Only Child

Rhiannon Navin's Only Child is the most powerful book you'll read this year.We went to school that Tuesday like normal.Not all of us came home . . .Huddled in a cloakroom with his classmates and teacher, six-year-old Zach can hear shots ringing through the corridors of his school. A gunman has entered the building and, in a matter of minutes, will have taken nineteen lives.In the aftermath of the shooting, the close knit community and its families are devastated. Everyone deals with the tragedy differently. Zach's father absents himself; his mother pursues a quest for justice -- while Zach retreats into his super-secret hideout and loses himself in a world of books and drawing.Ultimately though, it is Zach who will show the adults in his life the way forward -- as, sometimes, only a child can.PRAISE FOR ONLY CHILD"Innocence trumps violence in Rhiannon Navin's Only Child" New York Times"A powerful exercise in empathy and perspective." Kirkus Review"[A] gut-wrenching debut...like Room and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, it contains wisdom for all ages." People magazine"This emotional tale . . . sinks its hooks into you from the very first sentence and is a captivating exploration of a family's struggle to knit itself together after an act of violence." Marie Claire"This captivating novel about family, prejudice, trauma, politics and forgiveness will appeal to fans of Room, The Lovely Bones and The Fault in Our Stars. . . ." The Independent"'Only Child' triumphs. Zach, at only 6 years old, understands more about the human heart than the broken adults around him. His hope and optimism as he sets out to execute his plan will have every reader cheering him on, and believing in happy endings even in the face of such tragedy." Washington Post

Long-listed for Big Book Awards: Page-Turners Award 2018 (UK)

“Heartbreaking”

Captivating . . . Will appeal to fans of Room, The Lovely Bones and The Fault in Our Stars Independent
Authentic and moving Irish Times
Grab hold of the tissues for a read that's full of compassion and insight Woman & Home
An emotional, heart-wrenching read for fans of We Need To Talk About Kevin The Pool
Heart-wrenching and intelligent, and so very moving and insightful about a family in crisis -- Kate Eberlen, author of Miss You
Powerful . . . Will appeal to fans of Emma Donoghue's Room Good Housekeeping
Completely felled me . . . Brilliantly -- Lucy Diamond
Sinks its hooks into you from the very first sentence Marie Claire (US)
An amazing voice . . . Powerful and wise and healing -- Rachael Lucas, author of Wildflower Bay
Devastating. Unsentimental. Honest. Beautiful. Everyone should read -- Penny Hancock, author of Tideline
Zach, at only 6 years old, understands more about the human heart than the broken adults around him. His hope and optimism . . . will have every reader cheering him on, and believing in happy endings even in the face of tragedy -- Washington Post
An astonishing debut Publishers Weekly
Powerful . . . A careful examination of the way one boy and his parents, and their community, struggle to survive — and stay together — after the worst has happened USA Today
Told in the surprisingly mature voice of an unforgettable little boy, this tender novel about healing and family will tug at your heartstrings Sunday Post
Outstanding -- Harlan Coben
Heart-wrenching . . . [An] important and timely book Booklist
Innocence trumps violence -- Sloane Crosley, Vanity Fair
Like Emma Donoghue's Room, Navin's debut takes the risk of narrating a modern tragedy in the voice of a very young player . . . A powerful exercise in empathy and perspective Kirkus
Hotly anticipated Glamour
Through Zach’s eyes, we watch a mother become consumed by her anger, and a father begin to retreat . . . Zach embarks on a mission to ease his parents’ sadness, though the reader knows that only time can do that . . . Sweetly rendered NY Times
The Sun Chronicle

German by birth, Rhiannon Navin now lives in New York. She is married, with three children and two cats. This is her first novel.

'Brilliantly heartbreaking' Lucy Diamond We all went to school as normal that Tuesday. Not all of us came home . . . When the unthinkable happens, Zach is at school. Huddled in a cloakroom with his classmates and teacher, he is too young to understand that life will never be the same again.Afterwards, the once close-knit community is left reeling. Zach's dad retreats. His mum sets out to seek revenge. Zach, scared, lost and confused, disappears into his super-secret hideout to try to make sense of things. Nothing feels right - until he listens to his heart . . . But can he show the grown-ups how to love again?'Sinks its hooks into you from the very first sentence' Marie Claire 'Grab hold of the tissues' Woman & Home

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