Mi hermana vive sobre la repisa de la chimenea

Por Annabel Pitcher

Esta historia de la lucha de un niño por recuperar a su familia desgarra y conmueve, pero está también llena de humor y esperanza. La voz de Jamie tiene tanta fuerza que uno no puede evitar ponerse de su parte y ver el mundo a través de sus ojos.
Han pasado cinco años desde que Rose murió en un atentado terrorista islámico en el centro de Londres. Su hermano Jamie, de diez años, no ha podido llorar todavía, aunque sabe que debería hacerlo porque toda su familia lo hizo. Las cosas no van nada bien desde entonces: su padre bebe cada vez más, su madre los ha abandonado, Jasmine, la gemela de Rose, ha dejado de comer y Jamie tiene muchas preguntas que nadie le responde. Pero un día un anuncio de televisión le hace soñar con que todo vuelva a ser como antes… 
«Impresionante debut, con una brillante capacidad de observación y de impacto emocional, que consigue llegar directamente al corazón. Es un libro conmovedor y extremadamente divertido que te atrapa desde el principio.»The Bookseller

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Siruela
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 15 mar 2011
• ISBN: 9788498415544

Annabel Pitcher

Annabel Pitcher nació en un pueblo de Yorkshire y estudió Filología Inglesa en la universidad Oxford, y desde entonces ha trabajado en medios de comunicación y como profesora de inglés. Su afán por escribir una novela le hizo viajar por el mundo, tomando notas en autobuses peruanos, en el Amazonas y a la sombra de los templos vietnamitas, lo que dio origen a esta novela. Actualmente vive en Yorkshire.

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Mi hermana vive sobre la repisa de la chimenea

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Agradecimientos

Créditos

A mis padres, que me han traído hasta aquí

Mi hermana vive sobre

la repisa de la chimenea

1

Mi hermana Rose vive sobre la repisa de la chimenea. Bueno, al menos parte de ella. Tres de sus dedos, su codo derecho y su rótula están enterrados en una tumba en Londres. Mamá y papá tuvieron una discusión de las gordas cuando la policía encontró diez pedazos de su cuerpo. Mamá quería una tumba que pudiera visitar. Papá quería incinerarlos y esparcir las cenizas en el mar. En todo caso, eso es lo que me ha contado Jasmine. Ella se acuerda de más cosas que yo. Yo sólo tenía cinco años cuando ocurrió aquello. Jasmine tenía diez. Era la gemela de Rose. Y para mamá y papá, lo sigue siendo. Años después del funeral, seguían vistiendo a Jas igual: vestidos de flores, chaquetitas, zapatos de esos planos de hebilla que a Rose le encantaban. Yo creo que fue por eso por lo que mamá se largó con el tipo del grupo de apoyo hace setenta y un días. Cuando Jas, el día en que cumplía quince años, se cortó el pelo, se lo tiñó de rosa y se hizo un piercing en la nariz, dejó de parecerse a Rose, y mis padres con eso no pudieron.

Se quedaron con cinco pedazos cada uno. Mamá puso los suyos en un bonito ataúd, bajo una bonita lápida que dice Mi ángel. Papá incineró una clavícula, dos costillas, un fragmento del cráneo y un dedo pequeño del pie, y puso las cenizas en una urna dorada. Así que se salieron cada uno con la suya, pero sorpresa sorpresa, eso tampoco los hizo felices. Mamá dice que el cementerio es demasiado deprimente para ir de visita. Y en cada aniversario papá intenta esparcir las cenizas en el mar, pero siempre acaba cambiando de opinión en el último instante. Parece que algo ocurre justo cuando Rose está a punto de ser arrojada al agua. Un año, en Devon, había un montón de nubes de peces de esos plateados con pinta de no aguantarse de ganas de comerse a mi hermana. Y otro año, en Cornualles, cayó una caca de gaviota sobre la urna justo cuando papá estaba a punto de abrirla. Yo me eché a reír, pero Jas parecía triste, así que me callé.

Nos fuimos de Londres para alejarnos de todo aquello. Papá conocía a un tipo que conocía a otro tipo que le telefoneó por un trabajo en unas obras del Distrito de los Lagos. En Londres llevaba siglos sin trabajar. Hay recesión, y eso significa que no hay dinero en el país, así que no se construye casi nada. Cuando consiguió el trabajo en Ambleside, vendimos nuestro piso y alquilamos una casa de campo y nos marchamos dejando a mamá en Londres. Me aposté con Jas nada menos que cinco libras a que mamá iba a venir a decirnos adiós. No me obligó a pagárselas, pero perdí. En el coche Jas dijo Vamos a jugar a Veo veo, pero no fue capaz de averiguar una cosa que Empieza por la R aunque Roger estaba sentado en mi regazo, ronroneando como para darle una pista.

Qué distinto es aquí. Hay montañas enormes, tan altas como para pinchar a Dios en el pandero, y cientos de árboles, y silencio. No hay gente dije cuando encontramos la casa al final de un camino serpenteante, y yo iba mirando por la ventanilla en busca de alguien con quien jugar. No hay musulmanes, me corrigió papá, sonriendo por primera vez aquel día. Jas y yo nos bajamos del coche sin devolverle la sonrisa.

Nuestra casa es opuesta en todo a nuestro piso de Finsbury Park. Es blanca en lugar de marrón, grande en lugar de pequeña, vieja en lugar de nueva. La asignatura del colegio que más me gusta es Dibujo, y si pintara a las personas como edificios, la casa sería una abuelita loca que sonríe sin dientes y el piso sería un soldado muy serio todo repeinado y apretujado en una fila de hombres idénticos. Eso a mamá le encantaría. Ella es profesora en una academia de Bellas Artes y creo que si le enviara mis dibujos se los enseñaría hasta al último de sus alumnos.

Por más que mamá se haya quedado en Londres, yo estaba contento de que dejáramos aquel piso. Mi cuarto era enano pero no me permitían cambiarme al de Rose porque está muerta y sus cosas son sagradas. Ésa era la respuesta que me daban siempre que les preguntaba si podía cambiar de cuarto. El cuarto de Rose es sagrado, James. No entres ahí, James. Es sagrado. Yo no veo qué tienen de sagrado un montón de muñecas viejas, un edredón rosa maloliente y un oso de peluche calvo. No me parecieron tan sagrados el día que estuve saltando sobre la cama de Rose, al volver a casa del colegio. Jas me obligó a parar, pero prometió no decir nada.

Cuando salimos del coche, nos quedamos mirando nuestra nueva casa. El sol se estaba poniendo, las montañas tenían un brillo naranja y yo veía nuestro reflejo en una de las ventanas: papá, Jas y yo, con Roger en brazos. Por una milésima de segundo me sentí lleno de esperanza, como si aquello fuera de verdad el principio de una vida completamente nueva y todo fuera a ir bien de ahí en adelante. Papá agarró una maleta y sacó la llave que llevaba en el bolsillo, y recorrió el camino del jardín. Jas me sonrió, acarició a Roger, y luego le siguió. Dejé el gato en el suelo. Se fue directo a meterse en un arbusto, abriéndose paso entre las hojas con la cola levantada. Venga, me llamó Jas, dándose la vuelta ante la puerta del porche. Me esperó con una mano extendida mientras yo corría a su lado. Entramos en la casa juntos.

Jas lo vio primero. Noté cómo se le ponía el brazo rígido. Te apetece un té dijo, con una voz demasiado aguda y los ojos fijos en algo que papá tenía en la mano; estaba agachado en el suelo del salón con ropa tirada por todas partes, como si hubiera vaciado la maleta deprisa y corriendo. Dónde está la «kettle» preguntó Jas, tratando de hacer como si nada. Papá no levantó los ojos de la urna. Escupió sobre ella y se puso a sacarle brillo al dorado con la punta de la manga hasta que la dejó resplandeciente. Luego puso a mi hermana sobre la repisa de la chimenea, que era de color crema y tenía polvo y era igualita que la del piso de Londres, y murmuró Bienvenida a tu nueva casa, hijita.

Jas se cogió el cuarto más grande. Tiene una vieja chimenea en una esquina y un armario empotrado en el que ha metido toda su ropa negra nueva. Ha colgado de las vigas del techo un móvil de campanillas, y si las soplas tintinean. Yo prefiero mi cuarto. La ventana da al jardín de atrás, que tiene un manzano que cruje y un estanque, y además está ese alféizar ancho de verdad en el que Jas colocó un cojín. La noche que llegamos nos pasamos horas ahí sentados, mirando las estrellas. En Londres no las había visto nunca. Entre los edificios y los coches había tanta luz que no se veía nada en el cielo. Aquí sí que se ven bien las estrellas, y Jas me estuvo hablando de las constelaciones. A ella le interesa el horóscopo y se lo lee todas las mañanas en internet; le dice exactamente lo que va a pasar ese día. Y no te estropea la sorpresa le pregunté en Londres una vez que Jas se hizo la enferma porque su horóscopo decía no sé qué de un suceso inesperado. Ahí está la gracia me respondió, volviéndose a la cama y tapándose hasta las orejas.

Jas es Géminis, el signo de los gemelos, y resulta extraño porque ya no tiene gemela. Yo soy Leo y mi símbolo es el león. Jas se puso de rodillas sobre el cojín y me lo señaló por la ventana. No parecía mucho un animal, pero Jas me dijo que siempre que tenga algún problema tengo que pensar en ese león de estrellas que está ahí arriba, y todo irá bien. Yo le iba a preguntar por qué me estaba diciendo aquello justo cuando papá nos había prometido Empezar Desde Cero, pero me acordé de la urna sobre la repisa de la chimenea y me dio demasiado miedo la respuesta. A la mañana siguiente encontré una botella de vodka vacía en el cubo de la basura y supe que la vida en el Distrito de los Lagos iba a ser exactamente igual que la vida en Londres.

Eso fue hace dos semanas. Después de la urna, papá sacó de la maleta el viejo álbum de fotos y algo más de ropa. Los tipos de la mudanza se ocuparon de las cosas grandes como las camas y el sofá, y Jas y yo nos ocupamos de todo lo demás. Las únicas cajas que no hemos abierto son esas enormes en las que pone SAGRADO. Están en el sótano, cubiertas con bolsas de plástico para que se mantengan secas si hay una inundación o lo que sea. Cuando cerramos la puerta del sótano, a Jas se le empañaron los ojos y se le pusieron húmedos. Dijo A ti no te agobia, y yo dije No, y ella dijo Por qué no, y yo dije Rose está muerta. Jas arrugó el gesto. No digas esa palabra, Jamie.

No entiendo por qué no. Muerta. Muerta. Muerta muerta muerta. Mamá lo que dice es Se nos fue. La frase de papá es Está en un lugar mejor. Él nunca va a la iglesia, así que no sé por qué lo dice. A menos que ese lugar mejor del que habla no sea el Cielo, sino el interior de un ataúd o una urna dorada.

En Londres, mi orientadora me dijo Te niegas a admitirlo y sigues afectado por el shock. Me dijo Un día te vendrá de golpe y llorarás. Parece ser que no he llorado desde el 9 de septiembre de hace casi cinco años, que fue cuando ocurrió lo de Rose. El año pasado, papá y mamá me mandaron a ver a esa señora gorda porque les parecía raro que yo no llorara por aquello. Me habría gustado preguntarles si ellos llorarían por alguien de quien no se acuerdan, pero me callé.

De eso es de lo que parece que nadie se da cuenta. Yo no me acuerdo de Rose. No del todo. Me acuerdo de dos niñas que jugaban a saltar las olas en vacaciones, pero no de dónde estábamos, ni de lo que dijo Rose, ni de si se lo estaba pasando bien o no. Y sé que mis hermanas fueron damas de honor en la boda de un vecino nuestro, pero la única imagen que me viene a la cabeza es la del tubo de Smarties que me dio mamá durante la misa. Ya entonces los que más me gustaban eran los rojos, y los apretaba en la mano hasta que me desteñían la piel de rosa. Pero no me acuerdo de cómo iba vestida Rose, ni de cómo desfilaba por el pasillo de la iglesia ni nada parecido. Después del funeral, cuando le pregunté a Jas dónde estaba Rose, me señaló la urna que había encima de la repisa de la chimenea. Cómo puede caber una niña en un sitio tan pequeño le dije, y eso la hizo llorar. O por lo menos eso es lo que ella me ha contado. Yo en realidad no me acuerdo.

Un día nos pusieron de deberes en el colegio que describiéramos a alguien especial, y me pasé quince minutos para escribir una página entera sobre Wayne Rooney. Mamá me hizo romperla y escribir en su lugar sobre Rose. Como yo no tenía nada que decir, se sentó enfrente de mí con la cara toda roja y sudorosa y me dijo exactamente lo que tenía que escribir. Sonrió entre las lágrimas y dijo Cuando tú naciste, Rose señaló a tu pilila y preguntó si era un gusano y yo dije No pienso poner eso en mi cuaderno de Literatura. A mamá se le borró la sonrisa. Las lágrimas le resbalaron de la nariz a la barbilla y me hicieron sentirme tan mal que lo escribí. A los pocos días, la profesora leyó mi redacción en clase, y me gané una estrella dorada de ella y las burlas de todos los demás. Pichalarva, me pusieron.

2

Mañana es mi cumpleaños, y una semana después empiezan las clases en mi nuevo colegio, la Escuela Primaria de la Iglesia de Inglaterra en Ambleside. Está a unas dos millas de nuestra casa, así que papá me va a tener que llevar en coche. Aquí no es como en Londres. No hay autobuses ni trenes por si está demasiado borracho para salir. Jas dice que ella irá conmigo andando si no conseguimos que nos lleven, porque su escuela está como una milla más allá. Dijo Por lo menos nos vamos a quedar en los huesos y yo me miré los brazos y dije Para los chicos estar en los huesos no es bueno. A Jas no le sobra un gramo, pero come como un ratón y se pasa horas leyendo lo que pone por detrás de los envases para ver las calorías. Hoy ha hecho una tarta para mi cumpleaños. Ha dicho que era una tarta sana, con margarina en lugar de mantequilla y casi sin azúcar, así que lo más probable es que sepa raro. Pero tiene buena pinta. Nos la vamos a comer mañana, y me dejan cortarla a mí porque es mi día.

He mirado antes en el buzón y no había nada más que un menú de la Casa del Kebab, que he escondido para ahorrarle a papá el disgusto. Ningún regalo de cumpleaños de mamá. Ni una tarjeta de felicitación. Pero todavía queda mañana. No se va a olvidar. Antes de que nos fuéramos de Londres, yo compré una tarjeta de Nos mudamos de casa y se la mandé a ella. Lo único que escribí dentro fue la dirección de la casa y mi nombre. No sabía qué más poner. Ella está viviendo en Hampstead con el tipo aquel del grupo de apoyo. Se llama Nigel, y yo lo conocí en uno de esos actos conmemorativos en el centro de Londres. Con la barba larga y en plan greñas. La nariz torcida. Fumando en pipa. Escribe libros sobre otros que han escrito libros, cosa a la que no le veo mucho sentido. Su mujer murió también el 9 de septiembre. Puede que mamá se case con él. Puede que tengan una niña y la llamen Rose y entonces se olviden del todo de mí y de Jas y de la primera mujer de Nigel. Me pregunto si de ella encontrarían algún pedazo. Igual él tiene una urna sobre la repisa de la chimenea y lo mismo le compra flores en su aniversario de boda. Eso a mamá no le haría ni pizca de gracia.

Roger acaba de entrar en mi cuarto. Le gusta enroscarse por la noche junto al radiador, al calorcito. Ese sitio a Roger le encanta. En Londres lo teníamos siempre dentro de casa por el tráfico. Aquí puede campar a sus anchas, y hay un montón de animales que cazar en el jardín. En nuestra tercera mañana encontré una cosa pequeña y gris y muerta en el umbral de la puerta. Creo que era un ratón. Como no me sentía capaz de cogerlo con los dedos busqué un trozo de papel, lo coloqué encima empujándolo con un palo y lo tiré a la basura. Pero luego me sentí como un canalla así que lo saqué de la basura y lo puse debajo del seto y lo cubrí con hierba. Roger soltó un maullido como si no se pudiera creer lo que yo estaba haciendo, con el trabajo que le había costado. Le dije que las cosas muertas me ponen enfermo y me frotó el cuerpo anaranjado por la espinilla para que yo supiera que me había entendido. Es verdad. Los cadáveres me ponen del revés. Está feo decirlo pero, si Rose tenía que morirse, me alegro de que la encontraran en pedazos. Habría sido mucho peor que estuviera debajo de la tierra, rígida y fría, con exactamente el mismo aspecto que la niña de las fotos.

Me imagino que mi familia fue feliz un día. En las fotos se ven un montón de sonrisas y de ojos achinados, todos fruncidos como si alguien acabara de contar un chiste buenísimo. En Londres, papá se pasaba horas contemplando esas fotos. Teníamos cientos, todas hechas antes del 9 de septiembre, y estaban todas revueltas en cinco cajas diferentes. Cuatro años después de que muriera Rose papá decidió ponerlas en orden, las más recientes primero y las más antiguas al final. Compró diez álbumes de esos pijos de cuero de verdad con letras doradas, y durante meses se pasó las tardes enteras sin hablar con nadie ni hacer otra cosa que beber y beber y pegar todas las fotos en el sitio que tocaba. Sólo que cuanto más bebía más le costaba pegarlas derechas y la mitad de ellas tenía que volver a colocarlas al día siguiente. Probablemente fue por eso por lo que mamá empezó a tener El Affaire. Ésa era una palabra que yo les había oído a los del East End y no habría esperado oírsela gritar a mi padre. Fue un flash. A mí no se me había ocurrido pensarlo, ni siquiera cuando mamá empezó a ir a las reuniones de apoyo dos veces a la semana, luego tres veces a la semana, luego cada vez que podía.

A veces, al despertarme, me olvido de que ella no está, y entonces me acuerdo y el corazón se me cae como cuando se te escapa un escalón o tropiezas con un bordillo. Luego me vuelve todo de golpe y veo lo que pasó en el cumpleaños de Rose con mucha claridad, como si mi cerebro fuera uno de esos televisores de alta definición que mamá dijo que eran tirar el dinero cuando le pedí que comprara uno las Navidades pasadas.

Jas llegó a su fiesta una hora tarde. Mamá y papá estaban discutiendo. Christine me dijo que no estabas con ella decía papá cuando entré en la cocina. La llamé para estar seguro. Mamá se desplomó en una silla que había justo al lado de los sándwiches, lo cual me pareció bastante inteligente porque así podría ser la primera en elegir de qué lo quería. Los había de ternera y de pollo, y unos amarillos que yo esperaba que fueran de queso y no de mayonesa con huevo. Mamá llevaba un sombrero de fiesta, pero tenía la boca para abajo y parecía uno de esos payasos tristes que se ven en el circo. Papá abrió la puerta de

Comentarios para Mi hermana vive sobre la repisa de la chimenea

[melydia_1 · Calificación: 1 de 5 estrellas]

I literally only picked this up because David Tennant reads the audiobook, and I quit on it only a couple chapters from the end. It was just more than I could bear. I could handle how the dead sister overshadowed everything else. And the living sister becoming more distant. And the school bully/teacher's pet. And the bigoted, drunken dad. And the completely absent mom. But the cat was the last straw. There's no coming back from that, and no amount of happy family reunion will make up for it. And what really gets to me is that I saw it coming from the first second, because authors can't seem to handle a character having a feline companion without using it as a tragic plot device.

[sadiebabie · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I hadn't realised that this was a young adult book when I got it, and so it wasn't what I expected. I was hooked in by the idea of the story though - a family dealing with the aftermath of a terrorist attack which killed one of the children, told through the eyes of a ten year old boy. I thought the issues in it were really brave too, given that it was dealing with child death, parental abandonment, alcoholism, racism and bullying. Sadly though, as it was a YA book, it was all a bit fluffy for me. But that's my problem, and actually a strength of the book because it makes those things accessible for younger readers. It was funny, compelling and having it narrated by David Tenant was perfect.

[banoczi_henrietta · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

this book left me speechless and so so sad

[whisper1_1 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

This book was on one of my shelves for awhile. I purchaseed it for the curious title. It is, once again, another example of YA writing that deserves worthy mention.This is a story of a family split apart, told from the perspective of the younger brother of twin sisters, one of whom is killed in England by a terrorist action.Jaime was too young to remember his sister. He is now forced to act older than his ten years of age. His mother leaves he, his sister and father and abandons them for another man. Spending his days drinking obsessively, Jamie's father has little desire to spend attention on his two remaining children. Obsessed with grief regarding the killing of his daughter, Jaime's father keeps her ashes in a shrine-like atmosphere on the mantle. As Jamie and his sister are moved to a new school, forced to walk when their father cannot make it out of bed. In addition, Jamie is terribly bullied and cannot look to his remaining parent for any emotional support.Jaime finds one friend, a young girl who happens to be of the Muslim faith. She is the lone person in school who tries to learn about him and who cares. This is a good book, but not a great book. The author writes well, but she packed so much into the story. Each event that happened to Jamie was piled on one after another and another. Jaime's sister is killedHis mother leavesHis father drinks his days and nights awayJaime attends a new school where he is bulliedJamie happens to find one friend who happens to be of the same faith as the terrorist that killed his sisterand then there is a situation with a pet.....All of these events were too much to pack into one book.

[csemortimer · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

My family and I listened to this on holiday this summer while driving around the country (what a bonus to have David Tennant all to ourselves for hours on end) . It made us all laugh at loud - that's the best thing about teen books such wonderful humor. Just as well we weren't asked to pull over during the last chapter - driving in the dark very late one night, all of us with tears streaming down our faces. We really did have to pull ourselves together when we arrived at the grandparents' house.

[rhianwen-2 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I absolutely loved this book! It's an amazing story about a young boy and a loss that almost completely destroys his family. It is one of the few novels that really had me sobbing - I simply couldn't help it. But despite all those tears: there is also a lot of hope in it!

[Manu · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Es un libro que te atrapa desde el inicio con muchas preguntas, las cuales se van descubriendo conforme se avanza en la lectura.
Un libro que nos toca y sacude sentimentalmente.

[ml923 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

An absolutely wonderful audiobook, read by David Tennant.

[heatherlinc · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Although Jamie annoyed me at times, overall this was a touching book about grief and friendship.

[nataliec7 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Wow! What a book!
I don't have much to say about it at present as I'm still digesting what I've read.
One of my faves this year.

[salsabrarian · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Jamie is the only one in the family who isn't still grieving the loss of sister Rose in a terrorist act. Too young to remember her well, Jamie can only stand by as his father drinks through his grief, his mother leaves with another man, and his older sister, Jas, copes with losing her twin. After moving to a new neighborhood for a fresh start, Jamie is bullied in school but finds a kindred spirit in Sunya, a Pakistani girl who is also Muslim. Unfortunately, he must hide his friendship from his father who despises all Muslims for killing his daughter. I appreciated the currency of the topic and a differing perspective of one who's not grieving like he "should," but I found the death of Roger a bit of heavy-handed bat-wielding. It is the turning point that helps Jamie understand his family's grief, but it seemed a tad much.

[2wondery_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I listened to the audio version and was at first surprised at the choice of narrator. The protagonist is a 10 year old London boy-child. David Tennant has a deep man's voice and sounds Scotch. But it became a non-issue quickly. This is a deeply engaging story of dysfunctional family brought on by tragedy. I had a hard time believing how poorly both parents coped, but then, they actually saw their daughter disappear into tiny pieces.Loved and hated the Spiderman shirt symbology. Loved the siblings relationship.

[nycke137 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

I barely finished it. I skipped pages. I don't like books that have dialogue like this, in italics. I thought it was a good idea for a story, I just didn't like the flow of it.

[fluffyblue_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I read this in one session - well two on the same day - I could not put it down. My heart nearly broke reading this book - I cried twice, the tears just rolling down my cheeks, it is SO emotional!I loved the characters, James and Sunya, his sister Jas, and Roger the cat. I felt angry with his mother and father and the teachers and all the other school children. The story was just fantastic (if that's the right word for it), so well written from the perspective of a 10 year old, who, as the book goes on begins to learn about life and that things are not always as adults tell you they are.

[brainannex · Calificación: 1 de 5 estrellas]

I had high hopes and, then, not so much.

[infjsarah · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I enjoyed this book a lot and I bawled at the end. Well written and the characters felt real. I didn't like the use of italics for speech but otherwise a good read.

[sullywriter_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

A brilliantly written, richly layered, superb portrait of a grieving family and a touching friendship. Moving, real, and painful but with many wonderful touches of humor. A truly exceptional story.

[teamdewey · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I really liked this story as it seems very true to life and how different people deal with a sudden death in various ways. I was not happy with the end, as I did not feel anything was as resolved as it should have been, but that could be my motherly instincts kicking in for the main characters. I would recommend this for ages 11-16, male or female. I think it is also a good book for adults because it could make some aware of how they need to come through their own grief and see beyond it to take care of their children who are still alive.

[picardyrose · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Really lovely. Reminded me of Jean Little's heartbreakers.

[susiesharp_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Oh goodness this is a great book but have some tissues ready! 10 year old Jamie doesn’t really understand why his sister Rose is still on the mantelpiece she died 5 years ago and to be honest he doesn’t really remember her at all, just that her dying in a terrorist attack changed the face of his family in more ways than just Rose being gone. Jamie’s mum left them, his dad drinks all the time, his sister Jas (Rose’s twin) is a teenager and tries to do what she can for Jamie. Things at school aren’t that great he is being bullied and is falling for a Muslim girl who he thinks is beautiful and funny and wonderful but how will his dad react, because according to Jamie’s dad it was all Muslims that killed his sister. These are just some of the trials and tribulations Jamie goes through in this wonderful coming of age book.I really liked how this book was written we really get inside Jamie’s head and his thought process and the fighting between what his dad believes and what Jamie feels especially towards Sunya. Is Jamie naïve yes of course, he is 10 years old, is it wonderful to see that he doesn’t feel the same antagonism towards Muslims that his dad does yes it is, but the battle to try and understand everyone is really at the heart of this book. To understand why his Mum left, why his dad can’t let Rose go, and why it isn’t ok to like Sunya.There are parts of this book that will pull at your heart string especially in the end, sometimes the answers you seek are not the ones you really want and when Jamie’s eyes are opened about his parents it isn’t always an easy pill to swallow. I think this is an important book about race relations, grief and family and that just because your parents feel one way doesn’t mean you have to feel the same way! This book really touched my heart by the end it was a little slow beginning but once you start to see who Jamie is and what he goes through you will be hooked just as I was.Now the audio production this is narrated by, David Tennant Yes that David Tennant and even with his thick Scottish brogue I had a hard time whenever he said Rose (my fellow Whovians will understand this) but once I got over it and just concentrated on him being Jamie I was good to go. But I do wonder if this book affected me more because it was David’s voice? No, I think I still would have had the emotional connection to Jamie even though in my head he looked like a young David! I think this is a book for advanced middle grade readers, because it deals with death, an alcoholic parent divorce, terrorism, race relations , religious differences, bullying wow now that I look at that list this book covers a lot of ground and that’s what makes it a must read.4 Stars

[bookappeal · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Rose was killed in a random terrorist bombing in London when Jamie was just 5 years old. He barely remembers his sister but her twin, Jasmine, is very much a part of his life. Jas also struggles with the loss of her twin but no one is as damaged as their parents. Mum abandoned them to move in with her grief counselor and Dad moved the kids away from London and its Muslim population whom he blames for Rose's death. He copes with grief and single parenting by drinking and talking to Rose's ashes, kept in a small urn on a mantelpiece. Jamie can't understand why Rose's death has completely altered his life. Life at home is terrible and, in his new school, he's bullied by the teacher's pet. Jamie's lone salvation comes from an unlikely and forbidden friendship.A powerful and tender tale.

[ilikethesebooks · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This novel is filled with dualities: beautiful and ugly; periodic and unusual; heartbreaking and heartwarming. This idea of dualities is an interesting theme when a serious, adult topic is given to a child to narrate. Children naturally see situations as black or white, but when faced with a very grey area, it makes sense that the child would make contrasts appear. Having ten year-old Jamie narrate this story makes it much more powerful than I could have ever expected. Jamie's sister Rose died in a terrorist attack when he was five. Now five years later, Jamie's family is still suffering and attempting to not fall completely apart - attempting, but not doing so well. His mom took off with a man from her support group, his dad reached for the bottle and moved Jamie and his sister Jasmine to the country to get away from the Muslims who his father blames for Rose's death. Jamie has been raised to hate all Muslims, but when his only friend at school is a girl named Sunya, Jamie is torn between honoring his sister and respecting his father, or doing what he thinks is right. As you can see, there are very adult themes throughout the novel: death and racism being at the forefront. When I say this I do not support any type of book censorship, but I feel like My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is a novel for teens and adults, even though it is told from a middle grade point of view. By all means, give it to your middle grader, but what I am saying is that the subtleties can be better appreciated by an older reader. I guess another way of saying this is that even though it is technically a middle grade novel, readers of all ages can appreciate it.

[christianr_899499 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Your heart will break for 10-year-old Jamie as well as for his 15-year-old sister Jas. Jas's twin Rose was killed in a random terrorist attack. Five years later, their mother has abandoned them and their Muslim-hating father is unemployed, a drunk, and pays more attention to Rose's ashes than to his two remaining children. In his new school, the only child who will befriend Jamie is another outsider, a Muslim girl named Sunya, but Jamie has to keep the friendship a secret from his father. Both Jamie and Jas struggle with being loyal to their parents and yet also rejecting the ways in which their parents have failed them and others. All are well drawn by the author, and the conclusion to the story is especially well told.

[peggygillman · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Story about a family that is blown apart by one of the twins killed by a terrorist’s bomb. The father keeps her ashes on the mantelpiece and just can’t get on with his life even though he has a young son and the second twin. I liked the story but the end was too pat and came too easily. 9/24

[refpenny · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Jamie struggles to cope in a family that is falling apart. His older sister was killed in a terrorist attack and, five years later, the remaining family members have still not come to terms with it – his mother has left and his father drinks. The bright spots in Jamie’s life are his cat; Roger, his sister; Jas and his developing friendship with Sunya; a Muslim girl in his class.This could have been a depressing book, but it is told from Jamie’s point of view and his innocence and naivety give it a touch of gentle humour. The relationship between Jamie and Jas is a highlight – they look out for each other whilst still indulging in normal sibling annoying behaviour.

[edgoldberg · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

There is just so much wrong with this book, the more I think about it. Jamie is 5 when his 10 year old sister, Rose fell victim to a terrorist attack in an England park. Her twin, Jaz, was not injured. First thing wrong: Rose's parents can't agree on whether to bury her in a cemetary or have her cremated, so they each take body parts; the mother burying her portion of Rose, the father having her other body parts cremated and her ashes put in an urn on the fireplace mantle. YIKES!!It is now 5 years later. Jamie's parents are recently separated, their mother moving out and (Second thing wrong) having no contact with her children. Their father is an alcoholic and spends most days in bed. (Third thing wrong-where do they get money to live?)As Jamie starts the school year in a new school, he becomes friends with a sweet Muslim girl, Sunya, who has her own school issues because she wears a hajib. However, Jamie feels guilty because his father hates Muslims, due to the terrorist attack that took the life of his daughter.Jamie is the narrator of this tale. (Fourth thing wrong-the voice in the book sounds like a girl.) There's more wrong that I haven't listed. The more I think about it, the less I like it.

[brokenangelkisses · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

When running reading groups for work, I have found that following the Berkshire Book Award is not always as fun as following the Carnegie Medal. The books are chosen by the teenagers themselves, which means names like Jacqueline Wilson and Darren Shan tend to be prominent and popularity often seems to win over originality. All of which meant that I was quite pleased to spot ‘My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece’ on the shortlist as it is an offering from a new author and looked like it had the potential to be quite interesting. (Alright, I was smitten by the title.)== The idea ==Ten year old Jamie Matthews has moved to the Lake District with his dad and older sister, Jas, for a fresh start. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes clear to Jamie that this fresh start is rather similar to their old life: his dead sister’s ashes dominate the mantelpiece and empty bottles clink dismally in the bin. Jamie doesn’t even remember Rose, but she’s still tearing his family apart. Then a TV advertisement catches his eye. Could this be the way to fix everything?== The result ==The plotline is so familiar one could almost tick off the elements: a broken family, a child who is bullied at school, useless teachers, a ‘new start’ that isn’t, an idea that will fix things – except it won’t. The difference between this and countless other YA offerings is the sheer vigour in Jamie’s voice.Jamie is a delightful narrator. His energy and naivety mean that however sinister the ideas he is exposed to, his reactions prompted a smile from me. His blunt statement that ‘Muslims blew up my sister’ is startling but understandable. (The same statement voiced by his father is chilling.) Jamie’s tentative friendship with young Sunya develops in fits and starts as he tries to reconcile his father’s blind hatred with the truth that’s sat next to him, offering him a blu-tac ring.As the story develops Jamie necessarily matures and begins to consider a way forward that recognises what he has as well as what he has lost. In this way, he becomes a positive role model for teen readers.== My thoughts ==Writing from the perspective of a ten year old is a challenge and some of Jamie’s ideas and actions could easily seem ridiculous in a child who is approaching secondary school age. Suspending belief is probably easier for me as I do not have children, but I found Jamie generally convincing as a narrator; he pursued his interests and was creative in trying to attain his desires. Pitcher hints towards darker motives in other characters while only denting Jamie’s innocence. His desire to do the right thing, and to know what the right thing was, meant he was likeable throughout. The first person narration helps to pull you into his world view.I found his attitude towards his dead sister Rose was one of the most refreshing elements of the book. Jamie doesn’t remember her at all and is very matter of fact about her death and dismemberment: he knows exactly which pieces of her were burned and which were buried. It is clear that Jamie is not callous, merely young, and it is only his later reaction to a sad event which helps him to understand why the rest of his family have found it so hard to say goodbye to his dead sister. I thought that the sad event seemed a little forced as it came out of nowhere and provided a rather obvious device to move Jamie’s understanding of grief forward. That said, it is not an unrealistic development at all and does not detract from an otherwise convincing plotline.I liked the fact that the events of the book were realistic. It is quite clear from the first chapter that Jamie’s hopes are likely to go unrewarded and I thought the ending was suitably true-to-life without being too dark. I don’t cry when reading books or watching films but I can see that many readers might be brought to tears by Jamie’s situation, not even because it’s so unusual, but just because the emotions are clearly so raw for all the family members.Jamie’s relationship with his surviving sister is one of the most touching elements of the book. Abandoned by her heartbroken mother to cope with her younger sibling, drunken dad and memories of her twin, Jas does a mostly-great job, but Pitcher includes little details that emphasise how much she is struggling. Sometimes aware of these and sometimes not, Jamie often inadvertently brings her tears of laughter and sadness. I liked the way they looked out for each other and yet sometimes annoyed each other. I didn’t feel that the relationship ever became too ‘sweet’ to be convincing.There are a range of other characters, all of whom I found to be convincing and all of whom added to the story in some way.The background (such as how Rose died) is alluded to when necessary and there is a very short ‘story’ from Jas’ perspective at the end of the book which neatly adds a different viewpoint and enriches what has gone before. I liked that most of the action took place in the present as it made the story easier to read and I felt more involved in the characters’ lives.== Conclusions ==‘My sister lives on the Mantelpiece’ is tender without being overly sentimental and explores big themes (grief, loss, prejudice) in a way that is comprehensible for young adult readers. The main character is sensitive but sufficiently ‘boy-friendly’ (he’s into football and pulling pranks) to interest boys and girls. The storyline is fairly typical for YA fiction but is well written and usually convincing. As an adult reader, I still enjoyed this, especially as the sad story is often imbued with a wonderfully comic undertone due to the narrator’s innocent perspective. I think it is well worth the £6.99 cover price.Prefer to hear it aloud? The audio version is read by David Tennant for £14.99.

[deedee80_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I bought this fictional story because I was intrigued by the title, and I suppose partly because I wondered if it would give me an insight into how my daughter would feel about having a sister that had died, once she is old enough to understand. I don't think it really gave me any insight but it was such a beautifully written and mesmerising story that I really didn't care! It is rare that I love every word of a book and gobble it up in just a few evenings, but I really struggled putting this down. By the end of chapter one I wished I had written it myself!! The story was told from the perspective of ten year old Jamie about how his family are struggling to come to terms with the sudden tragic death of his older sister. Jamie's innocence was powerful and the images he used were so touching. The only criticism I'd have is that I wasn't sure if all the images were ones that a ten year old would come up with but it was stunning that I didn't really mind! I'd recommend this to everyone looking for a quick read with a different perspective. It touched my heart and will stay with me for some time. Beautiful.

[oldstick · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

A fascinating study of loss and prejudice from the point of view of a ten year old boy. I think this story may stay in my memory. You don't have to be young to enjoy it.

[shell_c1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Young Jamie is a mess. Five years after his sister, Rose, has been blown apart by a terrorist bomb in central London his mother has run off with a grief-support group-member called Nigel, his father is an alcoholic and his sister, Jess, Rose’s twin, has dyed her hair pink, pierced her nose and acquired a green-haired older boyfriend called Leo. Meanwhile Rose’s ashes sit in an urn on their mantelpiece. This book warrants rave reviews. It’s an easy yet entertaining read that thoroughly explores Muslim/non-Muslim relations, bullying, grief, alcoholism and family brokenness whilst never straying into preachy-ness, stock characters or unrealistically rosy (mind the pun) endings. It’s absolutely believable, memorable and, at times, heart breaking. As a reader who is perhaps over sensitive to depictions and explorations of ideology and religion in children and young adult’s literature I can only commend Pitcher’s sensitive portrayal of Tom’s young Muslim friend Sunya, and his growing understanding of the significance of her faith alongside his own vaguely Christian background.