Books › Candyfloss
Candyfloss
352 pages
A bittersweet, deeply empathetic exploration of a child's fierce loyalty amidst the messy, unpredictable realities of adult struggles.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sharing a secret with a best friend over a plate of greasy chips. It moves at a brisk, engaging pace, anchored by a chatty and deeply empathetic first-person voice that never talks down to its audience. The atmosphere balances the gritty, anxious reality of financial insecurity with the neon-lit, nostalgic warmth of a local fairground. You sit right inside the protagonist's emotional tug-of-war, feeling the heavy burden of adult problems placed on young shoulders, yet the overarching mood remains stubbornly hopeful. It is a story that delights readers who appreciate honest, unvarnished contemporary realism, offering a comforting reminder that home isn't about a perfect house, but the fiercely loyal people you share it with.
- Mood
- anxious
- heartwarming
- nostalgic
- Tone
- empathetic
- conversational
- earnest
- bittersweet
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- unconditional loyalty · navigating adult flaws · unconventional families · financial insecurity · finding home
- The writing
- The narrative voice is highly accessible and chatty, perfectly capturing the authentic, observant, and slightly worried inner life of a tween.
- The arc
- The journey shifts from the quiet anxiety of divided loyalties into the acute stress of sudden poverty, ultimately landing in a place of warm, unconventional security.
- Who it's for
- Middle-grade readers who crave honest, emotionally resonant stories about resilient kids navigating the messy realities of the adult world.
Content notes
- parental separation
- financial hardship
- homelessness
- parental irresponsibility
About the book
Another brilliantly evocative portrait of modern life from the mega bestselling Jacqueline Wilson.Floss's parents split up when she was younger and she now divides up her week, spending five days with her mum, her mum's new boyfriend and her new baby half-brother. The other two days Floss spends with her dad, helping him to run his greasy spoon cafe. But then their simple arrangement is thrown into disarray when Floss's mum decides to move to Australia for six months. Floss has to choose whether to go with her or stay with her dad. She picks her dad and they muddle along happily together, surviving on chip butties and enjoying visits to the local funfair. But then disaster strikes, Dad's money troubles catch up with him and they have to move out of the cafe. They're homeless - but can their new fairground friends help out?Another gripping and emotionally involving slice of family life from the award-winning, bestselling author, Jacqueline Wilson
Description from Open Library.
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