Stay Where You are and Then Leave

Published March 9, 2013 by Random House Children's Publishers UK, Doubleday Childrens.

ISBN:: 978-0-85753-293-0

(1 review)

Four years after Alfie Summerfield's father left London to become a soldier in World War I he has not returned but Alfie, now nine, is shining shoes at King's Cross Station when he happens to learn that his father is at a nearby hospital being treated for shell shock.

Four years after Alfie's father left London to become a soldier in World War I, he has not returned, but Alfie, now age nine, is shining shoes at King's Cross Station when he learns his father is at a nearby hospital being treated for shell shock.

11 editions

Heather reviewed Stay where you are & then leave by John Boyne

Review of 'Stay where you are & then leave' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Another quick, fun read. I've given it two (I'd have to be drugged and bound to give a book three or more I think!) as it relied on highly unlikely coincidences. I find that lazy in an author and it always spoils my enjoyment of a book and prevents me suspending my disbelief.

The writing was good, the characters well drawn, the story jogged along nicely. I really appreciate JB not needing to find a way of commenting on Georgie's plight; it was far more effective simply to describe him and let that have an impact on us. I thought his recovery by the end was rather miraculous. I was left with the feeling that Alfie was the one who would bear the scars for longer, especially as he would be just the right age to fight in WWII.

I'd recommend this, but not really as a WWI book (my …

Another quick, fun read. I've given it two (I'd have to be drugged and bound to give a book three or more I think!) as it relied on highly unlikely coincidences. I find that lazy in an author and it always spoils my enjoyment of a book and prevents me suspending my disbelief.

The writing was good, the characters well drawn, the story jogged along nicely. I really appreciate JB not needing to find a way of commenting on Georgie's plight; it was far more effective simply to describe him and let that have an impact on us. I thought his recovery by the end was rather miraculous. I was left with the feeling that Alfie was the one who would bear the scars for longer, especially as he would be just the right age to fight in WWII.

I'd recommend this, but not really as a WWI book (my favourite of those is Pat Barker's excellent Regeneration trilogy), more as a story of childhood.