I wanted to read this book as I loved the first novel by Keith, A Boy Made of Blocks. Yet again Keith has not disappointed with this his second novel. I needed to brush away the tears to write this review. I was a little worried about reading on public transport as I thought I might cry. Why wouldn't you with a description containing the words "Hannah's diagnosis with a heart condition that both of them know will end her life early". Fortunately I only gave way to tears at the end of the book in the safe confines of my home.

The book is divided into Tom and Hannah each telling their version of events, both in the past and when the story is set. If I have one tiny criticism it is not knowing when in time the book is set. There is flipping back in the story to when Hannah is a little girl, but I had assumed wrongly that the present day was where the story was set. Then cultural references popped up such as dial up, Sugababes, Pop Idol and I began to realise that this was not the case. Just a personal thing but it began to bug me, as I wanted to place it in a time slot. In the end I decided it was 2004 with the many references throughout the book.

I settled into the story and it was a joy to read despite having a sad undertone. So many lovely characters and each with their own back story, that it had a real community feel to it. What interesting lives too. Although they are all there to support Hannah, each of them also has their own private turmoil, which we get to know about as the book unfolds. There is also a lot of humour in the book which I loved. I think my favourite character was Margaret who at 81 is Hannah's closest friend and they have afternoon tea together.

I felt I knew each and every one of them by the end of the novel. There is something about the quality of Keith's writing that I can't describe, it's like no other author I have read. You feel like he's taken you by the hand and led you gently through other people's lives.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for an advance copy to review. Mark your diaries for the 7th June 2018 when it will be published.

This was a fabulous story. Lots of sadness but times of joy too. The story was very sensitively written and very realistic. The main message was how strong is the human spirit and what can be achieved if you stay strong and always believe. I found the story very moving and couldn't put it down.

Amazing story that tugs at the heart strings. Wonderful characters

[4.5 Stars]

I received an ARC ebook copy of this book pre-approved through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a pleasure to read, with so many interesting characters and developments in the story plot. I really enjoyed the perspectives that were given in the book. Both of them had a realistic tone in the narrative and it was interesting to see the relationship of father and daughter throughout and how they both manage with the lingering circumstance that Hannah (the daughter) has. I found that this book contained various of elements that I personally found relatable, specifically with the portrayal of Hannah and her friends going through exams during the course of this book. I also hold an appreciation for the pop-culture references that were in the book, which was a delight to have included and wasn't too excessive to get annoyed over; I feel that there was just enough pop-culture to add to the realistic charm to the novel. Even though there were a few characters in the book, it was easy enough to keep track of these characters as they are mostly gradually introduced.

I enjoyed the author's previous stand-alone novel A Boy Made of Blocks. I defiantly think that if you enjoyed that book, or looking for a good contemporary fiction novel; then this is the book for you.

A “feel-good” novel for the 21st century – engaging and, in some ways, lovely

This novel concentrates on a father, Tom, and his daughter, Hannah, and their relationship and how they deal with a life-threatening condition. As part of a drama group, they involve a host of other well-developed characters in their lives, all of whom have a valuable part to play in the development of the plot.

Heartstrings are pulled and, as far as I'm concerned, despite the upbeat intentions at times, the overall impression is quite depressing. That is not to take anything away from this book which I enjoyed a lot and which I would recommend to all and sundry and the individual reader will perhaps find it more uplifting.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved "A Boy Made of Blocks" when I read it a couple of years ago so I was beyond excited when I was invited to read this book. It's not out for a while and I usually read my review books close to their publication dates but I just had to start this one early as I was too excited and couldn't wait. I was also a little scared as I had very high expectations. Bear in mind that my main go to reads are crime fiction, the gorier the better so to say that this is not my usual cup of tea would be an understatement.
Well, what can I possibly say that can do this book justice? My words will never be enough to be able to get across the way this book affected me. Me, a bit of a hard nose cow, reduced to big sobbing tears at times by the powerful emotions I experience whilst read this book. Tears of pain, but also tears of joy, relief and, occasionally, tears of laughter. It's a magical tale that is beyond moving in content.
It's the story of a family; not all blood related I hasten to add. Tom is a single father to Hannah. A hard enough job I would imagine, having to pick up the pieces after Hannah's mother left them and bringing her up solo, but then Hannah starts to fall ill and is diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Determined to make her life as special as he can in the time they have left together, Tom recruits all his friends at the theatre where he works to help him make each and every birthday special for his little girl by staging a play for her based mostly on the fairytales she loves. She soon starts to join in with the production process and the theatre and its people become a big part of her life too. But she is rapidly growing up and starting to find her own way in the world and her thoughts start to settle on what happens when she's gone. What will happen to her father? He has dedicated his life to her to the detriment of his own. Or so it seems to her. She thinks he has looked after her long enough and now it's her turn to look out for him.
It's told from the POVs of both Tom and Hannah in the present with some flashbacks to Hannah's past. I found this to be a very effective way of portraying the story told within and it was easy to follow as both characters have their own distinctive voice.
Oh. My, days. I'm not usually a very emotional reader but I think I invested my whole soul into this book. If I could have jumped in and joined the cast I would have. I made friends in this book. Friends that I am really going to miss. People that have made my life richer for their inclusion. People that have both challenged and changed the way I look at certain things. People that I grew to love, admire, argue with, fall out with, make up with, the whole shebang. In fact, I said to someone when I was about 80% though that I really didn't want to finish the book. Despite wanting and needing to know what happens, I was very reluctant to carry on, knowing that it would soon be all over and I would have to leave my new friends behind and go on without them.
I am not going to speak about any of the characters individually here as I really think they are best off met and got to know as the author intends them to be. Suffice to say that they are are brilliantly drawn and real, so very real. This author definitely has a big talent with regard to characterisation and character development.
Boy did I have a big book hangover when I finished.
Normally when I finish a book I go straight on to the next one. It is very rare (so rare I can't remember the last time) for me to not want to pick up another book and crack on. But I finished this one at about tea time Friday and couldn't pick up another one until about the same time the next day. I was spent, exhausted, emotional, affected by what I had read. I do have to just mention that although the book is quite heavy emotional wise, it never gets too heavy. It is very well balanced all told.
It's a book I feel very privileged to have read. It's a story which will stay with me for a while yet. It might also deserve a re-read in the future; another thing I very rarely do. It has also catapulted itself into my top five reads of all time. And I've read a lot of books... Mr Stuart, how are you possibly going to follow this?
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I loved A Boy Made of Blocks but this one blew my mind. Its the best book I've read this year so far and in my top 3 all time favourites.

I instantly connected to the characters, in particular Tom and Hannah. The love they had as father and daughter was perfectly written in my opinion. Their crazy games and banter was so funny and I laughed a lot throughout but their love and respect for each other shone through.

Margaret was another favourite character for me, I would love to have a friend like her. Even at her age she was hilarious, caring and a very special lady.

I've only been to the theatre a handful of times but this story makes me want go. The theatre staff were a family, they had their good times and bad times but were always there for each other no matter what.

The author is an amazing writer, he draws you in from the first page, makes you laugh and cry, sometimes he made me laugh then cry in just one sentence. He described the characters perfectly (I have images in my head of every one of them). I felt I was with them throughout their journey, in the same room with them listening to their conversations. I was inside their world.

This book will stay with me forever.

This is a well written, heartwarming story from Keith Stuart about living with a life limiting illness, in this case heart disease.
The characters are well developed, likeable and relatable. The story has a sense of community, people helping each other in times of need and true friendships. It is a lovely story and one I totally recommend.
5 *****

Wow what an incredible moving and compelling read and a fantastic follow up to A Boy Made Of Blocks. The author has the knack of making you think you are reading a true story. It is sad in parts but also uplifting, although Hannah has a life threatening heart condition she wants her life to be as normal as possible and to do the things other 15 year olds get the chance to do. She has an amazing relationship with her father who is always there for her. even though sometimes she feels stifled by his care and attention. He is a single parent and is terrified of losing her to the terrible condition that is gradually taking over their lives. Their other love is a small provincial theatre that her dad Tom has run for the past decade, when the future of the theatre is threatened Tom misses a vital meeting to challenge the closurer.. I loved reading their story and finding out the outcome, thank you for the ARC

Lovely story that made me laugh and cry. I really don’t want to anything about the plot that you won’t have already seen from the summary or it will just spoil an excellent read.

Days of Wonder is a story told in alternating chapters between Tom and his daughter Hannah. By doing this, the reader gets to see how both characters deal with Hannah's heart condition.

Being a parent I could very much get behind Tom with wanting to wrap his daughter up in cotton wool. After his wife left them both, Tom has very much had to be both mum and dad and deal with things on his own for numerous years. My heart really went out to him. It's obvious what a fantastic dad he is. He has dedicated his life to bringing up his daughter and the theatre is like a second home to them both.

Hannah to a point is a typical teen. She loves her dad with all her heart but wants some normality to her life. Due to her condition, which has gradually got worse over the years, she is struggling coming to terms with it all. I just wanted to reach out to her and take it all away.

There is a great cast of characters within the theatre group, especially Margaret, of which I loved how the theatre plays a big part in the book also. You get a real sense of community spirit and how something can really pull people together.

Days of Wonder is a beautiful tale of a father and daughter bond so strong that Hannah and Tom literally stole my heart. A heart warming and emotive read that grabs you by the heart, body and soul. Without a doubt this is going to be a lot of peoples top reads of 2018, I know it's one of mine! It's just one of those books you really have to read for yourself just to see how wonderful it is. No amount of words could do this stunning book justice.

I would like to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Days Of Wonder’ written by Keith Stuart in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Tom is the manager of the Willow Tree theatre and every year he produces a magical production for his daughter Hannah’s birthday. Hannah has always thought of the theatre as her second home and is very close to everyone working in the theatre. From the age of four Hannah develops a heart condition and when she’s fifteen it worsens. At the same time Tom also discovers that the Council don’t want to pay for the upkeep of the theatre and intend closing it. Tom and Hannah have more than one fight on their hands, Tom to make the council realise that the theatre is important to the community, and Hannah for her life.
This is an enchanting novel of love, hope and magic. It’s about a young girl growing up, finding her place in the world, the friends she makes in the theatre, and the special bond she has with her father. It’s funny, especially the hilarious descriptions of Tom’s attempts at online dating, but oh so sad. The epilogue which jumps to September 2025 brings the story of Tom and Hannah to a close and I admit I was in tears. This was such a lovely story. Thank you Keith Stuart for creating a poignant and beautiful story with such wonderful characters.

A little bit of a slow burn for me, with fabulous characters that took their time to weave their way into my heart.

At its core, this is a book about a girl with a life-limiting heart condition, and the way that she and her dad deal with it. But it’s so much more than that. From teenage friendships, to local theatre, to marriages, to dating, to everyone’s got a story; there’s so many layers to this book it’s hard to know where to start.

I loved A Boy Made of Blocks. But I loved this as much, if not more. I was moved to tears on several occasions - and totally unexpectedly on one occasion. What seems like a simple story is so much more.

Highly highly recommended- a 5* read I will keep with me. In my Top 10 for 2018 and we are only in March!!

Brilliant!!

I finished Days of Wonder last night (early hours this morning), I could not put it down! It was a wonderful, sad, yet uplifting story and I loved it! I cried, I laughed, I could not put the book down I needed to know how it ended. A wonderful story that will most likely have you in tears.

I was lucky enough to be invited to read this book by the publisher and absolutely loved it. Thank you and I will definitely recommend it to others.

I really loved A Boy Made of Blocks and wasn’t sure if Keith Stuart could follow it up with an equally moving story. He most definitely has.

The story is split between Tom and his daughter Hannah, who has a serious heart condition, and I loved them instantly. Keith has captured their relationship beautifully. Hannah’s chapters are especially well done as she goes through everyday teenage issues, but with the added pressure of her condition looming over her.

The supporting cast of characters are fantastic too, especially the theatre group and their adventures. There is a lot of comedy throughout what is at times a very emotional story.

I highly recommend this wonderful, magical book to everyone!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I only managed to read the first 25% but couldn’t go any further because it touched me deeply. Sorry.. lost a 16 year old granddaughter last year and hadn’t read the ‘blurb’ right. I have given it five stars because of the book’s ability to touch me so deeply.....

I really enjoyed Keith Stuart's previous story about a Dad connecting with his son via the power of Minecraft in "A Boy Made of Blocks" and was eagerly looking forward to reading his next novel 'Days of Wonder'.

Relationships again form a core part of this book, particularly between a Father and Daughter and those of family and friends.

Tom is a single parent father to Hannah, who has a rare, life-threatening heart condition. They manage as best they can day to day and interact with a wide variety of characters who are mostly all members of the local drama society.

Tom manages the local theatre in their hometown, and together with the aid of his local drama group, they manage to make each birthday of Hannah's special via a specially produced play. To say more would give the plot away too much, but this is a lovely story of community, family, and the power of storytelling.

The relationship between Tom and Hannah is wonderfully detailed and told alternatively from Tom and Hannah's point of view throughout the plot. We see Tom worrying constantly about Hannah and her condition, and in return, Hannah worrying about her father's loneliness and whether he would be able to cope in future on her own.

The story mixed together a great blend of emotion, comedy, and amateur drama. A great read and a rarely given 5 star.

Many thanks to Clara from Little Brown Book Group Limited for providing this book for review in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book, it follows the story of Tom and Hannah (father and daughter) through there life as they deal with Hannah's heart condition. Hannah grew up around the theatre as Tom was a theatre manager. Hannah mum left when she was 3 and the local amateur dramatics group became Hannah's extended family. This book will make you laugh and cry in the same sentence. A must read.