PG James

Firstly, in advance, I want to thank all those who will give reviews in the days ahead. I received this review from the author Marianne Curley... The Un-Extraordinary Life of Sophie Simpleton Review by Marianne Curley Sophie is nearly nine years old and very smart and brave, only sometimes her intelligent words get jumbled up inside her head before they come out. Personally, I believe that what Sophie lacks is confidence. Self-confidence. She also has a habit of not seeing her own beauty – both inside and out. The patch over one side of her glasses is unfortunate as it hinders what she can see and alters her vision of herself. Sophie is callously picked on by the children in her grade at school. Her parents clearly love her, but because of her older brother’s ailments she feels they have no time or thoughts for her, that they only care about her brother. He occupies most of their time, and though she understands why, she’s only almost nine and feels as if she’s ranked a poor second in the family. It’s because of this situation at home that Sophie finds two genuine, tolerant and compassionate friends outside the home in the elderly Mrs Templestowe and Mr Anderson, who prefers to be called The Captain. Both live in their respective houses alone, though along with their pet cat or dog, pets Sophie is immediately drawn to with her inherent love of animals. Sophie brings companionship to these two elderly people, and their wisdom and advice is exactly what Sophie needs. Descriptions in this novel are vivid and many. They give the characters depth, making them come alive and relatable on many levels, for children and adult readers alike. But the descriptions don’t stop at the characters. It’s what makes this novel stand out. Set on a mountain abundant with birds and other animal life, as well as the forests, rivers and the beach. It’s a feast for the mind. Set in the 1970’s, The Un-Extraordinary Life of Sophie Simpleton is light-hearted and funny, and yet it can’t help but touch your heart, drawing out your compassion for the nearly nine year old girl traumatised by those who should be her friends. You want her to rise above them, to believe in herself, to show them, to show everyone that she is far from un-extraordinary. That she is in fact a hero, brave and clever and strong. Poems are an added treat in this book. The pirate poem especially had me hooked. (No pun intended.) Did I like this book? No… I loved it, and I’m thrilled to see that Sophie’s story is far from over. I give it five stars.