Book Synopsis:
For elderly churchwarden Arthur Calderbank, there’s no place like home. His home just so happens to be a graveyard.
He keeps himself to himself, gets on with his job, and visits his wife everyday for a chat. When one day he finds someone else has been to see his wife – and has left flowers on her grave – he is determined to solve the mystery of who and why. He receives unlikely help from a group of teenage girls as he searches for answers, and soon learns that there is more to life than being surrounded by death.
Set during the 90s, when we were all just common people believing things could only get better, this is an uplifting story about the power of a little kindness, friendship and community.
For readers who enjoy Sue Townsend, Ruth Hogan and Joanna Cannon.
Things Can Only Get Better is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
I’m a big fan of this author’s books as they are always fantastic, unique reads that are hugely enjoyable.
The things I most liked about this book was how realistic it seemed which made me get very engrossed and involved in the story. Set in the 90’s in an old miner town where jobs and opportunities are limited it features some absolutely wonderful characters that are easy to warm to and a few that I loved to hate. The story alternates between Kelly, a girl who wants more from life that what is expected of her, and a grieving widower Author who is trying to stop getting evicted from him chapel home in the graveyard. I loved getting to know the unlikely band of friends and seeing what made them tick. I especially enjoyed watching them all become friends and protectors to each other as they had always been shunned by others.
The author paints a bleak picture of the town the children live in and it was heartbreaking to see what they had to deal with at times. Most of the children weren’t given any opportunities and had been pretty much written off by society. It definitely made me think about how some groups are treated by others just because of where and how they live. Even though it’s based in the 90s the attitudes some people have about immigrants is still on show today which was sad to see. I liked how the author managed to humanise them and subtly show their side of the story.
I thought this story was very absorbing and surprising gripping as I grew very attached to the characters and wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to them. It’s a very poignant and emotional story which had me shedding a tear alongside the characters and then cheering them on when something good happens to them (I think I actually said ‘yes’ out loud at a particular high point). As a 90s kid I loved all the culture references in the book and the music mentioned has had me listening to stuff I haven’t heard in years. There is actually a playlist for the book too which I thought was a great touch.
This is the author’s third book and I’m very excited to read more from him in the future. If you like absorbing reads about unlikely heros then you’ll love this book!
Huge thanks to Alex from Trapeze publishers for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.
About The Author:
David Barnett is an award-winning journalist and author based in West Yorkshire. He was born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1970 and has worked in regional newspapers since 1989. He is the author of the Gideon Smith alternate history series from Tor Books, beginning in 2013 with Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl. David is also the author of Hinterland (2005, reprinted 2008), Angelglass (2007) and The Janus House and Other Two-Faced Tales (2009), all published by Immanion Press, as well as popCULT!, published in 2011 from Pendragon Press. His work has been translated into Czech, Russian and German. He is represented by the literary agent John Jarrold. David is married to Claire, also an award-winning journalist, and they have two children, Charlie and Alice.
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