The Skellig Vibe
If your kid has already cycled through the heavy hitters of British magical realism—think David Almond or Patrick Ness—then Tom Avery is the logical next step. This isn't a fast-paced page-turner. It’s a mood. The story lives in that grey, drizzly London space where the line between a kid’s imagination and their trauma starts to blur.
The "wild boy" who shows up at Kaia’s school isn't there to provide action sequences. He’s a silent, staring catalyst for Kaia to finally look at the wreckage of her own family. Critics have compared it to A Monster Calls, and the comparison holds up. It uses a supernatural (or perhaps psychological) element to give a child a language for something they can’t put into words.
Dealing with the "S" Word
We need to be clear: this book starts with the suicide of a sibling. It isn't a background detail or a mystery to be solved. It is the center of the book. Avery handles it with a level of "confessional narration" that feels uncomfortably real.
You also get a frank look at how adults fail when they’re drowning. Kaia’s dad is using alcohol to cope, and her mom has checked out. For a 10-year-old reader, seeing parents portrayed as flawed, "frozen" humans can be jarring. It’s a massive departure from the "competent adventure" trope. If your kid prefers stories where the stakes are external and the pace is electric, they might find this too slow. In that case, you might point them toward the parent's guide to Shadow Jumper, which handles family tension with a lot more rooftop-running and mystery.
Why it sticks
Despite the high Amazon rating and the heavy subject matter, this isn't misery porn. It’s a book about recovery. The "silent scream" Kaia feels in the beginning eventually finds a vent.
The most useful way to use this book is as an empathy builder. Even if your family hasn't experienced this specific kind of loss, the portrait of a girl who feels like a "freak" at school because she's carrying a secret is universal. It’s a short read, but it’s dense with feeling. Don't be surprised if your kid finishes it in one sitting and then needs a solid hour of something mindless to decompress. It’s that kind of experience.
