A lovely MG/YA read. Frank is 10 and his brother Max is 5. Frank loves maths and codes and Frank loves Quavers and has 15 grey and yellow t-shirts. Max is autistic and Balen does a good job of showing the complexities of a child with ASD through the eyes of Frank who loves his brother but sometimes finds that love difficult and imperfect. It's heartwarming and heart-breaking in equal measure.

What a phenomenal book. If you want to read a book which will tug at your heartstrings, then this is the book for you. It's probably the most powerful book I've read this year. Instead of reading my review, you should go and read it for yourself.

This is an emotional book and I found myself crying at points and I don't think I've cried at anything else I've read all year. It shows a realistic view from a child's perspective at living with a sibling who is on the autistic spectrum. I really felt for the protagonist throughout the story, not quite being able to understand how his brother sees the world. Frank doesn't complain about all the things he misses out on but sometimes feels like his parents don't hear him. It shows how we're all human and adult and children can be equally imperfect.

There is also a focus upon grief and death in this book. To say this is meant to be a middle grade read, it's fairly dark and heavy. I say this, but death and grief can happen to us at any age and this highlights it perfectly.

This is one to read. You should definitely be adding this to your TBR pile.

It's 2am and i have finished The Space We're In by Katya Balen which I received through Netgalley. The last middle grade that turned me into a mush of tears was Wonder and I thought nothing could beat it but The Space We're in did and I spent the last half of the book in tears and I mean tears. The Space We're in tells the story of Frank who is 10 and his brother who is autistic is 5 and is about to start school which is the basis of the first part of the story. The in the second part a tragic event happens which changes Frank and Max's lives and you wonder if things will ever be the same. I found Katya's writing so respectfully about a subject that she seems to understand very well and for this reason I have to give this wonderful book a solid 5 stars

This would have to be one of my favourites from this year, a real stand out..
I have said it before. My favourite books are the ones that kind of come out of nowhere, where there’s no expectation, and WHAM…you’re hit with a book that makes its way into your heart.

Reading the blurb again now, I know that I should have known what was coming, but I was so absorbed in the story of Frank and Max, that I forgot something terrible was going to happen.

So let’s start with Frank and Max. I loved reading Frank’s story about what is was like to have a brother like Max. Max’s autism, that rules the lives of the family. Frank’s frustration, embarrassment and anger, that’s it’s always about Max…but also the love, care and thoughtfulness he shows his brother. It made me think of Via’s chapter in Wonder (RJ Palacio) giving a real insight into what it’s like to be the sibling of a child that takes up so much of the parent’s time, and the conflicting emotions. Max’s joy at spending time with ‘just his Mum’ or ‘just his Dad’ is heartbreaking, especially when he breaks his arm, and he is in excruciating pain…but he’s also happy because it’s just he and his Mum in the car.

Then there’s the terrible thing. By the time it happened, I was expecting it, but I still felt it.

I read a digital proof of this, but having seen a finished copy, I call tell you it has lots of illustrations strewn throughout, as well as interesting shaped text, almost like shapes poems. The other cool and quirky thing about this one is that Frank loves codes. That's one special thing that he and his Mum had. She would leave messages for him and talk to him in their special code Frank's favourite code in the number spiral cipher and each of the chapters have number headings, not words, so you have to crack the code.

For example:
Chapter 1 is:
13 5 12 20 4 15 23 14 = MELTDOWN

Chapter 2 is:
3 18 15 19 19 = CROSS

Thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury for giving me the opportunity to review.

Wow just wow. This book has absolutely blown me away. Sheer brilliance from start to end. I love Frank, such a clever, compassionate boy who just wants to understand his younger brother Max. This book had me smiling and crying throughout. So beautifully written, I'll be recommending this to all my family and friends.
Truly wonderful

This is the story of two brothers, Frank and Max. Frank is ten, loves football and cottage pie. Max is six, will only eat quavers and can only wear one t-shirt (or he melts down down down). Through the eyes of a loveable ten-year old trying to find his space in the world and within his unconventional family unit, Katya Balen tells a story of autism, family, loss, love and what it means to be a sibling.

This is a beautiful, utterly devastating book that, despite being aimed at a middle-grade audience, absolutely pulled me in and did all sorts of very painful things to my heart. So many books written from the perspective of a child can feel clumsy, like an awkward reproduction of half-remembered experiences but Frank‘s voice is utterly believable and completely authentic. There is raw, unfiltered honesty here delivered with a sensitivity that reflects the author’s work with neurodivergent children and their families. I laughed, cried, celebrated and cried some more.

A huge recommendation from me, particularly for fans of R.J. Palacio’s ‘Wonder’. Suitable for adults and children alike. This one came out on the 5th September and I can’t wait to see the final copy and the beautiful illustrations!

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for my e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Space we're in is both beautiful and heartbreaking. Written from the point of view of 11 year old Frank, a year 6 boy who deals with far more than any child should at his young age.

The description of Max, his younger brother who has autism is heartbreakingly real and I'm glad I've read this book with my own daughter (age 12) so that she can understand the struggles some individuals and their families go through.

I highly recommend this book for age 10 and above. It is well written and easy to get into although the subject matter is somewhat difficult.

This is a beautifully touching story about family, about how we might not always like our family members but we will always love them. The writing and narration are authentic and believable; it reads a lot like much of the writing I read by ten-year-old pupils. The story itself is both heartbreaking and heartening, and I'm sure there are many children who will find this book helpful and affirming when they're going through difficult times.

Autism is something I like to think I know a fair bit about. As a teacher, I work with children with autism daily. I have a degree in disability studies and an award in autism, so to find a book that genuinely feels authentic and realistic is rare and this is certainly one of those rare ones.

Frank is going into year 6, his final year of primary school. He tells his story from his point of view, the emotions that come with having an autistic younger sibling, the emotions of everyday life as a ten/eleven year old and the emotions of losing a parent. I read this in just two sittings, which for me, is certainly unheard of. This truly was something special.

Max (Franks younger brother) is autistic. He melts down, he bites, he shouts, he hits… he sees the world in a slightly different way. Frank loves him unconditionally of course, but does that mean he can’t resent the way people look at him, how he sometimes feels embarrassed about his brother's differences, or how he doesn’t quite get as much attention from his parents that he feels he deserves? When we think about autism, we often think about the children it directly involves. This book was a breath of fresh air in the sense that it shows us how it impacts on the children and families of those children too. Frank was entitled to sometimes struggle and I feel this book is beneficial in the fact that it truly does show the emotional turmoil he went through trying to be the doting big brother but also being a child himself.

The book struck another chord with me when his mother died. Having been the kid at school as Frank described himself as ‘the kid whose parent is dead’, I just completely got it. I believe it actually portrayed those emotions really well and having been in that situation myself, it was nice to know that all those years ago… I wasn’t a wimp, I was allowed to feel that rubbish, I was allowed to be that low, and my family was allowed to fall apart for a while, just like Franks did.

As an educator and someone who believes strongly in inclusion and feel that people should know more about autism, I feel this book is invaluable. I would love to see it in my school library one day so that the children I work with, and the children who have autistic children in their class, the children who might grow up to have an autistic child of their own, the children who might have autistic siblings and so on, can make that step forward in understanding what autism is and how it can affect not only one person, but the people that surround them too.

This is a story about Frank and his brother Max. Max has autism and Frank is learning to cope with what this means for him and his family.

Frank loves codes and each chapter is titled using numbers so you may want to keep paper and a pencil handy for working them out!

This story deals with some really sad issues but does so beautifully and honestly. It really is brilliant and I have already pre-ordered a copy to share with others.

Oh my goodness, what a rollercoaster of emotions this book is! Katya Balen cleverly tells this heartbreaking (and heartwarming) story of family, autism and loss from the point of view of Frank, a 10 year old boy.
Frank is trying to find his place in his family and the world, as well as dealing with the reality that his younger brother is different. The mixed feelings Frank has about his brother, as well as his embarrassment, sometimes makes Frank do or say things he regrets and ultimately feels ashamed about - as he obviously loves his brother. When something completely devastating happens to his family, the whole family struggle to find a new normal but it brings them together in their own special way. I have to admit Balen’s candid and relatable story makes it quite a difficult but compelling read, which left me with a lump in my throat for the majority of the book.

Wow, what a story. Using a 10yr old's frustrated but innocent voice is such an interesting way of bringing this story to life. This makes explaining learning difficulties or family strains such a pure and simplistic yet really quite meaningful read. My heart ached for every single character for their own individual struggles.. It's an easy flowing book to read, with such a strong yet warm theme, I 100% recommend!

I was lucky enough to read this pre-publication copy of 'The Space We're In'. It tells the story of ten year old Frank and his relationship with his 5-year-old brother Max, who has autism.

The story is told from Frank's perspective and the first thing to strike me was the authenticity of Frank's voice. As a teacher of Year 6 children, I was impressed by how well the author had captured dialogue, attitudes, school routines and the unwritten rules of life for children this age. You had a real sense of Frank walking a fine line between excitement at his growing independence and impending adolescence; and his child-like joy at rare, special moments with his mother's undivided attention.

The narrative style was a little difficult to tune into at first: it occasionally tips into a child-like stream of consciousness. As you become absorbed in the story and more attached to Frank, it is less distracting and adds to the pace of the story.

The clever sub-plot with codes intrigued me and I know that children of 10+ would love vying with each other to crack the code.

The twist, when it comes, genuinely surprised me and the author's lightness of touch in her portrayal of the adults was gentle and moving.

Highly recommended - thank you for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

Wow! What an emotional book! I literally felt every emotion reading this, happiness, sadness and even anger. It made me look at autism in a way that I have never considered and opened my eyes to how the people who are closest feel too and for that I need to thank you. I would highly recommend this book.

An incredibly well written novel, perfect for older children. The use of code for the chapter names was clever, and something that could be fun to use in the classroom. The story was perfect, really felt as though it was being told by a child rather than an adult. Amazing!

This powerful story is told from the viewpoint of ten-year-old Frank who has a five-year-old autistic brother, Max. It’s raw, painful and heart-breaking with an ending that I found heart-warmingly uplifting.

The viewpoint, and language used, reads authentically like that of a young boy, a young boy who is hurting and finding it hard to find his place. There is a raw honesty in how Frank portrays his feelings about his brother, together with his feelings of shame and guilt about those feelings. This really made me sympathise with him, even when I found what he was saying difficult reading.

The story starts with a countdown to Max’s first day at school. He really struggles with what many others take for granted: communication, sensory processing, and new experiences, like trying on new shoes … he melts and melts and melts. This is a family trying their best, adapting, and celebrating successes, like when Max uses a card to express his first word.

The boys’ mother is a truly inspirational character, who used to paint the universe and now sees her family as her whole cosmos. She is the glue that holds the family together and works tirelessly to support Max, and tries so hard to give time to Frank. When tragedy strikes the family, Frank must work to find a new space for him and Max … to bring their universe closer than it has ever been …

Whilst my heart bled for Max as he had his meltdowns, I was also inspired by his successes, supported by some wonderful people. I celebrated his successes alongside them.

I feel that this story is really about Frank, who needs to find his space within his family when sometimes he feels pushed out by his younger brother. The honesty with which Frank expresses his views, the decisions and choices he makes and his battle to accept his younger brother makes the ending of this story all the more heart-warming.

This is a very emotional, but ultimately, inspiring story which I would recommend to children of 11+.

The Space We’re In is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read in my life. It grabs you right from the start and keep you reading through the night wanting to find out the ending. Rarely have I come across a book as eloquent in vocabulary and emotion as this one. You view this world through Franks’ eyes, through his trauma and sadness to his happiness.

Frank isn’t the perfect child and he knows he isn’t. Yet his world isn’t perfect. His brother has autism and at times the family and Frank struggle to cope with him. This book deals with a difficult phase in life, where Frank is going into Year 6 (in England that’s just before they move to secondary. Max is also due a new challenge as he heads off to school for the first time, at a spaceship school, as Frank sees it. It covers the next year of their lives as Frank struggles with his feelings amid a tragedy that rips the heart of the family away.

This book is a triumph, a look into a very difficult situation yet it’s also so uplifting to read. You will laugh and cry with Frank all the way through. Words like stunning debut are quite often thrown around like candy these days, but this is one time I’d use it. It’s mature in its content yet accessible for its chosen age group. The word crossover comes to mind, but as someone who thinks adults should read children’s books, it’s a bit glib. Any adult who reads this will understand the quality of children’s fiction is a lot higher than adult.

So I expect this book to be on book awards lists across the country this next year. It’s a truly beautiful and heartwarming story in the vein of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nigh time’, ‘The London Eye Mystery’ and even ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’. This is a book that deserves high applause.

Wow.

This is one intense read. Sad, emotional, dark, uplifting yet painful and wonderful.

A story of a 10 year old with a 5 year old brother who is autistic and the things they have to face together. The voice perfectly captures the rushed enthusiasm and feeling of a child.

It's supposedly for 9-11 year olds, but after sitting with tears in my eyes more than once at the events and feelings in this story, from an adult perspective it flows beautifully.

I have no idea how @bloomsburypublishing plan to market this given its intensity and themes, but it deserves a huge audience. I've not even seen the illustrations yet!

Out September. You will see this book around (mainly because I will buy it for everyone).

I'd been struggling to get into anything lately so figured I'd give this a go as a 'light' read. I loved it but it definitely wasn't that! This is an accessible but heartbreaking book about a boy and his special needs brother Max who has nonverbal autism. It explores the feelings a young boy might experience of frustration that his brother is different. It's beautifully told and very sad in places though heartwarming. I was so pleasantly surprised by how touching it is.