Blood Family

A riveting read

The Bookseller

Excellent

Marilyn Brocklehurst, The Bookseller

Written with clear sight, understanding and elegance . . . Blood Family covers the age-old debate between nature and nurture. It asks if our past can ever be banished. It's about guilt, grief, and anger. But it's also about redemption. It's beautifully, carefully, written. And it feels very, very truthful. I believed every single word - from the degradation of Edward's early life, through the biddable but disassociated child in the early aftermath and the often crass actions of social services, right to the inevitable breakdown in Edward's adolescence. It's the best story in the kitchen sink style I've read in a long time. And I think it'll win prizes

Jill Murphy, The Bookbag

Strong stuff from a writer who is never afraid to be outspoken

Nicholas Tucker, Independent

To me Blood Family felt like a totally different Anne Fine from what I've read before. It is well written, and draws you in from the beginning. (This book) is less about the importance of blood families, and more about how things can go right – or wrong – for anyone, at any time. It’s worth remembering. Things can easily go right. Things don’t have to be all disastrous and wrong. No matter what kind of start to life you had, it can become good

The Bookwitch

Hard-hitting

Teesdale Mercury

Reading Anne Fine’s work is always a challenge as well as a delight. She’s like a difficult relative who appears at family events and tells everyone a few home truths, yet gets away with it because she has such a wickedly witty turn of phrase

Tony Bradman, Guardian

Once again Fine proves why she is such a prolific author with this dangerous and dark new book . . . Evocative, emotional and beautifully imagined

We Love This Book

Her most powerful book yet

Northern Echo

I was completely and utterly drawn in by this book and finished it in one sitting . . . A fantastically dark and insightful read which I would highly recommend

The Overflowing Library