A Kite at the Edge of the World

“I'd been afraid of this all along. What if, after all this hard work, our kite just wouldn't fly?”

Everyone can have their own interpretation of a book. And I see the kite in this book is just a metaphor for all our problems. How to get it done? What if it's just a waste of time? What if we run away from it instead? All of the answers to that questions (and many more) were written in this beautiful and heartwarming story.

A Kite at the Edge of the World can be enjoyed by both adults and children alike. And it should bring a tear to your eyes.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC!

This book is perfect, it’s written phenomenally telling the hard story of death, but with it tells a beautiful story of life long lasting friendship.

From the start of this story meeting our protagonist as an older man recalling a summer many many years ago in his past, I knew it was going to be a sweet story. He was such a shy boy but he had the courage to make a friend, without realising it he granted friendship to a boy who desperately needed it.

The friendship was wonderfully written, they were two very different boys but they balanced each other perfectly, Ilio’s illness didn’t impact the way they were together, the boys had so much fun on the adventure to find the money and materials for the kite and what fun it was reading all they were up too. Even after Ilio got weaker their friendship never wavered they spent what time they could together and made sure they had fun.

I found the questions arisen in this book interesting they were very philosophical and deep, I loved the addition of these questions being raised and done in the natural way kids talk to each other whilst playing, not approached in a scary or intimidating way. It makes for a great lead up to get kids thinking themselves whilst reading and gives parents, teachers etc and opportunity to discuss topics that aren’t always easy to approach so I highly applaud author Katy Grant for including them in this book.

The part that had me weeping my goodness, I knew it was coming from the second we are told by Ilio he is sick but I feel like I wasn’t prepared at all even though I did know it was coming. The emotions portrayed, the beautifulness in the sorrow, the natural cycle people go through whilst in grief were written perfectly.

I am so impressed with this book, I thought by the description I would like it, but I was wrong as I loved it. I can’t fault this book, it’s flawless, it’s heartbreaking, it’s beautiful, it’s expressive and it shows real people going through real emotions and real pains in life. It’s a book I would read again and I know I would cry every time. It’s just so wonderfully written.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Katy Grant & Yearning Press for having this book available as a read now book to read and review.

What did I just read?😭

I didn't expect this book to be so heavy and emotional.
My head is spinning; my eyes are all swollen; my nose all red, running and blocked; my heart a little too broken into tiny pieces right after reading this short book.
Seriously, what have this book done to me?

Yes, the book is really short with just 31 short chapters which tell the story of two young boys meeting by chance on a fateful day. And the story is about these two boys following the few days they get to be together.
I don't want to spoil the book so I won't be going into too much detail.
The story starts well with a good pace. The inbetween chapters describe the events that follow which makes the reader feel that everything is adventurous, like anything can happen when they're together. The ending was really heartbreaking. I haven't cried this much ever since The Fault In Our Stars/The Kiterunner. But the ending gave a good closure. It's just beautiful!
The book seems so short but it's so wholesome. The characters are developed well and have a strong presence. They are engaging and realistic. I felt like I was watching a good movie during the whole time!
The book is so good that it took me just a few hours to finish it up. Once I started reading it, I just couldn't stop reading it. I was getting excited about what was coming in the next page! And I got so hyped up regarding the ending and I wasn't disappointed at all! The thrill is so pure and the book hit me hard.
Well deserved read.

Psst! There's an extra story in the story that I really enjoyed too like the characters did!

The author is doing wonders!

Thank you #NetGalley so much for the arc of the book #AKiteAtTheEdgeOfTheWorld

My Rating: 4.5

This book really pulled at my heartstrings... I'm not usually one to cry but this one did it.
This story is about a boy who makes a new friend during a summer and how they decide to fly a kite.
The friendship between the two boys was really well built and developed, I loved how both boys filled in the flaws of one another and how the author portrayed the easiness of making a friend when we are a child, how simple it all is.
I also really liked the writing style and how descriptive it was, I felt like I was at the beach myself sometimes.
I knew this was going to be a "sad" story since the beginning as the opening of the book is the main character telling the story of when one summer day he met a boy, Ilio and they became friends and decided to fly a kite but I still wasn't prepared enough when it happened.
I do think this a beautiful story and it has a few valuable lessons that one can learn from it. Would definitely recommend it since this is a short book and it has a beautiful story.

I just revisited the part of my life that was long forgotten. This book definitely takes you to an era when you saw the world, as a world of grown ups. The story of two kids and their friendship is narrated in a most lucid and witty way possible. You get engaged from the first line of the book until it ends. The story is so beautifully narrated that it takes you along the places where they go, familiarize the people they meet, make you feel the joy about the time they spend together, and everything is clearly visible in front of your eyes. The eyes that will blur out emotionally multiple times.

This was my first Children Fiction genre book and am glad about it. It was a quick read with short and beautiful chapters. The author has done full justice to the readers by keeping the story crisp. I actually wanted the book to be a little more detailed. I would have loved this book with 3 times its actual size!

Anyone who wants to start reading as a habit, this book is highly recommended. It is written in a very simple yet power language. Thank you #NetGalley and the author for the arc of the book #AKiteAtTheEdgeOfTheWorld

This is one of those beautiful books that will mean completely different things to different people. As a child, its a simple reminder to be kind to others, as well as the reality of mortality. As an adult, there are so many metaphors and little messages that can be taken from the story. It was truly heartbreaking and sweet, and the kind of book that can be shared amongst an entire household.

The friendship that developed so quickly between the two boys was precious, and certainly makes you miss the simpler time in life when you could just walk up to anyone who interested you and ask them if they want to build a kite. I loved all the little touches of nostalgia running through the story, and am now desperate to head to the seaside. It's also a very gentle reminder, that no matter how bad things get, the simplest things can make the most special of days.

Really sweet and gentle, with a little heartbreak along the way.

The story of a short-lived, poignant friendship long ago, this book has a lyrical, sometimes dream-like quality. Looking back from old age, the narrator recalls a seaside summer in his privileged childhood, when his nanny and his mother are distracted by the needs of his baby sister, affording him a little more freedom than he has been used to. He meets a slightly older boy, who quite early on announces that he is dying, and they decide to make sure they have a fun day by building a kite, and set about acquiring their materials by whatever means they can, and thereafter strike up a friendship. The child’s eye view of unfolding events enables the behaviour of adult characters to be observed, and unfolds the transformative nature of the friendship on the formerly very sheltered existence of the narrator.
It took a long time to be drawn into the story, whether because of its unfamiliar setting (culturally and historically) or because of the initial lack of action in the book, but once the friendship is established I found myself warming to the characters and becoming more interested in their fate. What is particularly poignant about the book is the exterior view of adult feelings, in particular the meeting between the narrator and his friend’s father, and the inability of the young narrator to describe his feelings when the inevitable loss occurs. Ultimately, this allows for a more nuanced view of the impact of bereavement whilst still acknowledging the terrible pain that it entails.

Death is probably one of the hardest topics to discuss with just about anyone but especially with children. This was an absolutely beautiful story. So many feels!!! So much depth. A young boy makes friends with a terminally sick boy who lives four cottages down from him. A story of learning to cope, dream, and of memory, both happy and difficult.

I'd like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.
A sweet story!