Clare Sambrook

I thought this was a terrific book. It is written from a child's point of view, and has received many comparisons with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. However, while I found The Curious Incident over-rated and irritating, I thought this was really well written.

The narrator is 9 year old Harry Pickles, who talks about the summer that his nearly 5 year old brother Daniel went missing. Harry describes the effect that the loss had on his parents, himself, and others around show more him, showing how people find it hard to know what to say, and demonstrating the breakdown of normal family life. It is surprisingly funny at times, but also dreadfully sad. I cannot begin to imagine the pain that any family in this situation must go through, but I was moved to tears reading this.

Incredibly well written, moving and touching. A must-read. show less

A fabulous book. Engrossing from start to finish! This could have potentially failed as a first novel but it was handled sensitively and with consideration. Telling it from the point of view of the older brother provides a most unsual perspective.

There are areas of adult life that as adults we can appreciate and understand, such as at one point when the issue of parenthood comes up, but seeing it from a nine year olds eyes is informative and interesting.

Personally, I've never been involved show more in a situation like this so wouldn't have a point of reference to even discuss it. Clare Sambrook has possibly brought a previously taboo subject kicking and screaming into what I felt was reliable fiction! I am so pleased I read this book - I finished it in two days!

Well worth a read, very enjoyable from the beginning to end. show less

Harry Pickles is 9 and has a great life. He is popular, smart, a leader, has a great mom and dad (Mo and Pa) and a precocious little brother Dan. Then there is the school trip where Dan is abducted. The story is about guilt and grief and a family slowly disintegrating and then managing to fight their way back. Some interesting dream sequences where Harry dreams that he is with Dan and his abductor. Was Harry really "seeing" what happened to Dan or just dreaming about what he had overheard show more others say they thought had happened to Dan? Excellent book, hard to put down. show less

I read 'Hide and Seek' after meeting Clare Sambrook at a Society of Authors talk. I was engaged by the book and its central character Harry Pickles, through whom the story is told. As a writer who has tried to capture the voice of a nine-year-old child to tell a coherent story, I know just how difficult it is. I don't think I always managed it in my short stories, and I don't think Clare does entirely either, but she gets very close - the misses are not so distracting as to break off the show more engagement. I would recommend the book, but only for readers who are not looking for happy ever after. show less