Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Furthermoor by Darren Simpson. I've voluntarily read and reviewed this copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In Furthermoor we meet Bren, whose life has changed drastically since losing his sister Evie in a car accident. To cope with the loss and loneliness, and with the help of Evie's old watch, Bren is able to imagine a world made by clockworks where he meets up with his sister. But spending so much time in his imagination, isn't helping Bren in his life where school is a unhappy place to be as the school bully Shaun has it out for Bren.

This is a story about grief, loneliness and bullying. Bren's journey is a powerful one and Darren Simpson has woven a compelling world and wonderful character development.

Once again Darren Simpson’s world building and character creation are spot on. I couldn't put it down once I started..

An interesting concept which children in year 5 and 6 would enjoy. Furthermoor is a well constructed world which is sufficiently dark to help them feel grown up! The book deals with some upsetting content in a sensitive and age appropriate way.

Life would be hard enough as it is, what with grieving the loss of his sister, but additionally, a bully has picked him as his favourite target.

Instead of having just an imaginary friend, our protagonist has a whole imaginary country where he visits his sister. Everything can be influenced by the power of an old watch. But one day, something goes wrong in Furthermoor.

While I expected this to be a fantasy novel, it's more a story about bullying and while I like that the topic is adressed and that there are two organisations who work against bullying are mentioned in the back, and despite them saying that not every bully fits the same shema, I got the impression that you just have to stand up and everything will be all right.

As a victim of bullying, this book made me sad and angry. Hence two stars.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

Bren is still grieving the tragic loss of his sister Evie and has numbed himself while going through the daily routines of home and school. Simultaneously, the school bully, Shaun, preys on the saddened Bren while also marking down a new kid. Bren is happy he at least has an imaginary world to escape to: Furthermoor—especially because Evie lives there. In this beautiful world of crystal leaves and shimmering lakes, Bren is in control and can create various magnificent creatures with just the turn of a few cogs. But when a dark and malevolent creature emerges while strange things happen in Furthermoor, Bren must overcome his deepest fears to save himself.

The theme of grief pushes the story through an exquisite world with simplistic descriptions. From the painful reminders of someone’s absence to the vulnerable moments where a family navigates the loss of a child, the nuances of this numbness and emptiness is well presented. Powerful metaphors bring through the suffering and the strength needed to move past it. Overall, this middle grade is touching and heartwarming, especially how it lets a grieving young boy become the hero by fighting the physical representation of his own insecurities in an imaginary world of his—while also standing up to the bully in his real life.

After reading The Memory Thieves, I was excited to get my hands on Furthermoor and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

12 year old Bren has retreated into his shell as he battles with the loss of his sister and school bully, Shaun. In order to escape, Bren seeks refuge in Furthermoor, an idyllic mechanical world where Evie is still alive. However, things soon take a turn for the worse, in both the real world and Furthermoor. Can Bren escape his demons and face his fears before it is too late?

There are so many elements and themes within Furthermoor, such as bullying, grief and imagination, which interweave seamlessly across Bren's two different worlds. This exciting and well-paced book with layers of mystery will certainly keep readers hooked until the end.

Another excellent book by Darren Simpson. Bren is a protagonist you really feel for and his journey of grief and love is a powerful one. Thank you for the advanced copy!

An interesting story about a lonely, grieving boy who is being bullied in and out of school.
Due to the subjects in this story; bullying and death, I would recommend this story for older children, KS3 and above.
It is a touching story though, the main character Bren has an amazing imagination that helps him cope with the sadness in his life.

Darren Simpson is undoubtedly one of the best children's writers. This is his third book and once again, it is incredible. He seems to be able to create these huge worlds that are strangely familiar but also unlike anything I've read before. If you haven't read this or his previous books, you have some amazing adventures ahead of you. Don't bother finishing my review, just go and get stuck in.

This book is about a grieving boy and a magical world that he can control. Bren has to deal with a lot, following the recent death of his sister and the current bullying from a boy in his class. Visiting the clockwork kingdom of Furthermoor provides him with the respite he needs, that is until Featherly arrives, determined to have Furthermoor for himself. Featherly is the ultimate villain and will do whatever it takes to get what he wants.

Just go and read it!

An interesting story about a lonely, grieving boy who is being bullied in and out of school.
Due to the subjects in this story; bullying and death, I would recommend this story for older children, KS3 and above.
It is a touching story though, the main character Bren has an amazing imagination that helps him cope with the sadness in his life.

Furthermoor was one of those niche books that left me unsure how I felt about it. It was heartwarming at times, creepy and the bullying was definitely horrible to read, it was also odd and I'm still not fully sure I understood it (let's blame sleep deprivation).

I really felt for poor Bren, the bullying was definitely about as bad as it can possibly get. He's also dealing with the trauma of having lost his big sister, and the all the multitude of emotions that come with that. It was lovely to see him learn to stand up tall and do the right thing, as well as slowly make a new friend.

I tend to try and rate middle grade books with how well I would have enjoyed them at the intended age. I think this one would have freaked me out a little bit, I wasn't going in to it expecting the eerie vibe that Featherly brought along. Three stars feels like a fair rating.

I enjoyed this book about being brave in the face of difficult backgrounds and bullying. I’m sure it would inspire children to stand up for themselves and ask for help if needed.

RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 6+ due to themes and specific vocabulary
INTERESTS: fantasy vs. real life, friendship, family
THEMES: grief/loss, friendship, bullying, family, personal growth and self-worth

MY THOUGHTS:
I adore the concept of Furthermore. Darren describes it so vividly and precisely, constructing a beautiful world of cogs and coloured glass, a comforting escape for Bren who is dealing with the loss of his sister. Anyone who has experienced/is experiencing grief would love to be able to visit, spend time with and converse with those lost; Furthermore is such an engaging and universal concept in that sense, and it is hard not to imagine your own version of this place.

Darren strikes a balance between Bren's real-life and fantasy well, although (possibly selfishly) I would have liked more exploration of Furthermore and conversations between the siblings, just because it was so comforting and a perfect contrast with the difficulties of the real world. The conflict is introduced gradually and builds up to a dramatic conclusion. It cleverly ties the events in the real world to those in Furthermore to add tension, and I enjoyed the description of the conflict.

While the settings are very specific, most children will be able to relate to the themes explored in this story. Bullying, friendship and courage (or lack of it) are central parts of growing up; the little nuggets of wisdom offered to Bren, as well as his own self discovery of what it means to be brave, are relatable and there is a moral there, delivered in a non-preachy fashion. This would be a great text to read as a class as there are so many opportunities for discussion, reflection and comparison to the children's own lives and experiences. I would advise teachers to be mindful of the central theme of loss/grief and consider whether it is the right time to read it with their own pupils. From an academic perspective, there is opportunity to develop vocabulary (especially around nature, settings and machinery), as well as some focused work on building suspense, setting description and dialogue.

Furthermoor is certainly a recommended addition to a Year 6 bookshelf, and the story will stay with the reader long after closing the cover.

After his stunning first two novels, "Scavengers" and "The Memory Thieves", Darren Simpson has written another thought-provoking and engaging book that shows he is a master of character-driven stories. It tells the story of Bren, a boy almost broken by grief and abuse, who enters the world of Furthermoor to escape his real-life problems. As well as a thrilling read (I couldn't stop reading it and devoured it in two days!), Furthermoor would be an excellent resource to be used in schools to help address and tackle problems such as loss and bullying as Darren Simpson handles them sensitively. Darren Simpson's books keep getting better and better and I can't wait to see what he writes next!

Bren’s older sister Evie, died last year. Still consumed by grief, he spends his spare time visiting a world he’s created for her through his imagination so they can spend time together. This is a far better prospect than spending time in the real world, where his friends have drifted away and he’s become the target of the school bully, Shaun.

Although I’m not usually a fan of fantasy books, I absolutely loved this! Perhaps because the fantasy element is one which is created in Bren’s imagination, or perhaps because he uses the fantasy to explore his own feelings. One reviewer likened this A Monster Calls, one of my favourite ever books, and I can see the similarities. Bren creates a monster in his imagination, as a physical representation of his fears and insecurities. Unlike in A Monster Calls, the death has already taken place, but this is Bren’s way of dealing with it. I think this is equally as good a story but more suitable for younger readers.

Definitely my best book of the year so far.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful adventure exploring how one child deals with their grief and their own feelings around being bullied. This wonderful book is about facing up to your fears and accepting that you are good and strong and brave. Fantastic book for young adults.

Bren has lost his elder sister in an accident. It hurts. He's being bullied at school. It hurts. His parents are still finding a way to cope with the loss. It hurts. Bren's only resort - his invented world, Furthermoor with his sister's watch serving as a portal. Furthermoor is inviting! For how long? When the enemy enters Furthermoor, Bren's only choice is to face his fears, real or not.

Ever since Darren has begun exploring mind power in his Memory Thieves, Furthermoor is another take, this time of a grieving mind. Darren alters between the real world problems and the stunning imaginary world creating a balance throughout the chapters. Bren feels so real. You feel his pain, you accept his refusal to anything and anyone. His body and mind are yet to figure a way out. It is different for everyone, the time it takes to heal and be normal again. It is so much difficult for Bren and Furthermoor captures just that. And of course, offers a solution!

I recommend Furthermoor to all teachers as a classroom must-read to help their students understand how bullying is damaging and to parents who find it hard to talk about loss and grief to their young ones. I’ve been lucky to read Furthermoor with my husband (46) who has lost his elder sister (61) recently. It does work for adults too. Trust me.

Thanks to the publisher, author and Net Galley for the eARC.

Gritty urban teenage drama juxtaposes with a fantastical narrative set in a beautifully intricate imagined sanctuary as an unlikely hero with a foot in two different worlds deals with his traumas and his demons

Bullying, grief and self esteem. What an incredibly impactful book!

The real world is a hostile place for twelve-year-old Bren, his schooldays stalked by vicious bully, Shaun, and his family life fractured at home. Ever since his sister Evie died in an accident, Bren's only safe space is Furthermoor, an imagined world of mechanised trees and clockwork animals, where Evie is still alive. In Furthermoor, no one can hurt Bren...until the mysterious Featherly arrives. Now Bren is forced to confront his deepest fears and decide if his place in the real world is worth fighting for.

This was my first encounter with Darren's writing and I'm now completely hooked! I devoured Furthermoor in a matter of hours and it's left me hungry for more.

In most magical portal type stories, characters escape their own world for an exciting adventure however, Bren visits Furthermoor to escape the pain and misery of everyday life. He uses the power of his imagination to summon a beautiful place of peace and tranquility; a sanctuary he can shelter in and block out the real world.

In Furthermoor, Bren is in complete control of everything, in stark contrast to his own life in which he feels completely helpless. With a couple of twists and turns of the cogs in sister Evie's watch, his dreary surroundings melt away and he climbs through the canopy of his mechanical forest into his safe space, where his sister lives on after death.

Darren's world building is simply exquisite and the descriptions of Furthermoor are just stunning - imagine forests of wood and cogs and crystal and glass; clockwork squirrels, foxes, otters, bejeweled peacocks and butterflies. It feels all the more vivid next to the cold hard concrete forest Bren lives in. The derelict Dale Estate is gritty and abadoned and the grey murk and fog that hangs over it seems to envelope everyone and everything.

The portrayal of Bren struggling to come to terms with the loss of his sister, the spiralling depression of his parents and suffering horrific bullying is so real and raw. Everything piles on top of him until the weight on his mind is crushing, paralysing Bren both mentally and physically. It's at this point Featherley makes a terrifying appearance in his previously sacred land. The ending is a real tear-jearker, one of acceptance, finding peace and saying goodbye.

And the moral of the story...I absolutely must read more Darren Simpson! Next stop: The Memory Thieves and Scavengers

A beautiful adventure exploring how one child deals with their grief and their own feelings around being bullied. All around facing up to your fears and accepting that you are good and strong and brave. Wonderful for KS3