I started reading this book a couple of days before a school shooting in the US hit the news. I think this made reading this even more poignant. The book tells the story of the child left behind and trying to make sense of losing his brother and the emotions he and his family feel.

The book is sympathetically written and made me think about the whole awful situation that so many families have found themselves in.

As America has yet another appalling mass murder in a school in real-life this book felt horribly realistic. It opens in a classroom cupboard where 7 year-old Zach is hiding with his teacher and his classmates, just like the practice drills they’ve had. The only difference is that this time the teacher is obviously terrified as the popping sounds from the corridor get closer. This time it’s real. Told from Zach’s point of view it was reminiscent of Room, where the reader is all too aware of what’s really going on. The moments when Zach and his class are led to safety by armed police in a nearby church as parents clamour at the school gates wanting to know if their children are safe are heart-breaking. Zach is just so relieved to be safe it isn't until his mother gets to the church and starts yelling about his older brother that he realises that Andy is missing, possibly one of those blood-stained bodies the police yelled at them not to look at as they were led down the corridor out of school. Zach’s family deal with the aftermath in different ways and his needs are often overlooked as his parents struggle to come to terms with their loss. Always told through Zach’s eyes this is a compelling read about a topic that is thankfully pretty much alien to UK readers and I hope it stays that way. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping tale that grips your heart as it is so close to life and the horrors that take place so very often, sadly. I could not put this book down and would recommend it to anyone who likes reading.

Wow ...what a book....and the first for this author too! Do not read this without a tissue or 3 standing by! The understanding the author has of how a child can be suffering and the voice she gives him is so insightful! I have worked with children all my life and can so understand how this young boy is reacting to what happens to him and his family. Every primary teacher should read this (and every parent too!) It is also another plea for greater gun control in the US and a warning to us in Europe to remain strong on this issue.
My only point of note to the author is that personally I was a tiny bit disappointed that one of the secrets of happiness in the book did not turn out to be forgiveness. That would have made the book perfect. However it was still a great ending!

"Perfect for fans of Room" - personally I think this book is much better than Room!

The book is written by 6-7yo Zach, but this is fully readable and flows much better than Room did. I enjoyed this story in the same way I enjoy Jodi Picoult's books, there is some heavy content but these events are important to talk about.

I'd definitely recommend this one to friends, it's hard hitting but sometimes you need a book that will make you cry and think.
This is Rhiannon's debut and I'm excited to see what comes next.

Zach and his older brother Andy go to school like any other day, but this day turns on its head when a shooter enters the school.

This story is seen through the eyes of 6 year old Zach, how he and his parents are dealing with the aftermath of losing Andy. His mother is hell bent on seeking justice from the shooters parents and his father hides himself away in the home office.

Zach is left to deal with a mass of overwhelming feelings by himself. The range of feelings Zach goes through are interestingly dealt with in the form of colours. It deals with how his behaviour changes, and that he himself can recognize this.

It is a sad and poignant story, and whilst I was reading this a similar event had just occurred (again) in the USA.

Such a heartbreaking read. I'm not one to cry at books but I was so close I felt myself welling up.

Only Child is an incredible, hard hitting and emotional story that I know will stay with me for a long time.

Firstly I don’t think I’ve ever read such a thrilling and haunting opening chapter! The description of Zach and his class hiding from the gunman was so vivid I felt like I was right there in the cupboard experiencing it along side of them. Their fear is almost palpable and I felt my heart beat racing as I kept reading hoping they wouldn’t be discovered. The pop sounds used to describe shots from a gun I almost felt physically as the descriptions of them were so brilliant. Truly an amazing opening.

The story is narrated by six year old Zach who survives the shooting that kills his brother. The reader follows him as he struggles to cope in the aftermath and especially with all the different feelings he has. It was so sad to see him dealing with so much on his own as his parents are too self absorbed to help him with it. I simultaneously wanted to give Zach a hug and his parents a shake!

The book is fairly fast paced as there is always something happening to keep the reader hooked. It’s very easy to fall in love with Zach which makes you emotionally involved in the story. I wanted to keep reading to check he was ok.

The ending was just perfect and I had tears running down my face as I read the last few pages.

This is the authors’s debut novel which is hard to believe at times as the writing is just exquisite! I really look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Jess Duffy and Pan Macmillan publishers for my copy of this book.

I was reading this book when the gun massacre at the school in America on Valentines day took place.

Zach is a seven year old with an older brother, Andy, both going to the same school. One day a gunman gets into the school. This is the story of Zach, in his own words and feelings of that day and the following days and months. It is both disturbing and thought provoking - how on earth would we cope and what would we do - in the same situation..
I found this book very well written and researched - don't want to give to much away but I was crying at the end and it really made me think of those children and families in America and hoping there was a little Zach in their midst.

A fantastic read, very powerful. Due to the very emotional topic I think the author has written this with a lot of thought and respect. An excellent idea to write it from the view of a child

A very sad story. Told through the eyes of a six year old. A lone gunman enters a school and starts shooting. One of the deceased is Andy, the elder brother of Zach. This is Zach's story of his grief and trying to understand this terrible thing that has happened to his family.

Zach’s family is sent into turmoil when his 10 year old older brother is killed in a US school shooting. Written in Zach’s voice, this is a haunting and insightful portrayal of losing a child and living with the consequences from a child’s point of view . A brilliant debut novel - highly recommended

A very unusual and harrowing story seen through the eyes of a seven year old child who survives a school shooting when his brother does not. Some of the scenes are heart-rending.

The theme of this story has been done before but having the perspective told by a 7 year old boy made it more interesting to read. Whilst the main plot of the story is about a school shooting in America, the focus thereafter is on the family's reaction to the event. As a parent I felt desperately for all the characters and at times the book made me want to jump into it and try to help. It also reminded me of the simplicity and complexity of a child's' mind - simple because its the small things that can make a difference in their life but complex because their understanding is not to be underestimated. Thank you, I enjoyed this read.

I wasn’t sure what I would think to this book as it was told through a child’s perspective. It was a heart breaking read which in one way I wanted to stop reading it because of the emotions you feel but also couldn’t stop reading it at the same time. It just goes to show how resilient children can be in the face of tragedy and how they can help adults to deal with it. A great debut book.

The book is heart-rending, reaffirming and just beautifully written.
It is written from the perspective of Zach, a six/seven year old who is a survivor of a school shooting which claimed his older brother Andy as one of it's victims.
Zach has to deal with his own emotions and actions as well as trying to make sense of those in the adults around him. The breakdown of his mother and his father's past indiscretions are told from the point of view of someone who knows something is wrong but still can't quite understand what's happening.
The way Zach tries to pull himself together and deal with how he feels is wonderfully mature and yet so innocent.
I loved this book. The themes are quite adult but the different perspective makes it so much more real, a truly poignant reaction to a horrific tragedy. This is Rhiannon Navin's debut novel but I predict great things.

This is one of my favourite books I've read recently. I read it in about three days and really struggled to put it down. I loved the way the events of the story unfolded through the eyes of a child and I thought the character of Zach was portrayed very well. The book is definitely a tear-jerker but it is a beautiful and sensitive exploration of how grief impacts people in different ways as the character seek to find a way forward following a tragedy. It is definitely a story that will stick with me.

Thought-provoking, emotional read.

The story of a school shooting written through the eyes of a child that survived and lost on the same day.

I found this a heart-breaking and heart-warming book in equal measures that is very emotional and thought provoking and definitely worth a read. The writing style soon had me believing it was written by a child, although being very clever I was reminded now and then that it wasn’t, but that didn’t spoil it for me in any way. As hard as it was to read about the dreadful situation, and one that none of us would want to be in whether as a child or and adult, it was a compelling read and one that I enjoyed very much. Highly recommended and I thank NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I wasn't sure that I would like this book from the description, but I has hooked right away. In fact, I couldn't put it down and stayed up until the early hours finishing it. It is beautifully and evocatively written, and the depictions of the different ways that the family handle the aftermath of the shooting felt authentic and real to me.
The way that Zach handles his conflicting emotions after he finds out his brother died was incredibly moving. I must have used a whole box of tissues reading this! I especially enjoyed the way that Zach notices the way that any bad points a person has seem to be forgotten when they die, but remembering them the way they really were can be more rewarding. This is one of the best books I have read for a long time, and I would recommend it to everyone..

Beautifully written book about loss, healing and the power of childhood insights. I found myself living the story through the main character from the first page.