This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

This was a fantastic book. Me and my 10 year old read it between us and we both loved it. My daughter was excited to go to bed earlier just so she could read it. The author created some really wonderful characters. The story line was just so good that you just wanted to read more of it. It swept you away on a fantastic roller coaster ride. Which had some brilliant twists and turns. This book will make any child 10+ just love thos book. Its a fantastic rags to riches story. This book also teaches your child about being responsible young adults, how to use money responsibly and for good reasons. It also shows that not telling the truth will always lead to problems even with the best intentions. This was definitely a fun book that's set in Ireland. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author as I just loved her style of writing. I really can't recommend this book enough. 

Many thanks to the author and publishers for bringing us this fascinating and fun book.

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/all-the-money-in-the-world-by-sarah-moore-fitzgerald-hachett-childrens-books-5-stars under either my name or ladyreading365 or lady Reading365 or ladyc reading

This was such a brilliant read, I loved the depth, the power of the language used, and the way the author was able to spin such an interesting tale.

Penny lives in The Flats, a huge house which has been divided up into small, tatty, budget housing. Next door is Lavender House, a duplicate property which has been maintained in its original, grand state by its reclusive owner Violet. When Penny rescues Violet’s cat, an unlikely friendship develops between the pair, which Penny keeps secret from her friends and family. An unexpected financial gift from the old lady later affords Penny the opportunity to attend the school of her dreams, but she needs to keep her real identity a secret.

The first half of the book deals with the difficulties of living in poverty. The neighbours look out for each other but the challenge of little income, days of having no money to buy food and the constant smell caused by their damp and mouldy living conditions make Penny and her friends outcasts at school. The school does nothing to relieve their challenging circumstances, if anything, just reinforcing the message that people ‘like them’ should have low expectations.

In the second half of the book, Penny has to reinvent herself in order to fit in at her posh, exclusive boarding school. She finds this almost as hard as living in The Flats and is forever worried that someone will find out the truth about her.

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The author describes both scenarios in detail and I could almost believe that I was living them alongside Penny. However I question the message behind the story. In the first half of the book it is clear that Penny has no hope if she remains where she is. The only way for her to get out is to come into money. The second half of the book shows us that money isn’t the answer to everything and that we need to learn to be ourselves, but I can’t help thinking that a young person, living in a similar situation to Penny, could be reading this and be left thinking that there is no way out for them. I am sure that was not the author’s intention, but it was the message I took away from the story.

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

All The Money in the World is a really enjoyable read. I can imagine a lot of young people resonating with Penny’s hopes and dreams.

Starting from a poor, underprivileged background, Penny wishes for a better life. She and her group of friends are bullied at school because their clothes smell musty from the mould in the flats they live in. When Penny befriends a ‘scary’ old lady that lives in the big, posh house next door, her luck changes. She comes into a lot of money and the opportunity to go to an exclusive boarding school.

The story looks at wealth and status in relation to happiness, alongside bullying, lies/deceit, mental health, friendship, and kindness.

Penny is a likeable, and clearly a kind and generous main character. However, my favourite characters have to be Violet, Kitty, and Jane. No matter where Penny is, her status, or wealth, they love her. She can rely on them no matter what. Penny’s interactions with her mum, teachers, and other adults in the flats felt very genuine. Sometimes having to take the lead or the ‘adult role’ in order to get things done, and going against her teachers who had little faith in her.

The plot has you rooting for Penny, feeling her pain at the start, then moving through the emotions of hope, failure, and anguish but ultimately love and acceptance towards the end. It makes you think about what you would choose to do in her shoes. Some of the choices she makes and lies she tells to fit in aren’t good but she is always trying to help others, works hard, and has a kind heart.

This is an enjoyable, thoughtful book, beautifully written.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Orion Children’s Books for the e-arc.

Penny lives in a tenement flat in what used to be a gorgeous old house. The landlord refuses to make repairs or change anything, even as damp is growing in all the rooms, even as people are getting sick and catching rats. Still, Penny loves her neighbours and her friends. They make the best of things together.

They've been afraid of the old woman next door for as long as they've lived there, but when an accident forces Penny next door for help, she realises the woman isn't mean at all; she's lovely, and lonely. A friendship begins that will end up changing Penny's life in ways she can't imagine - as long as she doesn't lose herself along the way.


Rags-to-riches is one of the most popular tropes around, and this book explores it beautifully. Penny is among the poorest of the poor, and - apart from one act of vengeance I can't blame her for - she uses the money she receives to do good things, to buy presents for her friends and repair their crumbling home. I can't be sure I'd be as generous in her place.

It's true that she loses her way a bit in the new school, but that's real life too; many of us, whether we want to admit it or not, lie or exaggerate to impress other people. Penny meant well and she tried to make reparations to the people she hurt; that says a lot about her.

I cried over the cat, and over a scene later on on the pier. Let's move on... (Highlight for spoiler: the cat does not die.I still cried.)

This is a lovely, tender, well written novel that I absolutely sped through (I may have been late back to work from my lunch because I was finishing it...) Really brilliant. I'll be recommending it whole heartedly.

All the Money in the World by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald is my third book by this brilliant author. The Apple Tart of Hope was one of my favourite books a couple of years ago and I also enjoyed A Very Good Chance. So I was thrilled when I saw that i could request to read an ARC of Sarah's latest book on NetGalley!

This was a relatively short read, which was also why I wanted to pick it up because I felt like I was getting into a reading slump and wanted to read something quick to get me out of it. And it worked! It was very easy to get into this book and I finished it the next day.

I think what I love most about this book (and all of Sarah's books that I've read) is her gorgeous writing, and how she cleverly writes with emotion and heart. There were many highlight-worthy quotes in All the Money in the World, and personally, the main theme of this book (money/wealth/status) hits a bit too close to home for me at the moment and I felt like I was just meant to read this book right now. I really like the lesson that the main character learns by the end of the story, and the author's writing style perfectly captures it too.

I think my only criticism would be that the ending felt a little rushed and I wish that we got to explore her relationship with some of the characters a little bit more (like with Jane, who felt a little underdeveloped, and perhaps another scene with her childhood friends would have wrapped it up nicely). But it was still a lovely ending and I also really loved reading about the main character's struggle with her identity.

All in all I really enjoyed All the Money in the World. Its got some really lovely characters (I love Violet!) and it's a fun quick story with beautiful writing and wisdom. 4.25 stars. Oh, what I'd do if someone gave ME a million euros!🥲

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this on NetGalley 🌷

Penny, the main character has a series of ethical dilemmas to engage with in this new take on a story of rags to riches.

Thank you for access to this book before it’s release date.

This is a middle grade about two young people that don’t ‘fit in’. I read it as a palette cleanser. I enjoyed it.

All the money in the world

This book is about a girl (Penny) who hears music from a piano coming from the mysterious house next door. She falls in love with it and decides to buy her own little keyboard. An invite from her neighbour and a lot of money coming her way is what's next for Penny.

Quick and fun read.