This incredible story follows Twig who has just arrived in the afterlife with a lack of memory as to how he ended up there. Determined to find the answers and his Da, Twig steps off the path he is supposed to follow and instead forges his own path to learn how he died and where his Da has disappeared to.
Accompanied by Krukk, a skeleton Raven and his guide, Twig learns that he must free the memories before they are lost forever. He becomes a guardian of the Lost Soul Atlas and must follow the map, free the souls and all will be remembered. Armed with the atlas and a bag of bones, he must free the memories before he is caught by the Gods who are determined to feast on them.

As he reaches each place on the map, he must travel into the memories of how he came to die...and the story is revealed to us as readers. After he follows his Da one night into the dangerous black market, he becomes displaced and homeless. Joining a group of street children, they form a family and take care of each other against the forces trying to clear the streets of them.

There are twists and turns facing this newly formed family and they find themselves in constant threat of danger from a woman they call the Hoblin. Believing her to be evil and to suck the souls of people, they try to avoid her but she has eyes and ears everywhere, even trying to use Twig against Flea and the others.

Twig is a wonderfully loyal character, never giving up on his Da or Flea, though events conspire against him.

This would make a superb book for ages 10+ and I can see it becoming a modern classic.

Twig idolises his Da who makes everything magical, telling him stories born from a vivid imagination. But Twig thinks he knows best, and although forbidden, when he follows Da on his nightly outings, he sets in motion a train of events even Da could not have imagined.
Twig finds himself in the Afterlife, destined to go on an adventure to open the Crossings to release memories The Gods had wanted for themselves. Armed with an atlas and accompanied by Krruk – a skeleton raven, Twig has to find and enter six Crossings to fulfil his quest.
This is a book of fantasy and modern-day reality for many people. Homelessness and the attitudes of others affect a huge number of people across our world and that of the Afterlife. It’s loyalty and a sense of family that will win the day and Twig has to decide where that lies.
Twig and his blood brother Flea are great characters – although I also loved the librarians!

Copy of the review sent to LoveReading4Schools -
Thought provoking novel exploring the themes of homelessness, belief and belonging

Twig (a boy) wakes in the afterlife with vague memories of his Da, here he meets a Raven, Kruuk, to help guide him into Heaven where he will be part of the great forgetting. But Twig wanders off the path and meets the Gatherer, who gives him the Lost Soul Atlas, a skeleton key and a bag of bones with which to open Crossings between the physical world and the hereafter.

Can Twig open all the Crossings whilst being chased by the Officials? If he opens them will his memories drag him into the real world and keep him there, in which case he will fade before he finds out what happened to him before he died…. He will forget his close ‘blood family’ friend Flea – who is also a street child and a pick pocket.

This is a thought-provoking look at life for street children, how they survive against the odds, the forces lined against them as they try to live, and the lack of choices they have when forced to thieve to keep themselves alive. It is an exploration of loyalty amongst friends and family. There are scares - and lots of caring - but ultimately it is a song to the strength of the human spirit.

The author was once told “to shine a light in all the dark places” – and much as one might expect from knowledge of Fraillon’s previous prize-winning books – this book does exactly that, using a richness of language that both exhilarates and makes you cry. It is both timeless and ageless having a wide appeal. A powerful read I would highly recommend.

10+
NB Not yet on the website....

A wonderfully written book, great descriptions and world building.
A story of loss and heartbeak. A great book.

Utterly beautiful - magical, I loved this book and this writing, the story behind the story, and the wings.