Heartbreaking yet full of wonder and childhood innocence, Believe is a truly magical tale that captivated me from the first page. In part this is due to the first person narrative that allows us to see the world through the instantly-relatable Melanie’s eyes. I think all of us have a little bit of Melanie deep inside: the part of us full of dreams and ideas, the part of us that has experienced loss and the part of us that finds ourselves hampered by setbacks from the world around us.

The story itself tells the tale of Melanie, a young girl who’s mother disappeared a year ago, and who’s school days are troubled by the torment of bullies. Yet, she remains quite chipper, having built up a fortress through her ideas and dreams, and when the opportunity to take part in the school production of Peter Pan presents itself, she finds an outlet where she can truly be herself. However, her troubles are never far away and the story shows that no matter how hard we try, we can never fully hide or run from what is troubling us, and the only way to beat it is to face up to it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the range of characters created by the author, from the comic relief provided by Colin & Davis, to the kind-hearted Miss Gorman, and even though the author initially had us pegged against Karen, as the novel unfolded, I loved the tentative way that she showed all of us have reasons for our actions and we really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. And that, is what I really perceive the theme to really be: that nothing is what it seems, what we see as real is what we believe to be real, and if we put our minds to it, anything is believable and therefore possible.

The writer’s creativity was ingenious enough that I myself was wrapped up in the plot line and remained blissfully ignorant of the truth until the final few chapters of the novel, which provide a delicious twist that merges fantasy and reality. Although, if you were to re-read the book, it is peppered with clues that you might just see if you were looking for them.

I had the absolute pleasure of reviewing this book for the Voracious Reader’s group on behalf of The Book Dragon, and am so grateful that I did. If as a parent, you’re looking for a book for a strong 9+ reader to learn lessons about humility and compassion and self-belief, I think this book hits the nail on the head. However, I think this is a story for adults and children alike. For the sheer delight that this book brought, I award it 5 stars.

Coming Soon to The Book Dragon