Finding Violet Park

Narrated by the most compelling voice since Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, this is a quirky and original voyage of self-discovery triggered by a lost urn of ashes. The mini cab office was up a cobbled mews with little flat houses either side. That's where I first met Violet Park, what was left of her. There was a healing centre next door, a pretty smart name for a place with a battered brown door and no proper door handle and stuck-on wooden numbers in the shape of clowns. The 3 of number 13 was a w stuck on sideways and I thought it was kind of sad and I liked it at the same time. Sixteen-year-old Lucas Swain becomes intrigued by the urn of ashes left in a cab office. Convinced that its occupant – Violet Park – is communicating with him, he contrives to gain possession of the urn, little realising that his quest will take him on a voyage of self-discovery and identity, forcing him to finally confront what happened to his absent (and possibly dead) father… Jenny Valentine, the Sunday Times bestselling author, masterfully weaves themes of grief, bereavement, and the mysteries of death into this compelling narrative. The story, a bestselling book, explores the social dynamics of a family dealing with divorce and the possible suicide of a loved one. For fans of Louis Sachar (The Cardturner), Frances Hardinge (Island of Whispers), Sophie Kinsella (What Does it Feel Like?), Annie Barrows (The Truth According to Us), and Matt Haig (The Radleys).