An arresting debut that has stayed with me in the weeks since I finished it and has had me raving about it to all my book-loving friends and colleagues!

Although the premise holds intrigue and is compelling in its own right, it was the characters that really hooked me; so well drawn that they lived and breathed on the page. It's extremely readable yet also nuanced and thought provoking. I defy readers to reach the end without shedding a tear!

An exceptional, memorable read - one of my reading highlights of 2019 so far.

This was a beautiful story, which was heartbreaking and hard to read sometimes. It's about working class people told in a way to look at their lives before and after a tragedy. Very well written, very good characterisation. I my opinion the writer is very talented and I'd love to read from Luan Goldie again.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Very occasionally, a story comes along that you know will stay with you. This book is one of those stories for me.

So what's the story? I can't really say much more than the blurb. Assorted people connected with the Nightingale Point tower block have their lives turned upside down by something. Yeah, "something". That's pretty vague and unhelpful I know. But, it's worth not knowing the first time you read it. I promise. I can say it's not something outrageously fantastical. If I'm honest, I'd also say that had I known beforehand I would've likely dismissed the whole book and missed out on what could well be my book of the year despite the many more months and books ahead. Not knowing made me read the book. Not knowing made discovering that much more powerful. Trust me on this, you don't want to know too soon!

So, what can I say to convey how superb this book is? I can say that this is a book about people. The characters are rich. Within lines of each introduction, they are real, lifted from the pages of a book. It is beautiful, and at times painful, to read. Goldie delivers an array of personalities that will all find a way into your psyche in different ways. To have such empathy with such swiftness and ease shows a remarkable talent. As the book progresses we see more sides of them all, not as a revelation, but as witnesses to their lives.

This book has some truly special writing. Read it. Read it before people dilute the impact of this story. Read it while it's a gem waiting to be uncovered. Read it because it's a work of art that you'll carry with you for years.

I am happy this book caught my eye. I read it in three sittings which right now is quick for me Giving this four stars.

This was an astoniishing, sometimes difficult, read. I went in with no expectations, and was quickly introduced to the cast of characters who seemed pretty well fleshed out and realised, and started to get into the lives that they leave. The main players were not always sympathetic, not always pleasant, and this added a nice realism to the setting where you did not necessarily like all of the characters at the start, but you could understand them.

Then a major event happens, no details here as it would completely spoil it, but it came out of the blue.

The rest of the book then really sings. The author deals brilliantly with the aftermath of the event, and the way it affects the people we have got to know. It pulls no punches whatsoever, and depicts how each character changes as a result of what happens, some for the better, some not. The book really doesn't pull any punches and doesn't shy away from showing the tough times that people go through, the behaviour that we may not like to think we would exhibit, and the way people you may not expect to step up do so when others need help. It's often uncomfortable to read, and made me question some of my own behaviour, always a good sign for me.

In the end everything is not neatly tied off with a bow, but thats the way it should be, the story reaches a certain point in the characters story and ends at what I think is the right point.

A brilliant, thoughtful read, and I look forward to more from Luan Goldie.

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC BOOK!!!! I have been gripped from the get go and sneaking time to read whenever I can. Thoroughly engaging characters and the tales of love and loss. It would be great to read their stories maybe 10 years later.

A beautiful and heartbreaking story about working class people and their lives both before and after tragedy. It was incredibly well told and I felt I knew the characters. I appreciated that not only did the story tell us of their lives after the tragedy but went on to update us a few year down the line. This is definitely one to read again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Wow what a heart-wrenching book! I couldn’t stop thinking about it for hours after I finished it. I love the realism and the true heart that was put into this book. I read most of it in one sitting, I wasn’t planning on reading that much but I got well and truly sucked in and couldn’t stop until I’d read it all. I felt the tragedy of the circumstances as well as the decisions the characters made afterwards. It really highlighted how different people grieve and the stages they must go through in order to cope with different kinds of loss. It was interesting as well as upsetting, which made for an incredible read. The pace was good - there was no sense of making us hang on for the big event. It was like real life. It came out of nowhere. It happened so fast and unexpectedly and I really appreciate the author’s thoughtfulness and careful but realistic approach.

The only thing I needed to improve this was for the character of Pamela’s father. I didn’t feel like I understood why he was so overbearing, I needed to know him better, who was he when he met her mother? Was he always like this?

I also have to say that Elvis was by far my favourite character. I liked Malachi and Tristan and how they evolved, but Elvis was so interesting to read and imagine. I loved his sense of forgiveness, his clear unwavering view of the world. He was a pure soul.

Overall 4 stars.

It took me some time to understand where this book was taking me but I was soon gripped by its context,realism and uncanny perceptiveness. The context is not original,relying on dreadful events in Amsterdam and London when people's homes and lives were destroyed. The characters are entirely original and outstandingly well created. Varying in age,colour,social status and background,they are all believable. They vary from a young man with mental,issues who suffers bullying,to brothers who are close and have been made dependent on each other by the events of their young lives. They are cared for by a neighbour who takes pity on them but has issues of her own as she cheats on her absent husband. Then there is the over protective father whose daughter suffers as a result. The destruction this time is caused by a plane crash but everything about this book has resonance from real events. Another of its attractions is that it does not stop at the point of the disaster but shows how things were five years on. Life recovers. I strongly recommend this unusual and accomplished novel.

The kind of book I never knew I needed in my life! I absolutely loved it. I couldn't put it down I loved how the characters stories intertwined and even though alot of it is sad, there were parts that made me laugh out loud. I adore Elvis he reminds me so much of my son who has autism so I felt connected to him straight away. It's a beautiful story of staying strong when it matters most. A must read

Loved the pace and description of the narrative. It talks about love, loss, family and friends. How lives develop over time and how circumstances can bring disparate groups together.

A great read with fantastic characters. I found the first third of the book pretty slow but then as the story develops the pace also picks up. The story deals with a sensitive matter in a very compassionate way and tells the story beautifully.

Really enjoyed it loved the characters and needed to know what happened next when all the lives changed after something other thinkable happened. It gives you a good insight as to how people feel and cope after such a horrific incident would definitely recommend.

Really enjoyed this book, although quite a tough read especially in the wake of Grenfell. Really well written and well rounded characters. Was a joy to read and I really hope that this book does really well on release!

The lives of the residents of Nightingale Point - a London housing estate - change forever when tragedy strikes.
The aftermath of a plane crash is told through their interwoven stories.
There’s young brothers, Malachi and Tristan, Mal’s ex-girlfriend Pamela and her abusive father, the boys’ surrogate mother Mary and her lover, and a host of other characters.
The book started slowly but cams to life after the plane crash. The characters grew on me and I started to really care about them.
The novel is personal rather than political, although the novel does allude to the difficulty in getting rehoused and other social issues reminiscent of the real tragedies we know too well, such as Grenfell Tower.
I did enjoy it. The author has an unusual writing style and she writes dialogue well although the writing can feel a little clipped at times.
In summary, an enjoyable novel that doesn’t flinch from a difficult subject. Recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher, HQ, for the ARC.
This book is really well-written, with real-world dialogue that draws the reader into the everyday lives of 5 main characters living in a high-rise development in London. It is 1996, a hot Bank Holiday weekend. The exceptional writing provides a clear sense of the surrounding environment, the sights and sounds and actions of the residents of all ages, and how their individual holiday weekends are being spent. The gang of teenagers cycling around the green or sitting on the wall, some dealing low-grade drugs; young girls sunbathing on the grass.
The lifts in Nightingale Point aren't working.
Elvis is on the Care in The Community programme, living somewhat independently in his shiny new flat. His daily Carer, Lina, is cooking his favourite pie for dinner.
Mary, a Nurse from the Philippines, keeps an eye on 2 brothers, Malachi and Tristan on behalf of their Nan who has returned home. Their mother had died several years ago - suicide following years of depression.
Malachi is 21, looks after Tristan, 15, and is desperately trying to continue his university studies, manage the little money they have, and keep Tristan out of trouble. At the same time he is distracted by losing Pamela, his 16yr-old girlfriend who has been sent to stay with her mother in Portishead by her over-protective father, Jay.
Mary catches her bus to work but makes a detour to meet her lover, Harris. Her husband David only returns home every other month from his travels as an entertainer, but she's heard he's on his way home now and she has as decision to make..

Then - the accident happens.

This story is based on factual world events. I found the level of detail - indeed the incredible amount of understanding in the story - of the difficulties these residents faced, both before and after the 'event,' was mind-blowing.

A really commercial and very readable novel that follows the lives of a few of the residents of Nightingale point, a tower block estate in London. Their lives are turned upside down by a terrible accident... a cargo plane that crashes into one of the housing blocks which will change all of their lives forever.
Inspired by a real life event in Holland this also has echoes of the Grenfell fire tragedy.
Very real. Great characters, and a really moving set if interwoven tales.