This is a book about two brothers escaping home for a weekend to have an adventure. The story is told from the perspective of a 12-year old, who decides to take his younger and odd brother to St Bernards, to replicate the last time the family was truly happy on a holiday there. With little money and only one ticket, they make their way through the Odyssey, while the asides of the narrator reveal the unhappiness at home and why he took his brother away.

This is warm and compassionate telling of a story that only too many children live through, and both protagonists are quirky and engaging. I read this with my 8-year-old daughter, and we both loved the adventures the two boys had and felt for them.

Mark Lowery has produced yet another gem that will cement his position of admiration amongst his KS2 readers. Fabulous!

A sweet tale with a heart wrenching ending. Gripping from start to finish.

Martin and Charlie are on an epic journey to Cornwall, on their own. Having deceived their parents, the two set off with limited funds and no adults, and they know they will have to avoid discovery on their journey south. When Martin’s carefully laid plans collide with Charlie’s crazy behaviour, it’s a race against time to reach their final destination on time, without getting caught. But why is it so important?

Martin is a caring, thoughtful older brother to Charlie’s larger than life character, and the love he feels for him is clear. We see Martin’s hopes and fears in his poetry interspersed throughout their story, and the flashbacks give increasing importance to their current journey.

Beautifully written, Charlie And Me is a heartbreaking yet uplifting tale of brotherly love, exploring grief and mental health, within a gripping adventure that steadily builds tension, with laughs along the way, before the jaw dropping conclusion, which had me in tears.

Great for fans of The Ethan I Was Before, The Goldfish Boy and My Brother’s Shadow.

ebook proof courtesy of Piccadilly Press via Netgalley.

This book was such a sweet, heartwarming and funny read. It also had a rather heartbreaking ending that I was not expecting. I really enjoyed the ride this book took me on.

I really loved both Martin and Charlie. Martin was so kind and caring and understanding to Charlie, which made me really happy. Charlie was just so funny and so much fun to read about. Their relationship with each other was really nice too. I really love reading about good sibling relationships, and they way Martin and Charlie were together made me happy.

I also really enjoyed the story line, and the fact that it had snippets from their previous holiday to Cornwall mixed it. It was really fun to read, and I never found myself losing interest.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I don’t have anything negative to say about it.

Very moving tale of two brothers

Lowery has impressed me in the past, filling his family-centred stories with humour (Socks are Not Enough) and pathos, in stories that will pique the interest of primary-aged readers.

This novel features a wonderful pairing - brothers Martin and Charlie, a young teen and his younger brother who have, apparently, run away from home to travel more than 400 miles to Cornwall, where they are hoping to see the dolphin they saw on a family holiday.

Their determination is puzzling - just what significance does the dolphin hold for them? But they are resourceful in their lack of funds, Martin clearly adores his little brother, and Charlie has enough personality for a whole family of characters.

Their backstory is revealed through the course of the book, as they approach their destination, though many obstacles attempt to stall them - their parents, for example. Martin's poems also give us an idea of their family and history. The final reveal is quite a punch in the gut and incredibly sad - some readers may be quite upset (warning!).

A warm, chatty style of narration, Martin feels very real, loving and worried, and readers aged 10-14 will take to the story and their adventure from the start.

With thanks to Netgalley for the advance e-copy, provided for review purposes.

13 year old Martin and his younger brother, Charlie are on a mission and a journey to recreate a memorable summer holiday - this time without their parents. Martin, has planned the journey in detail but things don't go to plan and Charlie's behaviour can be difficult at times. There is a gentle humour throughout the story as Martin tries to cope with Charlie, always making allowances for him. The present day story is interspersed with a recounting of the special holiday. There were times when I was annoyed that the family seemed to be controlled by Charlie's needs but a twist in the story which I didn't see coming threw a different light on the situation.
I really enjoyed this story and its humour and felt great sympathy for Martin.

This is a heartbreaking yet uplifting book. I loved it! It kept me guessing and gripped to the very end. I will look to use this with my class in the future.
The book is based around 2 brothers; Charlie and Marty. It is their journey south to Cornwall to relive their most memorable holiday as a family. i couldn't put it down.