Autumn is by far my favourite season and every single element about this novel exuded exactly what I so adore about it. The colour scheme and natural imagery adorning the cover, the wild and free-spirited protagonist, and the forest setting all immediately spoke to me and, mere pages into the story, I knew it was going to be a new favourite. I was not wrong.

This was the wildest, most whimsical, and wondrous of middle grade stories. I found the prose lyrical and evocative, the setting dazzling and magical, and the story-line both heart-wrenching and hopeful. Absolute perfection!

A beautiful story, stunning, it was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed the story of October growing up in the woods and then being forced to live in the city so very much. I felt so close to this character that I thought she might be real. Her loneliness and fear were palpable. I would love to tell you all about the wonderful prose but I was so absorbed in the story that I can't really recall much but I do know it was wonderfully written.

October lives in the woods with her Dad but an unfortunate accident means she has to move to the city with her Mum. October struggles with all the sights and sounds until she makes friends with a boy at school and begins scavenging for treasure on the shore of the Thames.

The writing style is unusual in that the whole story is written in October’s voice. Most of the time that is a good thing as it focuses on her way of seeing things and her feelings but occasionally it began to irritate me. Speech is presented in italics rather than inverted commas. Because the whole story is presented from October’s point of view, the other characters, in particular Mum and Dad, are shadowy figures who don’t exist in their own right but just so much they affect October. Some of the sentences were overly long with multiple clauses joined by ‘and’ which gave the writing a childlike quality. The descriptions of the woods and October’s difficulties in expressing herself were beautifully described, using poetic language and many metaphors.

I enjoyed the writing and loved getting to know October but the story didn’t grip me all the way through. I think children will either love it or hate it.

This was an absolutely wonderful book, that I enjoyed as an adult and cannot wait to share with children. The main character, October, is a girl who lives with her dad, her mum having left when she was young. She lives a hard but idyllic life, cutting firewood, playing in dens and raising a baby barn owl, until her father has an accident and she has to move to London with her mum and start school. The lyrical descriptions of the woods and her love for her dad were just wonderful, and October is written like a very realistic eleven year old. I loved how she dealt with school, and the sensory overload of supermarkets and the hospital. She eventually comes to find out what she has in common with her mum as well, through mudlarking on the Thames, and the parental relationship was beautifully reflected in how she cared for the baby owl. This read like an absolute classic, and I loved the illustrations too.

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ~ Anne of Green Gables

October, October is a powerful story of love, discovery, challenges, loss and rebuilding. 11-year-old October lives in the forest with her father. They are wild and love everything about their off-grid existence. They rely on themselves and the forest for life, joy and fulfilment. October thrives on their traditions and her close relationship with both her father and the natural world around her. She loves to find treasures and imagine their stories. Her collection of found things are precious to her and she is happiest when exploring the forest after a storm. As the story begins, October discovers her most special treasures yet. Their stories become key to October’s future and the unexpected turns life takes.

Cleverly told through a first-person inner monologue, Katya Balen gives incredible insight into the thoughts and intense feelings of her character. The reader is drawn right into the powerful emotions October experiences as she attempts to navigate her way through an unknown world. Themes of letting go, dealing with change, loss and gain shape the story into something truly special. Readers are encouraged to really think about what it means to be wild and free and how to find their own perfect ending.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books and NetGalley for this unique book!

"We live in the woods and we are wild"

Until the year October turns eleven. That's the year October rescues a baby owl. It's the year Dad falls out of the biggest tree in their woods. The year the woman who calls herself October's mother comes back. The year everything changes.

October and her father live alone in a wooden house in the woods, isolated but content with their simple life. They live off the land, making only a yearly trip in the the rusty Land Rover to the nearest town for essential provisions. October is wild and free. She makes dens, climbs tress, builds fires and makes up fantastic stories about the treasures she has scavenged from the woods. Her house is filled with books and she goes on magical adventures with the characters within them.

This world is theirs and they are alone.

When October was four, the woman who is her mother was gone. And that's how it's been ever since, just the two of them. But a terrible accident on her 11th birthday turns October's world upside down and things will never be the same again...

October, is forced to give up her idyllic life, her animals and trees. She is plucked from her woodland home and forced to adjust to a new, alien environment full of cold white walls and her stories won't come alive anymore, no matter how hard she tries. And then the very last piece of her wild world is taken away from her and she shatters into pieces.

We follow October as she struggles to adapt to her new life and connect with those around her. We feel her pain, her anger and loneliness but also share the first green shoots of friendship that blossoms and grows.

October, October is a story of letting go, even when you love something or someone so very much. It's a story of forging new friendships, healing old wounds, making peace and moving on. This book explores the intricate nuances of family and presents an opportunity for children who have a difficult or strained relationship with a parent to identify with the feelings that October harbours for her mother. This is a heartfelt and emotional read throughout but I crumpled at the final words of the penultimate chapter which are so beautiful and sincere.

October, October is the perfect Autumn read - you can almost smell the damp leaves, crisp air and smoke from a distant bonfire. Children love the outdoors and would be desperate to cook potatoes on sticks and tell stories at the fireside - it would be an ideal book to read alongside forest school sessions. I devoured it in one sitting, truly enthralled in the atmospheric setting descriptions and swept away by the sheer emotion.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with advanced digital copy to review ahead of publication.

This was one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. So magical and emotional, it’s hard not to fall in love with October and her father. The writing so perfectly described the woods and London from October’s point of view that I felt like I was there with her and experiencing her joys and struggles. I adored the little stories she created for her treasures, such imagination! One of my favourite aspects is how there isn’t any actual speech (as in with speech marks); this is not something I’ve seen before but I loved it. Will read more from Katya Balen!

One of my favourite books this year. Beautiful and uplifting, a powerful evocation of nature and wildness that I found both surprising and incredibly moving. Tears were shed!