The Space We’re In

The Space We’re In is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read in my life. It grabs you right from the start and keep you reading through the night wanting to find out the ending. Rarely have I come across a book as eloquent in vocabulary and emotion as this one. You view this world through Franks’ eyes, through his trauma and sadness to his happiness.

Frank isn’t the perfect child and he knows he isn’t. Yet his world isn’t perfect. His brother has autism and at times the family and Frank struggle to cope with him. This book deals with a difficult phase in life, where Frank is going into Year 6 (in England that’s just before they move to secondary. Max is also due a new challenge as he heads off to school for the first time, at a spaceship school, as Frank sees it. It covers the next year of their lives as Frank struggles with his feelings amid a tragedy that rips the heart of the family away.

This book is a triumph, a look into a very difficult situation yet it’s also so uplifting to read. You will laugh and cry with Frank all the way through. Words like stunning debut are quite often thrown around like candy these days, but this is one time I’d use it. It’s mature in its content yet accessible for its chosen age group. The word crossover comes to mind, but as someone who thinks adults should read children’s books, it’s a bit glib. Any adult who reads this will understand the quality of children’s fiction is a lot higher than adult.

So I expect this book to be on book awards lists across the country this next year. It’s a truly beautiful and heartwarming story in the vein of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nigh time’, ‘The London Eye Mystery’ and even ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’. This is a book that deserves high applause.

The Space we're in is both beautiful and heartbreaking. Written from the point of view of 11 year old Frank, a year 6 boy who deals with far more than any child should at his young age.

The description of Max, his younger brother who has autism is heartbreakingly real and I'm glad I've read this book with my own daughter (age 12) so that she can understand the struggles some individuals and their families go through.

I highly recommend this book for age 10 and above. It is well written and easy to get into although the subject matter is somewhat difficult.

This is a beautifully touching story about family, about how we might not always like our family members but we will always love them. The writing and narration are authentic and believable; it reads a lot like much of the writing I read by ten-year-old pupils. The story itself is both heartbreaking and heartening, and I'm sure there are many children who will find this book helpful and affirming when they're going through difficult times.

Autism is something I like to think I know a fair bit about. As a teacher, I work with children with autism daily. I have a degree in disability studies and an award in autism, so to find a book that genuinely feels authentic and realistic is rare and this is certainly one of those rare ones.

Frank is going into year 6, his final year of primary school. He tells his story from his point of view, the emotions that come with having an autistic younger sibling, the emotions of everyday life as a ten/eleven year old and the emotions of losing a parent. I read this in just two sittings, which for me, is certainly unheard of. This truly was something special.

Max (Franks younger brother) is autistic. He melts down, he bites, he shouts, he hits… he sees the world in a slightly different way. Frank loves him unconditionally of course, but does that mean he can’t resent the way people look at him, how he sometimes feels embarrassed about his brother's differences, or how he doesn’t quite get as much attention from his parents that he feels he deserves? When we think about autism, we often think about the children it directly involves. This book was a breath of fresh air in the sense that it shows us how it impacts on the children and families of those children too. Frank was entitled to sometimes struggle and I feel this book is beneficial in the fact that it truly does show the emotional turmoil he went through trying to be the doting big brother but also being a child himself.

The book struck another chord with me when his mother died. Having been the kid at school as Frank described himself as ‘the kid whose parent is dead’, I just completely got it. I believe it actually portrayed those emotions really well and having been in that situation myself, it was nice to know that all those years ago… I wasn’t a wimp, I was allowed to feel that rubbish, I was allowed to be that low, and my family was allowed to fall apart for a while, just like Franks did.

As an educator and someone who believes strongly in inclusion and feel that people should know more about autism, I feel this book is invaluable. I would love to see it in my school library one day so that the children I work with, and the children who have autistic children in their class, the children who might grow up to have an autistic child of their own, the children who might have autistic siblings and so on, can make that step forward in understanding what autism is and how it can affect not only one person, but the people that surround them too.

This is a story about Frank and his brother Max. Max has autism and Frank is learning to cope with what this means for him and his family.

Frank loves codes and each chapter is titled using numbers so you may want to keep paper and a pencil handy for working them out!

This story deals with some really sad issues but does so beautifully and honestly. It really is brilliant and I have already pre-ordered a copy to share with others.

Oh my goodness, what a rollercoaster of emotions this book is! Katya Balen cleverly tells this heartbreaking (and heartwarming) story of family, autism and loss from the point of view of Frank, a 10 year old boy.
Frank is trying to find his place in his family and the world, as well as dealing with the reality that his younger brother is different. The mixed feelings Frank has about his brother, as well as his embarrassment, sometimes makes Frank do or say things he regrets and ultimately feels ashamed about - as he obviously loves his brother. When something completely devastating happens to his family, the whole family struggle to find a new normal but it brings them together in their own special way. I have to admit Balen’s candid and relatable story makes it quite a difficult but compelling read, which left me with a lump in my throat for the majority of the book.

Wow, what a story. Using a 10yr old's frustrated but innocent voice is such an interesting way of bringing this story to life. This makes explaining learning difficulties or family strains such a pure and simplistic yet really quite meaningful read. My heart ached for every single character for their own individual struggles.. It's an easy flowing book to read, with such a strong yet warm theme, I 100% recommend!

I was lucky enough to read this pre-publication copy of 'The Space We're In'. It tells the story of ten year old Frank and his relationship with his 5-year-old brother Max, who has autism.

The story is told from Frank's perspective and the first thing to strike me was the authenticity of Frank's voice. As a teacher of Year 6 children, I was impressed by how well the author had captured dialogue, attitudes, school routines and the unwritten rules of life for children this age. You had a real sense of Frank walking a fine line between excitement at his growing independence and impending adolescence; and his child-like joy at rare, special moments with his mother's undivided attention.

The narrative style was a little difficult to tune into at first: it occasionally tips into a child-like stream of consciousness. As you become absorbed in the story and more attached to Frank, it is less distracting and adds to the pace of the story.

The clever sub-plot with codes intrigued me and I know that children of 10+ would love vying with each other to crack the code.

The twist, when it comes, genuinely surprised me and the author's lightness of touch in her portrayal of the adults was gentle and moving.

Highly recommended - thank you for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

Wow! What an emotional book! I literally felt every emotion reading this, happiness, sadness and even anger. It made me look at autism in a way that I have never considered and opened my eyes to how the people who are closest feel too and for that I need to thank you. I would highly recommend this book.

An incredibly well written novel, perfect for older children. The use of code for the chapter names was clever, and something that could be fun to use in the classroom. The story was perfect, really felt as though it was being told by a child rather than an adult. Amazing!