Social Listening

Social Listening

It started as a rumour, scaremongering some claimed,

China, Donald Trump, eating bats and snakes all blamed. 

But now it’s oh too real and we wish we could’ve known 

Wish we’d better understood and to loved ones perhaps shown 

The love and care and closeness that we feel now 

As we sit shut up at home questioning why, when and how?

We ended up in this sorry state of desperately watching news

Examining endless social media for tips and hints and clues

For when this whole state of affairs may be over with and done

When finally we can breath a sigh and life has again begun 

Yet it will not be the same again it’s just can not revert

To the life we had before all this with the ignoring of pain and hurt

And those that are perhaps most in need those forgotten souls

Those ‘unskilled’ but now so key that plug our lifeblood’s holes 

Those doctors working umpteen days wrapped up like astronauts

Those drivers and shop workers and teachers of all sorts

It’s not the isolation that many find so hard

It’s the fear and the worry - is my name written on death’s card 

It’s the lack of holding loved ones when perhaps they need us most

It’s the empty chair when this over and you raise a goodbye toast 

To those who’ve made it possible for all us to live on

And a solemn promise to not forget those that are loved and yet gone. 

Darkwhispers - A Brightstorm Masterpiece

Darkwhispers - A Brightstorm Masterpiece

We are living in a golden age of children’s literature, every week a new book hits the shelves and an explosion of worlds, languages, dilemmas and characters pour from pages heavy with personification, imagination and creativity. You could say that this sector is over saturated with the alternative world, steampunky, magical texts however in this crowded market one writer stands clear of the rest. With the release of the second book in the Brightstorm series Vashti Hardy has further cemented her position as the matriarch of the alternative worlds.

Darkwhispers – A Brightstorm Adventure is simply spectacular, a master piece and is a clear indication of the quality of books that Hardy is surely destined to deliver us. And we as readers should recognise this book for what it is. Yet more worlds are created with detail and depth that combines the vastness of Abi Elphinstone’s Rumblestar and Sky Song with a clarity and simplicity that means that despite the intricacies and seemingly boundless horizons, it is simple to follow and keep up as our heroes are separated and end up on their own personal journeys.

We re-join Lontown with the shocking news that famous explorer Ermitage Wrigglesworth has gone missing whilst searching for a mystical four continent. The existence of which has long been debated and subsequently consigned to rumour. However Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm are on the case and upon spotting a colleague of the evil Eudora Vane breaking into Wrigglesworth house and removing a book, they sense that all may not quite be as it seems.

A large armada of explorer ships set off to search for Wrigglesworth and to find out what really lays beyond the furthest reaches of current civilisation. What follows is a relentless romp through a heavily layered and at times unsettling 429 pages. Note this is nearly a hundred pages more than Brightstorm – A Sky Ship Adventure and it feels deliberate. This book is different. Yes, the heroes, the tone, the imagination and the little unique features are still there (no thought wolves though I am afraid) but this feels weightier.

The emotions that the characters experience have grown alongside the characters themselves. Arthur and Maudie are on the cusp of adulthood now and in a similar way to the Harry Potter series it feels almost like Hardy wants her readership to grow up with the characters. That’s not to say this should be placed in the Young Adult section of your favourite retailer but it feels more powerful – and that’s saying something considering the twins find their dad’s dead body in Book 1. Without giving too much away it is hard to put into words but upon finishing the book I had to take a moment to just sit and digest the punches that Hardy throws at you in this wonderful story.

Less time is spent with some of the characters in Hardy’s debut in this sequel yet somehow you feel you finish by knowing them so much better. There are laughs (as always) and stand out moments that make you close your eyes and wish to be living Hardy’s imagination. However there are also moments of utter sadness, loss and self-reflection where you truly question how you would behave in the same situation. One particular moment in the book didn’t sit well with me and that is perhaps I would’ve behaved differently, therefore showing that rather than it being a fault of the book it’s more a success of asking those truly difficult questions. For that reason I think this is more of a Year 5/6 book and I would be a little reluctant to pitch it further down the school like I would the first in the series.

With Brightstorm 1 we were given a world of intrigue, uniqueness but almost understated familiarity. With Wildspark – Hardy’s second book which gets nowhere near the attention it deserves – we were treated to a world of excitement and secrets. With Darkwhispers it feels like the board was swept clean and she started all over again, skills honed on the previous two books and a masterclass in children’s writing delivered. This really is, that good and should have driven Hardy to the top of your to be read pile!