Sweet Aoife. I loved this story and the fact that it was told from the perspective of a 6 year old gave it more charm. This book is sad to read but it is beautiful. Aoife tries to search for the truth surrounding the death of her big brother. She gets the run around that all adults normally give her "we will talk about it later" "soon" "maybe" all things that we adults are guilty of saying to children when we are pushing something off. Aoife is smarter than the adults around her give her credit for. I have s full review of this book on my blog at angelasepilogues.wordpress.com. I give this story 5 stars

I know my brother is dead. But sometimes Mama gets confused.

This is a coming of age story that is more down to earth than many you will have read before now. Engaging, impressive and heart-wrenching - told through the eyes of a precocious and utterly charming six year old.

This story is narrated by six-year old Aoife who is trying to solve the mystery of her brother, Theo's, death along with work out exactly why her Mama has been taken away from her and put in hospital. Aoife is accompanied by her imaginary friend (Teddy) and at times, her neighbourhood friend, Hannah. Whilst Mama is in hospital, Aoife is in the care of Uncle Donny (Mama's Brother) - who helps her try and piece her life back together.

Aoife is an interesting character. She's bright and curious - her level of intellect fluctuates between that of her true six years of age and that of someone much older. We're regularly reminded of her innocence... Aoife believes that in order to bring Mama home she needs to get to the bottom of the mystery of Theo's death. She also believes that she was found in a cabbage patch and has no father. It's these kind of moments that bring you up short to remember exactly Aoife's vulnerabilities.

“Sometimes when grown-ups ask if you can do something, they are really just telling you to do it.”

This book is written carefully and with excellent style. Throughout the book Aofie is the narrator, not really fully understanding what's going on. But it's written so well that as the reader we are able to interpret the adult goings on and read between the lines.

Aoife is steadfast in her belief that in order for Mama to come home, she needs to get to the bottom of the mystery of Theo’s death. And so, her desperation to find out the truth has her making potentially dangerous decisions.

It's a beautiful book - made even more magical by the fact that it's a debut novel.

At the beginning of this book I thought I would enjoy it so much that I would read it quickly but I struggled.
It seemed to get more strange as time went on.
This is MY honest opinion on the book, please give it a go if you like the blurb.

It’s unusual for a protagonist and narrator to be 6 years old but that’s what makes All That’s Bright and Gone so special. It’s fascinating to see the world through the eyes of a young child and be privy to her thoughts. We get to see how a child interprets a sentence/thought literally, which is not always correct. For instance, Aoife’s Mama tells her that her Uncle Donny has a silver tongue but Aoife says she saw it and it’s pink. When her neighbor is able to watch Aoife while her Uncle Donny is away, he calls them lifesavers and Aoife notes that it’s a candy. Eliza Nellums does an amazing job capturing a child’s voice and thought process.

Aoife has a very special imaginary friend named Teddy and guess what, he is a bear and he is able to change his size. For example, when they are at the park, Aoife says he shrinks to his smallest bear size which is the same height as her and they play together. Aoife sends Teddy downstairs to check for intruders because he can make himself bigger than they are and eat them. And if she is ever confused about something, Teddy is able to clear I it up for her. Essentially, Teddy is her constant companion — he is her best friend, protector and adviser.

The reader gets to know Aoife very well and cannot help but feel for her as well as root for her. She is innocent and adorable, often saying things that will make the reader smile. For example, Aoife admits to trying to be a big girl at the hospital but would rather go home to see her stuffed animals. Also, she says that God makes people different colors like a rainbow but doesn’t understand why no one is a fun color.

The first sentence of All That’s Bright and Gone pulled me in and piqued my curiosity. Aoife states that her brother is dead. This reader had to stay to find out more, like the When and Why for starters.

Aoife knows her Mama gets “confused” and that’s why she is in the hospital. She believes that if she can find her brother’s killer then her Mama can come home. Aoife enlists the help of her next door neighbor Hannah, who loves to play detective and solve mysteries. She learns all about finding clues, evidence, suspects, and material witnesses.

This six year old girl understands more than her age would lead you to believe. She does a lot of growing up in the course of the story, learning about her Mama’s past, her father and what happened to her brother. All That’s Bright and Gone is a story about family, mental illness, love, secrets, and misunderstandings. Come along on Aoife’s adventure with her sidekick Teddy the bear and help her solve the mystery. You’ll be glad you did.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

3 for neutral. While I was very excited for this book, I just could not get into it. I tried on a few occasions and never made it very far. Will make sure I update it able to finish at a later date.

While exploring “the secrets” that families keep from little children - this story from the child perspective lends a totally different view of coping with mental illness. Great read - very timely subject matter,

This book is definitely something else and not what you expect but a great story nevertheless .
Told in a point of view of a 6 years old little girl, we discover a lot of things happening and how she sees everything around her. Living with mental health illness around her and trying to understand what's happening is hard for an adult so imagine being a kid with big dreams and an imagination that knows no limits.
It might break your heart at times, there are some questions that we get the answers but also there are others that are left opened up for the reader to review them and that in my opinion is a great story overall and the author has done a great job of it.

I liked that the story was told from a child's POV, as I don't commonly see that. However, some things were a bit confusing because of that. My electronic copy was challenging to read. I'm used to reading unedited stories, but the formatting was very strange, with odd spacing, words missing, and sentences being cut off. It caused me to be a bit of jumping around to avoid it. The snippets throughout the book from Aoife's mom to different people were helpful in providing additional info to aide in the reader's understanding, but they didn't do much to advance the overall plot. I found many parts to be predictable and/or boring, adding to my struggle to finish the book. I'm not sure I would really recommend it.

This book took me a while to get into, although I was initially very excited to read it. I had a weird problem with it-- I ended up getting two books at the same time that have very identical covers, so I kept getting the two books mixed up. FYI, "The Forest Meets the Stars" also has a beautiful cover ;)
I enjoy the unreliable narrator of Aoife, a 6-year-old girl that has an... interesting family. I've never read this point of view before. It was refreshing, sad, and quirky. I have a four year old, so I can't quite relate-- but I think that the author captured the innocence, frustration, and confusion of a young child trying to understand adult concepts.
There is a LOT going on in this book. By the end of the book, most everything is resolved. At the same time, I have so many questions. Was there actually a supernatural aspect of this book? To what extent was mom 'confused?' I guess the author leaves this open-ended for discussions, but I personally would have preferred some more concrete answers. At the same time, I understand that with a 6-year old narrator, those kinds of things probably don't get a resolution until she can understand more later in life.
Four stars because this was an overall satisfying read. I'd recommend it to the general fiction crowd. It's well-written and memorable.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet and intriguing story. I fell in love with Aoife and her voice in this story instantly. Nellums did an excellent job of writing the voice of a 6 year old who is really only able to interpret the world the way that it's explained to her. I loved Aoife's perspective as she navigates her mother's hospitalization, and the other members of her inner circle as they step in to care for her. This story had some perfectly timed reveals and just enough suspense to keep me 100% hooked. A fantastic first novel from Eliza Nellums!

As a parent I had a really hard time reading this book. It absolutely broke my heart to read about this poor little girl and the mental illness that was surrounding her family. I did enjoy the writing and the story line. It did not end how I had expected. I would defined recommend to someone that does not have children

All That's Bright and Gone is a captivating story told from the perspective of a 6 year-old Aoife. It was a fascinating ride as we are taken on a journey with Aoife who was trying to solve the murder mystery of her brother, Theo. Seeing how the story unfolds through the innocent eyes of a 6 year-old made it apparent that adults have a tendency to make things way complicated than it needs to be. The only complaint I have is that the story lost momentum towards the end and the big reveal felt a bit flat.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hold the presses...I absolutely LOVED this book, cannot say enough about how amazing it was and can't believe this is a debut novel. Eliza Nellums, if this is your first shot out of the gate, I can't wait to see what your future holds.

In the vein of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend or Only Child, our narrator here in a child, more specifically, 6 year Aoife. Aoife is in the care of her uncle following her mother's hospitalization for some mental struggles related to the death of her older brother. Aoife is determined to find out what exactly happened to her brother in the hopes that it will bring her mom back to her faster. Along with the help of her neighbor Hannah and imaginary friend, Teddy (like the bear), Aoife just wants things to go back to normal.

Nellums does an excellent job at voicing Aoife and making you feel for her and her situation, while staying true to a child's voice. This book surely tugged at my heartstrings and while there is a mystery component, it appealed to me much more on an emotional level than anything.

Six-year-old Aoife knows her brother Theo is dead, but sometimes her mama gets confused. Like when she sets a plate for him on the feast of St. Theodore. Or like today in the car when she is yelling at Theo, which is definitely against her own rules. The rule is: it's rude to talk to someone no one else can see. That's why Aoife is not allowed talk aloud to Teddy, her imaginary bear.

Readers first meet Aoife (pronounced Efa) at the hospital where her mother, Siobhan, is being admitted for psychiatric problems. Siobhan and Aoife are rushed there when Siobhan stops her car in the middle of a busy intersection and refuses to move. Aoife's uncle Donovan is called and he and Aoife go home without her. The doctor assures Aoife that she'll be better soon.

But how soon? It quickly becomes apparent that Aoife's idea of soon and Dr. Pearlman's idea of soon are not the same. Aoife sets out to save her mother by finding out the truth about the death of a brother she no longer remembers.

With Uncle Donovan in charge, Aoife's lifestyle changes immediately. While the church has helped with food and some expenses, she and her mother have often been hungry. Embarrassed that so much time has gone by between visits, Donovan’s is determined to keep Aoife safe and out of the hands of child services.

This enjoyable mystery may be one of the most unique I've read. Aoife is a treasure and the narration is told entirely from her viewpoint. You get a good sense of Siobhan through Aoife. She is a good mother who is raising a well-behaved, thoughtful child even though she's going through hard times. Siobhan tries to teach Aoife cartwheels even though she's sad and depressed - Aoife finally masters the skill while her mother is hospitalized.

Eliza Nellums has done a wonderful job of writing a suspenseful and heartwarming story about family and secrets in a childlike manner. I can't wait to see what her next book will be.

First time I have read a book from the view point of a six year old. It is an interesting story of a little girl, her imaginary friend and a mentally ill mother. While Aoife's mother is getting help after a mental breakdown, her Uncle Donny is taking care of her.

Aoife believes her mothers breakdown is due to the death of her brother Theo and she believes her brother was murdered and if she can solve the murder, her mother will be okay.

This story leads you threw the thoughts and imagination of a young girl who is also trying to understand things going on in an adult world.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced reader copy!

All That's Bright and Gone is told from the perspective of a child trying to make sense of her mother's mental illness and the loss.of her brother. Overall, I enjoyed the story and liked most of the characters, though I did feel that the story jumped around a bit, which was confusing at times. Having said that, this served to illustrate quite how confusing the child's life was and how easily children can pick up on things and misunderstand when things are not explained properly. I also found that the ending was rather abrupt and it would have been interesting if this had been explored further.

What a clever premise for a book. This is a story that is told from the POV of Aoife, a 6-year-old girl who has already dealt with some serious dysfunction in her family. The beginning is a traumatic experience that occurs while Mama and Aoife are driving to the mall to shop. Her mother receives a phone call and becomes agitated and seems to have a complete mental health breakdown, endangering both of their lives. This leaves the daughter alone and alternative care must be found. So many intriguing issues in this story. This really dove into how mental illness affects families and how sometimes trying to protect loved ones from information we think will hurt them may do more harm than good.
I work with people who have mental health issues and really appreciate a book that addresses the subject in a respectful and realistic way.

Highly recommend this book!

#AllThatsBrightAndGone #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks

An unusual Story, told from the viewpoint of a six-year-old girl. A girl who has always been encouraged to ask questions, but no longer gets answers when she does because the adults around her are either incapable of giving the answers or don’t know how to explain to a 6 yr old.
When her mother is taken to hospital, she is left in the care of a caring, but inexperienced uncle. Getting no answers to her questions & helped by the overactive imagination of her 8 yr old neighbour, 6 yr old Aoife becomes convinced that the only way her mother can come home is if she can solve the mystery of her older brother's death. We follow Aoife in her 6 yr old world as she begins to investigate, uncovering long-buried family secrets and asking more awkward questions. Her imaginary friend Teddy is beside her for many of her adventures ....

The storyline is surprising and the various twists and turns don’t lead where you think ...

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book free via NetGalley. All opinions on my own.

I thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. This author was new to me and I was not let down. It was a great story and very well written. The characters were easy to relate to and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this to everyone!!

Aoife (EE-fa) may only be six years old, but there are things she knows. She knows that her brother Theo is dead, and she knows that she can see Teddy, who her mother says is invisible, so she shouldn’t talk about him, or especially to him when other people are around. On the day that Aoife’s world begins to crumble, her mother appears upset while she’s driving, crying and talking to Theo, screaming, and stops in the middle of an intersection with traffic surrounding them, until an ambulance comes to take her mother to a hospital. Soon after, Aoife’s Uncle Donovan arrives at the hospital to take her home, and stays to watch over her until the hospital is ready to release her mother, Siobhan, who is being treated for a “confusion” sickness.

”I know my brother is dead. But sometimes Mama gets confused.”

Aoife was in some ways, to me, reminiscent of young Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, young, but tough, and despite her fears, determined to get to the truth of how her brother died. Spurred on by her somewhat older (by two years) and wiser-in-these-things friend and neighbor, Hannah. Hannah’s father is a detective, and she has aspirations of being one herself, one day, already fancying herself somewhat successful in her sleuthing skills. She has decided that Theo was murdered, and the solution to all her problems lies in determining who is responsible for Theo’s death.

As their investigation begins, Hannah takes the lead, but it isn’t long before a falling out leaves Aoife to solve the mystery alone. She’s tried asking her Uncle questions, she’s tried asking her mother’s old boyfriend questions, which only leads to other mysteries and questions as truths that challenge everything she’s ever known to be true come to light.

Aoife is steadfast in her belief that in order for Mama to come home, she needs to get to the bottom of the mystery of Theo’s death. And so, her desperation to find out the truth has her making potentially dangerous decisions.

I loved reading this from this six-year-old’s perspective, it adds a stripped down honesty and simply shared innocence and confusion about how the world operates. It never occurs to Aoife to question her Mama’s telling her that she was found in a cabbage patch, and has no father. Aoife is one of those characters that, for me, really gets under your skin and makes you want to reach out and protect them from this world that can be so cruel. It didn’t hurt that Aoife is a name that I loved to begin with.

A tender, beautifully written debut that touches lightly and compassionately on the topic of mental illness, faith (including religious faith, as well as faith in others), and the significance of family, particularly the bond between mothers and daughters.

”And that’s what children are, Aoife. You can’t hold on to them and you can’t let them go.”



Pub Date: 10 Dec 2019


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Crooked Lane Books