Talli’s secret.

I have no idea whether this book, Talli’s Secret, actually describes what it’s like to be dyspraxic or dyslexic, but it is fairly accurate on being misunderstood, miserable and grieving. The child heroine has had all sorts piled on top of her, including losing her sister in a car crash, the same one that put her father in a wheelchair, and then going on to be bullied at school in part about the crash, and picked on by a teacher who doesn’t recognise her daydreaming and clumsiness as part of the problems she has. All of this is well drawn, but then the idea that suddenly this child will manage to solve all her problems in one fell swoop doesn’t ring quite as true.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book, though I doubt I would recommend it highly – it is the author’s first book and you can kind of tell. (I am reminded at this moment of many comments about critics, and mindful of those, I’ll stop now.)