Meander back to the past in this intriguing Mesolithic novel that gives the reader a glimpse of what time may have once been like…
We meet Jenni in the opening pages, a young and frustrated young girl who feels left out by her classmates and misunderstood by her mother. Through some strange magic, she is transported back to the Mesolithic era where she spends a year living with a group of early people and learning their ways and ultimately, learning how to be more accepting and forgiving of her own life in the future.
Although fictional, the storyline is certainly one of a kind and I found my curiosity piqued; the possibilities of what life on our very earth may have once been like were certainly fascinating. Each page delivers yet another idea of what our mesolithic ancestors faced and how they lived. As well as the historical journey we find ourselves on, there’s also the personal and emotional one as the novel dives and delves into themes of love and self-acceptance.
Despite the book grabbing your attention, the storyline itself isn’t exactly action-packed and pacey as it is mostly concerned with Jenni learning about the Mesolithic era. Consequently, a lot of the chapters seem a little repetitive in structure but this isn’t necessarily off-putting. Jenni is a strong female lead although her character rapidly develops and changes in the latter fifth of the book; the lessons she learns could potentially have been made more explicit earlier in the story rather than all being crammed into the last few chapters.
There are a few editing issues and the book does seem to lack a certain flow, both of which occasionally distract the reader but on the whole the book is enjoyable and easy to follow.
The Book Dragon reviewed this book on behalf of the author and found themselves transported to another world, a world of awe and wonder. A strong middle grade book for slightly older readers due to some adult themes (12+), we award it 3.5 stars.
By Josephine Park
