What an absolutely stunning book.
I read this quickly, devouring the way in which Emily Koch builds up the characters and deftly creates the backstory we need.
July - on a quest to find out more about her mother.
Mick - her father. Unable or unwilling to disclose any information about his previous wife to their daughter.
Sylvie and Shell - the stepsister and step mother who navigate as best they can through the changing events.
I loved the character of July and cared about her hugely. I also thought (spoiler) that the scenes of domestic abuse were terrifyingly accurate.
Well done Emily Koch for blisteringly good read.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this brilliant novel.

Possible spoilers.

Oh what a joy July was. I'll remember her for some time.
As she tiptoed her way around questions wanting to know more about her mother, my stone cold heart broke a tiny bit for her as homelike revealed itself.
There's tension, violence, mystery... but also courage, humour and perfect descriptions of being ten and curious about the world.
I think July is going to win many more hearts over.

July knows 18 things about her mother. But not the truth.
Summer, 1995. On her tenth birthday, July's teacher sets the class a project to find out about a relation they don't know. It's easy for July to choose her subject. She doesn't remember her mother, who died when she was small, and her father refuses to talk about her. Ever. The only memories she has of her are flashbacks from the accident that claimed her mother's life.
But then she receives the note: 'She didn't die in a car accident.'
Determined to discover what really happened, July begins to investigate, cycling around the street where her family used to live and questioning the neighbours. When she is caught snooping round a crumbling house at the end of the road, she learns that the man living there was the last person to see July's mother alive.
In his version of the story, he is a hero. In everyone else's, he is anything but.
Totally couldn’t put it down really enjoyed this book totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Random House Uk Vintage
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