There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. Definitely a case of 'it's not the book, it's me', as it turns out I struggle with novels with a child narrator. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

Golightly’s tale is about Pepper, a boy who’s autistic, who lives in Memphis. One day, on s school field trip to an adventure centre, he is led away by his ‘uncle’ who tells Pepper that his mother has died and he is going to take care of him.

Pepper tells the story and his voice is unique - evidently, the author has worked hard to research what it means to be autistic and this comes across extremely well in the book. Pepper is taken to Arkansas - his new home. He is enrolled in school; he learns to fish; but something tells him his mother hasn’t died and by remembering her phone number, he secretly tries to get in touch but to no avail.

Some parts of this are implausible - okay, America is a big country but surely someone, somewhere would have heard about the kidnapping of Pepper and triggered some action? Ultimately, though, Pepper’s feelings are right - his mother is still alive and comes to rescue him.

This is a thoughtful read. Even though Pepper’s uncle has died wrong, he isn’t particularly dislikeable - and even Pepper recognises this when he is rescued. A must-read and especially if you’re interested in finding out more about the autistic mind.

This is a great children's book about an observant and clever little boy who is kidnapped and must rely on his wits to save himself. It's about the power of watching and listening, and of knowledge and knowing how and when to trust someone. Author Golightly creates a unique and true voice in young Pepper, one that I think many kids and parents will find relatable and honest. And while the book serves to teach a lesson, it's never pedantic or preachy--it's an adventure story that will help children learn to protect themselves.

**Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this one.**

This story follows an 8 year old autistic boy who is kidnapped. It is interesting to see how he comes to certain conclusions, as the kidnapper tells the boy that his mother died.

It is all from his perspective. And it's all in how he survives, plans out his moves and who he can trust. Asking for help where he knows it is safe to do so. It was amazing how he kept trying, even through failure after failure.

It was a short book, and went by very fast, but I truly enjoyed every minute!

Oooh, an abduction thriller novella. Pushes the mom panic buttons alright. Enjoyable little buzz of adrenaline rooting for this boy.

Although I am loathe to make the immediate comparison between this lovely novella and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, (just because it's like comparing anything to The Secret History or Tana French) it's too much the elephant in the room and it's wholly a complimentary comparison.

Let's back up a bit - somewhere (almost certainly Jen Campbell) I learned about and became very excited over these recently published novellas from Fairlight Moderns. Fairlight Moderns is a (tiny?) publisher out of Oxford (yes, that Oxford) and I say these because, honestly, they all look really great and I want to read them all. The publisher provided a number of them to me as ARCs (I was seriously almost as excited as I would be to receive an advanced French), and There Are Things was the first I read.

Pepper is such a lovely character. Funny (and not because he's a bit different than most kids, but because his responses to the situation he ends up are very him and clever digs despite everything), with allies who don't know they're allies. I am often (and am all too frequently justified) skeptical about characters seemingly patterned off of Curious (and I'm certainly not saying Pepper is, just that it was a trend for a while), but Pepper feels unique, finely drawn and fleshed out.

My only quibbles were that the opening pages were a bit confusing (and I'm not convinced they were intended to be) and the closing pages were similarly so just in the way one of the final scenes was written. I was also not fully convinced that Peppers reactions to what was happening were as dramatic as they might have been in real life, given that this is a kid who likely worked best within a routine and this wasn't something minor like he didn't get the right things packed for his lunch. And Uncle Dan's actions were unlikely to me, but easily explained by an exposure-scene and his primary motivations. These are very minor quibbles, though, and easily surmounted. We're taken on a worrisome (but not too terrifying) journey with Pepper as he suddenly finds himself in a new and thoroughly scary and confusing situation. He slowly figures out what may be happening through reasoning and memories of his mother.

All in all, a very enjoyable first experience of the Fairlight Moderns and I'm looking forward to the others!

Love the author’s name and the cover. Book was decent. Thanks for the review copy. I know people will love this one.

4.5 stars for There Are Things I Know, a real little gem that I could not put down. The story is told from the perspective of Pepper, an 8-year-old boy who's not quite like the other kids -- he can do amazing math calculations, but struggles with basic communication skills (making eye contact, being verbal, etc.).

While on a class trip, Pepper is approached by "Uncle Dan" who kidnaps the boy and takes him across state lines.
Over the course of the novella we see Pepper struggle with his limited world-view to try to make sense of what has happened and plan a way to get back to his mom.

This is a quick little read that you won't want to put down once you start. I enjoyed every moment and was only disappointed that it wasn't a little longer. I'll certainly be watching for more of Karen B. Golightly's work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for providing me with a free DRC of this story.

I don’t often read novellas, but when I picked this one up, I found I was hooked from the outset and I read it in just one sitting. This is a fast-paced thriller which kept me engaged throughout the entirety of the story.

There Are Things I Know is told from the perspective of 8-year-old Pepper. Through his narration, we instantly recognise that he has a burning love for his patient, loving mother who he lives with at home in Tennessee. We also learn how he doesn’t see the world quite like everyone else. He dislikes loud noises and crowds, and often finds it difficult to read emotions. However, he is a genius when it comes to numbers, and it is by counting, be it the number of steps it takes to reach his bedroom or the number of chickens in the back garden, that he can calm himself down.

Pepper is abducted from a school field trip by a man who claims himself to be his ‘Uncle Dan’ and tells him that his mother is now in heaven. At first, Pepper is naïve and trusting of him, the fact that he knows that his favourite foods are Dr. Pepper and ice cream is enough for him to willingly get into his car. However, as the story progresses, Pepper isn’t sure what to believe. He begins to recognise when Uncle Dan is and isn’t lying, and tries to decipher whether this man is who he says he is.

Unfortunately, due to it being told from Pepper’s perspective, we aren’t able to discover more about Uncle’s Dan’s background, or what made him choose Pepper to replace his son. However, this doesn’t distract from the fact that this is a highly-engaging story, and I enjoyed being inside Pepper’s mind as he began to fit pieces of the puzzle together.

Overall, this was a gripping story and I look forward to reading more novellas in the collection!
Thank you NetGalley and Fairlight Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fast-moving, easy read. The closer I got to the end, the harder it was to put down. A little different than my usual read, but it was very enjoyable!

The story is told from the view of an 8-year-old boy named Pepper, who is a little different from the other kids his age. His “Uncle Dan” takes him from a school field trip and tells him his mother has been killed and is heaven now. Pepper is pretty sure this man is not his uncle and doesn’t believe that his mom is dead, but he doesn’t know where his new home is or how to find his mother.

This story was very easy to read...no real violence and very little harsh language.

Thank you NetGalley, Karen B. Golightly and Fairlight Books for the advanced copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review!

#ThereAreThingsIknow #NetGalley #Amazon #fairlightmoderns

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) of this novella courtesy of Fairlight Books via NetGalley.

There Are Things I Know by Karen B. Golightly

Release Date: July 11, 2018

Publisher: Fairlight Books, as part of the “Fairlight Modern” novella collection

Genre: Literary Fiction, Mystery & Thriller

Rating: 5 / 5

The Storyline:

8-year-old Pepper is a sweet, smart and loving young boy. He also happens to have what the reader might assume is an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), although it is never explicitly stated. Pepper does not like loud noises or crowds, often gets his words mixed-up and feels like his “brain is turned upside-down.”

This novella is told from Pepper’s point of view, so the reader gets an unique look into his mind, which comprehends far more than his “mixed up brain” can articulate to others. We learn from the beginning that Pepper has a fierce love for his kind, patient and loving mother, who we do not meet. Young Pepper attends a field trip and is subsequently picked up out of a play area by a man claiming to be his “Uncle Dan.” Although Pepper doesn’t recognize the man, he knows his favorite foods (Dr. Pepper and ice cream) and buys them for him. Not having the words to explain his suspicions, he goes along with Uncle Dan out to his car. Here, Uncle Dan tells Pepper that his mother has died in an accident, and he was here to take custody of Pepper. This overwhelms Pepper and he starts yelling his mom’s name, until he briefly sees a fist come towards him and all goes black.

Pepper wakes up in a new house, and slowly begins his new life with Uncle Dan. However, as time goes on, Pepper begins to realize something isn’t right and fights with all he can to find his family again.

The Good:

I loved this story. Pepper is quick-witted and explains his “odd” reactions to certain things so clearly that it made my heart ache at his inability to put together the words to actually speak these feelings to others. His mother has taught him how to cope with the overwhelming world well and his love for her is incredibly fierce. The story was fast-paced and kept me constantly engaged. I think I read this book in three sittings, but could have easily read it all in one go as well.

Although Pepper is smart, his inability to put his thoughts into words, made him a lovable, but unreliable narrator. He had many opportunities to explain his situation to adults (he was enrolled a new school), but he couldn’t find the words or make sense of who he could trust. I wanted so much to go in and scoop up this little boy to save him. His dilemma of finding an area code to try and call his mom made my heart break. Throughout the book, I fell in love with this little boy and his uniquely amazing views of the world.

The Bad:

I don’t think I found much wrong with this book, except I wanted more of it. I wanted to know more details of Pepper’s life in school before Uncle Dan came in. I wanted to know what happened after the end or what life was like while Pepper was gone. Although, because the narrator is 8 years old, it made sense that the ending was only in snippets and sections that Pepper understood.

Bottom Line:

A quick, fast-paced, unique thriller from a child’s point of view that will keep you reading.

3.5-4 stars

A novella about Pepper, an 8 year old boy who is abducted from a class field trip by a man claiming to be his “Uncle Dan” and is told his mother has died Pepper is a quiet and extremely smart child who throughout this novella is trying to get back to his mother and determine if she is alive.
Fast paced great read that I recommend and I found myself really caring about Pepper and rooting for him.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Fairlight books for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

Time for another novella from the Fairlight Moderns series, this time the tale of a little boy named Pepper. He's eight years old, used to live with his mother in Memphis, Tennessee, and knows that he doesn't see the world in quite the same way as other people. He dislikes loud noises, finds it difficult to read people's emotions but finds numbers very easy to tackle: indeed, counting often keeps him calm when the chaos of the world threatens to overwhelm him. Now Pepper lives with Uncle Dan in Arkansas, but he's having trouble adapting. In fact, he's beginning to suspect that Uncle Dan isn't really his uncle at all. But how can one lost little boy get hold of his mother when the only phone number he knows is missing its crucial three-digit area code?



It all happens one day on a school trip to the local pizza place and games arcade. Pepper is hiding from his classmates when he meets a man who introduces himself as Uncle Dan and tells Pepper that his (Pepper's) mother has gone to heaven and that he (Uncle Dan) will be looking after him now. Pepper is suspicious - he remembers faces, and he can't remember ever seeing Uncle Dan before, but Uncle Dan knows that he likes ice cream and Dr Pepper, so it must be OK, right? Pepper gets into Uncle Dan's car with him and goes home with him - but home is a very long way away. When he gets there everything is strange: Uncle Dan has chickens (which Pepper likes, except the rooster) and he doesn't understand at first what Pepper likes to eat (yes to bacon, no to eggs), and makes him go fishing and watch football at the weekends. Pepper knows something is up, but he has no idea what to do about it... until Uncle Dan finds himself obliged to enrol Pepper in the local elementary school.

Seeing things through Pepper's eyes makes the story immensely moving, as we instinctively understand the things this little boy can't. I thought Golightly did well in conveying the complexity of Pepper's mind and the challenge for any child of finding their way out of a dangerous situation. It's a terrifying picture of how easy it can be for children to be abducted, especially when they're vulnerable and perhaps don't understand the social contract quite as well as the average child. (This all reminded me very strongly of the book I had when I was little, that 1980s classic We Can Say No! which taught children never to go off with a stranger - anyone else have this?) It also makes for some moments of almost unbearable tension, especially towards the end, though I was impressed by Pepper's resourcefulness.

This viewpoint does mean that we don't always understand as much as we might like to about other people in the story. We know that Uncle Dan has lost his own son, but how does he really think that plucking a random child from a crowd will supplant that loss? Why did he choose Pepper? How did he get hold of a (forged) birth certificate? But these lacunae don't really affect the main narrative thrust of the tale, which manages to feel much more dense and gripping than you expect. Something for those who enjoyed Room, offering a similar picture of a shocking situation through the eyes of a child.

After this and Inside the Bone Box, I'm really looking forward to exploring the other novellas that Fairlight have released in this series...

For the review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2018/06/28/there-are-things-i-know-karen-b-golightly/