Wren and her brother Finch are the same age without being twins. Born so close together they have been close in every other aspect of their lives. But where Finch is vibrant, loud, cheeky, noticed and loved by all, Wren is quieter, shy and more of a watcher than a do-er like Finch.

Wren loves her brother intensely but sometimes wonders whether this surprise baby has stolen some of the spotlight that was meant for her as first-born. Still, no matter how annoying Finch can be, difficult with his parents or sucking up all and any attention he can, Wren will still paint patterns on his fingernails, lend him her clothes, and laugh at his antics.

At least until he… vanishes.

Out for a family adventure to a local coal mines attraction, Wren’s parents are actively trying to let their children stretch their wings a little. Wren’s mum admits to being a ‘helicopter’ parent, and dad has urged her to let go a little.

Now Dad blames himself for the disappearance of his son that day. A small girl also vanishes into thin air, and even with her wealthy parent’s attempts at keeping their missing daughter in the news, no clues or answers have been found.

Three years on and Wren’s house still feels empty without her rambunctious brother, and full of tears and sadness instead. Her first day at high school is full of apprehension. Her friends from ‘before’ drifted away after Finch went missing, and Wren is worried about making new ones. If she does find new friends, how will they react when they learn about Finch?

Frederique (Freddy) is Wren’s saviour, as she too doesn’t know anyone at their new school. She’s daring, bright, funny and just the person to bring Wren out of the shell she has formed around herself.

Little do they know how close they will become, not only being there for each other, but also for another girl who has her own family troubles.

The intriguing cover drew me into this novel and I’m so glad it did.

Although heart breaking due to the loss of a much loved brother and son, My Brother Finch is beautifully written and a moving story set in Tasmania Australia. Wren is the main character who is dealing with her loss, her guilt, and the fact that Finch is often with her, talking to her or standing close. Only she can see or hear him and she berates herself constantly, as surely she must be going mad.

This internal confusion erodes her self esteem even further, until she meets another who reminds her of Finch’s vibrancy and fun. The contrast of characters between Wren and Freddie is enchanting as Freddie draws Wren out of herself.

Grief is a key component of this story and different ways of dealing with it are shown within Wren’s family, but the other minefield in this story and all of our school lives is – friendship. It’s seems so straightforward when things are going well, but not so much when lives fall apart. But just as we can lose friendship for many different reasons, we can also forge new ones when we need them most. This brings hope to the characters and their future without Finch.

Author – Kate Gordon

Age – 12+

(2024, Simon & Schuster, Family, Friendship, Grief, School, Love, Mystery, Secret, Guilt, Missing children, Brother, Siblings, New Friends, Moving forward after loss, Searching, Answers)