Splinters

LoveReading Says

With shades of Sliding Doors and Coraline, Rachel Delahaye’s Splinters explores identity, the repercussion of the decisions we make, responsibility, and “giving yourself and others the space to do the right thing” (to quote its protagonist) with gripping invention.  

Jean is a whip-smart teenager — often wittily funny, she has a tendency to overthink, and to wish her life were different. Then, after moving house and discovering that a mirror invented by her room’s former occupant offers a window into alternate versions of yourself, the possibility of having a different life — or lives — takes a tangible form.

Indeed, the mirror was created by a man who believed in “the importance of trial and error — you know, making mistakes so you know how not to repeat them”.  

Perfectly attuned to a YA audience, Rachel Delahaye’s Splinters is brilliant on the subject of working through the versions of ourselves we want to be — and those we definitely don’t — and at revealing how decisions we make might send shockwaves through our lives, and those of others. It’s also smart on the fact that the grass isn’t always greener, and perfection is entirely subjective. Bravo!

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
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