Description
Finch and Wren were as close as a brother and sister can be. When he vanished, when they were nine years old, her world cracked in two. Finch was never found. On the same day that Finch disappeared, another girl was lost, too. Her name was Ava. Her parents were rich tourists, from Sydney. Ava’s story got all the media attention. And Finch was forgotten. But not by Wren. Never by Wren. Three years on, Finch is still with her, whispering in her ear, guiding her through life. As Wren begins high school and forms a new, bewildering friendship with a mysterious girl called Freddie, Finch is there, urging her on. To go bolder. To go braver. To grab life with two hands.
When another girl goes missing – a strange girl called Johanna – Wren feels compelled to search for her. To her surprise, Freddie does, too. The two of them try and piece together who Johanna is and why she ran away. Or did she run away? Was the truth more awful? And was it all tied together with what happened to Finch and Ava? My Brother, Finch, is a story of family, of loss, of friendship and of grief, and of what it truly means to let go and move on.
Review
Wren is less than a year older than her brother Finch. She is now twelve, but Finch hasn’t aged since he vanished while visiting the coal mines with his family three years ago.
Another girl vanished that day too. And young photogenic Ava from the rich Sydney family got all of the media attention, although it still didn’t help find her.
Wren’s family has struggled since that day. Her Mum is in a state of denial, insisting that Finch will return. Her Dad is depressed, blaming himself for not joining his wife in being a helicopter parent, and instead thinking kids should be given some freedom. And Wren blames herself for taking photos instead of exploring with Finch. She has since lost her friends, who get annoyed with her constant obsession with Finch’s disappearance. In her mind she also still talks to him, regularly.
When high school starts and the tall and mysterious new girl in town, Freddie, literally bumps into Wren they quickly form a bond. Wren and Freddie share a closer connection than either of them realise, but will they eventually share their loss and have a chance of properly moving on with their lives?
This is a terrific novel with themes of family, loss and how people deal with their grief, changing friendships and moving through the challenges that life’s journey throws our way. Brilliantly written by award-winning author, Kate Gordon, this book could be enjoyed by mature primary aged students but best suits lower secondary readers aged 12 to 15.
