Changes

The characters were well -drawn and designed to evoke a powerful response in the reader. The protagonist Joshua, is a gentle and kind soul like his father and serves as a strong contrast to the wild, untamed Sophie, his murderous older brother Matthew and insensitive mother Kate. Sophie is a memorable character and has a very unsettling presence that sends chills up the spine. I loved the way that she alternated between an untameable wild-child and a butter-wouldntwouldn't-melt doting niece when in the presence of Tom. She was completely unpredictable, which made her all the more compelling to read about.

There were definite hints of Bronte in the narrative, much to my delight. Tom's unhappy marriage is similar to that of Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre and the surly Kate keeps herself separate from the rest of the family in her own wing of the house. Sophie, with her feral ways , could have come straight from the pages of ''Wuthering Heights.'' Fans of classic fiction will feel instantly at home within the pages of this book. Many thanks to the publishers for my review copy. We also gave four stars to [[Counting the Cost by Jemima Brigges]],