4th July 2013, Simon and Schuster, 288 pages, Paperback, Review copy
Themes: loyalty, dealing
with prejudice, coping with family friction and separation, searching for some
normality, feeling guilty for being happy, experiencing heart breaking tragedy,
finding the strength to get through each painful minute, self-blame, guilt
trips, trying to get to grips with life not being clear cut, finding your own
way of coping, moving on doesn't mean forgetting,
life on a farm, dealing
with unwanted squatters, gypsy life and culture, having a den to escape to,
learning
Content: teen romance, male
aggravated violence, lots of tissues
Summary from Simon and Schuster
A
truly beautiful book about the summer that changed one girl's life, as
her mum leaves home, travellers set up camp in the family's field, her
older brother goes off the rails, and she falls in love for the very
first time. Opening with a funeral, Iris is mourning the boy in the
casket - but who is it? Sam, her tearaway brother, or Trick, her
tentative boyfriend? Over one long hot summer, we find out just how
their three lives were turned upside-down. - See more at:
http://books.simonandschuster.co.uk/Infinite-Sky/C-J-Flood/9780857078032#sthash.YFonSifT.dpuf
A truly beautiful book about the summer that
changed one girl's life, as her mum leaves home, travellers set up camp in the
family's field, her older brother goes off the rails, and she falls in love for
the very first time. Opening with a funeral, Iris is mourning the boy in the
casket - but who is it? Sam, her tearaway brother, or Trick, her tentative
boyfriend? Over one long hot summer, we find out just how their three lives
were turned upside-down.
A
truly beautiful book about the summer that changed one girl's life, as
her mum leaves home, travellers set up camp in the family's field, her
older brother goes off the rails, and she falls in love for the very
first time. Opening with a funeral, Iris is mourning the boy in the
casket - but who is it? Sam, her tearaway brother, or Trick, her
tentative boyfriend? Over one long hot summer, we find out just how
their three lives were turned upside-down. - See more at:
http://books.simonandschuster.co.uk/Infinite-Sky/C-J-Flood/9780857078032#sthash.YFonSifT.dpuf
Nayuleska's thoughts
Reading the blurb I
thought the story felt familiar. Reading the book made me realise without doubt
I had somehow read this when it was out in hardback but for some unknown reason
I never reviewed it. That is pretty weird, as Iris's rebellion, her trying to
follow her heart and dealing with her slightly stuffed up family rang loud in
my heart. I didn't always agree with her views but I did think that for her
circumstances Iris fought against the rough times and came through
understandably mentally weakened but also stronger and having faith in herself
for being steadfast.
You can find out more
on C J's website.
Suggested read
Another summer-themed read which will make you think and wonder is The Twice-Lived Summer of Bluebell Jones by Suzie Day
It is with great pleasure that I can present C J's views on which were the hardest parts of Infinite Sky to write.
 |
| Possibly what C J looked like when having to write the funeral scene |
Four
months after the hardback came out, and with the paperback just arriving in
shops, I often forget what a struggle Infinite Sky was to write. The longer it
exists in lovely, unchangeable book-form, and the more I hear from people who care
about the characters and lament the events within the novel, the more I am
confirmed in my half-belief that this story is real. I forget the process of sitting
down every day to make it all up. I forget how long I spent trying to work out
a fitting ending. Iris, Sam and Trick exist. Their story just happened. I’m
nothing much to do with them.
But the
truth is it was hard to write. Finishing novels takes discipline. Especially if
you’re writing in your spare time – as I was when I wrote Infinite Sky. You
have to sit indoors typing on sunny days while your friends barbecue and go to
festivals and generally Have Fun. And all this without even being certain your
story will ever be published!
Still,
some bits were harder to write than others. Undoubtedly. Hardest of all, was
the funeral scene. So reluctant was I to write it, in fact, that initially I
skipped over it, and jumped to the chapter that follows. Luckily, I had an
agent by then, and she refused to let me get away with this. She pointed out
that the reader would want to know what happened on that day, would want to see
all of the surviving characters’ responses to the death. I had set the stage
for drama then pulled the curtain: not a good thing for a writer to do.
Another
difficult part to write was Iris’s mother. Lots of people who read Infinite Sky
as it was evolving had questions about her. How did Iris feel about her
leaving? What was life at Silverweed Farm like when she was there? Why did she
leave? Is she planning on coming back? What is her relationship with Iris and
Sam like? I didn’t know the answers to these questions for a long time. Right
up until the book had sold, the mother stuff was undeveloped, and most of the
suggestions from my editor were to do with this.
It is helpful
to remember the difficulties I had with Infinite Sky now, as I finish up the
first draft of my second novel, a story about a teenage girl’s quest to find
her missing soldier brother. It’s good to remind myself that for a long time I
had no idea how Infinite Sky was going to end. I felt confused and baffled and
certain it was never going to come together. And it did! Fingers crossed that
this time next year, I will be able to say the same about the second one.
I'm sure you will be able to say that, C J. You can do it! It's bound to be as awesome as Infinite Sky is.
Competition
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We've had our eye on this book, on our tbr. Thanks for the interesting review and interview :)
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