A raw and honest account of the war, it shed light on the darkest of days through the stories of four young people as we spend the wartime years with them.

It was a heavy read and honest in its retellings of the darkest side of war. From bombings, thievery, death, uncertainty and fear. I got invested in their stories as they experienced the start of war, the phoney war, the blitz all the way to the subsequent ending. It was fast paced and had me rapidly reading as catastrophic events unfurled.

With clever Lawrence who has a questioning and inventive mind, Olive who’s reluctance to be sent away throws her into a group with others like Gremlin who is sleeping rough and Franklin who wants to be a fire fighter more than anything. They form the Meridian Group and hold themselves together as they endure horrors of war.

I was definitely left reeling after this and didn’t half expect it to be as raw as it was. An important read for sure.