Girl in the Window - Penny Joelson

Publisher: Electric Monkey

Publication Date: Aug 9th 2018

ISBN: 9781405286169

Age: 11 +

Synopsis

Nothing ever happens on Kasia's street. And Kasia would know, because her illness makes her spend days stuck at home, watching the world from her bedroom window. So when she sees what looks like a kidnapping, she's not sure whether she can believe her own eyes . . .

There was a girl in the window opposite – did she see something too? But when Kasia goes to find her she is told the most shocking thing of all.

There is no girl.

I was gripped from the outset with this book, it throws you straight in. Kasia's frustration with her condition is easily felt without the tone of the book being too heavy or depressing. Having been diagnosed with M.E/ CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) following a bout of tonsillitis, Kasia is unable to even go downstairs for weeks at a time and other than her parents, only sees her friend, Ellie, when she gets time to visit. Her life is in her room but following an alleged kidnapping, she forces herself to get to the phone and call the police. From that point, the book weaves between Kasia's struggles with CFS and the mystery of the girl in the window.

I don't have CFS but Joelson just makes it so easy to sympathise with Kasia - just the act of being able to go out to school or even next door can be incredibly difficult and have consequences for Kasia the next day. However, we don't get the sense this is all there is to her as we discover her crush on a boy at school and her talents in writing. Kasia is also caring, looking out for her elderly neighbour, which leads to a friendship with the neighbour's grandson, Navin. I felt like I got an insight not only into CFS but also other cultures, given that Kasia's family are Polish immigrants and her neighbours are Hindu. I always think books are a gateway to new ideas, concepts and things to be explored so I enjoyed the little details that were tied up in these themes. Invisible illnesses have also come to the forefront recently and it highlights the need to not be kind or judgemental-we don't always know what a person is going through. This book is full of empathy, resilience and compassion from beginning to end.

Girl in the Window was realistic and written in such a way that it is easily accessible by young adults. I've said 11+....it is advertised for 12 and up but more mature 11 year olds could deal with this I think. There are some heavy themes, including child trafficking and child protection, with prostitution being alluded to, but unlike some YA fiction, there is nothing explicit, no swear words, etc which I think is great as it bridges that gap for more mature pre-teens into the YA 'library'. I'm not going to go into much detail because it's an intriguing and well thought out plot and I hate spoilers but the mystery is resolved well and I will definitely be looking to read Joelson's other novel,  I have no secrets.