books of the YearMelancholic, suspenseful and thought-provoking
—— Kirsty Wark , Herald, Books of the YearSeveral plot twists later, what started off as a thoughtful (and fascinating) meditation on memory becomes something close to a full blown thriller
—— James Walton , Daily MailEssential reading for any writer, aspiring or otherwise
—— Patrick Keogh , GuardianA meditation on memory and regret slyly conveyed through the unreliable voice of a complacent man whose past gives him a nasty surprise
—— Justine Jordan , GuardianA deserving winner
—— Éibhear Walshe , Irish Times, Books of the YearMasterful, gripping and, above all, surprising
—— Victoria Hislop , The Week, Books of the YearBarnes has always has an ear for the bleak comedy of the first person
—— Olivia Cole , GQNovel, fertile and memorable
—— Justine Jordan , GuardianJulian Barnes’ Man-Booker prize-winning novel has extraordinary power and emotional density
—— Simon Shaw , Mail on SundayAn eloquent meditation on relationships, emotional arrogance and the discomfort of remorse
—— James Urquhart , Financial TimesThe key to this slender, tantalizing mystery is on its opening page: what you end up remembering isn’t always the same as what you have witnessed
—— Katie Owen , Daily TelegraphHis art is artful, often openly so, but never showy or obvious
—— Colm Toibin , New York ReviewDescribed in Justin Cartwright’s review as 'a very fine book, skillfully plotted, boldly conceived’
—— Guardian, Holiday ReadsI am eager to read it, though I hear it needs to be read twice to be fully appreciated
—— Colm O'Gorman , Independent