Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver departs from the Teenage dystopia she has become known for in this short but beautiful book. Liesl & Po is brought to life by the illustrations of Kei Acedera. The story is set in an alternative Victorian-style world and revolves around Liesl, locked in an attic by her cruel stepmother and grieving for her father.  She makes friends with ghostly visitors Po and Bundle who have come through from the other side. Together they plan Liesl’s escape from the attic so that she can bring her father’s ashes to his favourite place by the willow tree. On the way they meet Will a magician’s assistant who is also running away. Lauren Oliver wrote the book after the sudden death of her best friend and the story deals with grief, love and loss in a poignant and powerful way without ever being too melancholy or morbid for the target 9-12 year old audience. A wonderfully told story with great characters; good and bad.

€12.50 (Hodder & Stoughton)