The Weight of a Thousand Feathers

Bobby Seed will soon be 18. But he is still 17 – and the weight of the world lies on his shoulders. He is the carer for his mother who is in the final stages of MS. His younger brother, Danny also needs to be cared for. But Bobby longs for a normal life where he can enjoy himself, do daft things – and explore his own identity – and do what is right for his mother

Brian Conaghan has done it again. Uncompromising, gritty, laced with a black humour this is a novel that you live. Told by Bobby and almost all dialogue the narrative is direct and immediate. There is an authenticity that ensures the reader completely believes in Bobby and what he faces. And at times it seems overwhelming – but truth will certainly be stranger than any fiction and the world of the young carer rarely receives the spotlight. This is a book to make its readers think. It is not the easy YA read with a suitably romantic closure; we leave knowing Bobby and Danny have a difficult future. But the overarching theme – family love, family support – promises that they will survive. An extraordinary book to be recommended to thoughtful, enquiring readers prepared to take a step into the dark.