Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
28th out of 73 books
—
22 voters
Butterfly Summer
Some secrets last a lifetime. When Becky and her mum move to the tiny village of Oakbridge, Mum is hoping for a new beginning. But when Becky discovers an old photo of her mum in hospital clutching a baby, twelve years before Becky was born, Becky becomes haunted by the thought that her mum is keeping something from her. Stifled by her mum's over-protectiveness and depress...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
May 1st 2012
by Usborne Publishing
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
255)
What happens when everything you thought you ever knew about your life turned out to be a lie ? Butterfly Summer tells the tale of Becky who at age 12 moves to the smalltown of Oakbridge with her mother. Becky thinks that moving out to the middle of nowhere will be boring with a capital B but what happens when she finds a photo of her mum taken 12 years before she was born holding a baby girl. Who is the baby and how did she not know that she had a sister ? On the same day, Becky recieves a myst...more
Becky isn't best pleased to be moved from her home in the city, where she has friends and a place, to the countryside where her mother grew up. There's a whole secret past that Becky feels on the verge of discovering - starting with friends her mother never mentioned, friends who drop unintentional hints about the father Becky has never met, and ending with the photo she finds of her mother with a baby - dated 12 years before she was born.
Then Becky's mother slips into depression, and Becky is l...more
Then Becky's mother slips into depression, and Becky is l...more
You couldn't help but appreciate the very fact that this was a beautiful story full of contrasting and challenging emotions that just seemed to grasp you from the word go. The story line for me was not something that I ever remember reading before but the whole concept in which it was written was just done so well, in a manner that you could almost imagine it actually being that way. Becky is a confused normal 12 year old teenage girl, a girl who has been forced to change her life because of a j...more
I seem to be on a roll lately with really fabulous books. I just finished listening to Audible's Butterfly Summer by Anne-Marie Conway and read by Kate Harbour. This is added to my list of good reads. For the description of the butterfly garden alone, this book is worth the read. But who would have thought that a modern ghost story could take place in this setting?
Becky and her mother move to Oakbridge where her mother will start a new job back in her tiny home village. Becky is often alone as i...more
Becky and her mother move to Oakbridge where her mother will start a new job back in her tiny home village. Becky is often alone as i...more
1 like · like · see review
view all 3 comments
I'm sorry, but this story creeped me out. It's written really nicely and the thought behind it is really moving. (view spoiler)...I didn't like it at all. There was too much uncomfortable tension in it. I felt bad the hole time I was reading it. Maybe people who like stories that deal with the subject of death and loss of a loved one and how one copes with it, mixed with a little bi...more
I think this book has been marketed badly. I picked it up expecting a coming of age young adult story. Then I discovered that the protagonist is 12.
I felt that the book was a little confused, it didn't know what genre to pick. There were elements of contemporary, paranormal, spiritual and grief. The twist was obvious from the very beginning, but then I'm older than the natural reader age of this book should be.
There are other problems, too - the dialogue is not believable. There aren't many li...more
I felt that the book was a little confused, it didn't know what genre to pick. There were elements of contemporary, paranormal, spiritual and grief. The twist was obvious from the very beginning, but then I'm older than the natural reader age of this book should be.
There are other problems, too - the dialogue is not believable. There aren't many li...more
This is a wonderful book that I stumbled upon in a bookshelf accidently, how I wish I could've discovered it earlier!
Becky's just moved into her new house in a small village called Oakbridge, where her mum spent her childhood. Becky's dying for answers about why did Mum leave Oakbridge in the first place, but she wants even more when she discovers a photo under her mother's bed (view spoiler)...
Becky's full of questions...more
Becky's just moved into her new house in a small village called Oakbridge, where her mum spent her childhood. Becky's dying for answers about why did Mum leave Oakbridge in the first place, but she wants even more when she discovers a photo under her mother's bed (view spoiler)...
Becky's full of questions...more
I really kind of enjoyed this book. I had my doubts at the start, because its quite clearly written in a language more suited to teens that adults, but once I'd gotten into it I found it difficult to put down: it was just so readable.
The outcome of the plot didn't even cross my mind as I was reading: in fact I spent most of the novel thinking that Rosa May was kind of a bitch for lack of a better word.
A little bit of an emotional roller coaster: I felt sorry for Becky frequently then annoyed a...more
The outcome of the plot didn't even cross my mind as I was reading: in fact I spent most of the novel thinking that Rosa May was kind of a bitch for lack of a better word.
A little bit of an emotional roller coaster: I felt sorry for Becky frequently then annoyed a...more
I bought this one as it was on a recommended reading list for my daughter's age group. She wasn't sure about it, so I said I'd read it first - this was a while so and I only just got round to it, oops. It's a quite well told story, but as an adult reader I could tell there was something weird about it from pretty early on, so I'd guessed the ending long before I got there. I think it fits nicely in the 9+ group, and at least it's not about vampires! Good for pre teen girls, an easy read for thei...more
I bought this book purely for the title with no actual idea of what it was about and didn't realise until I started reading that it was a children's book!! However, it was lovely to read and well written. The plot was fairly easy to guess (but I suppose I'm not the target audience really!) but I still liked how the story panned out. It was quite moving and a little bit magical. A perfect way to lose a few summer hours and certainly something I would have LOVED to read when I was that age...
A good book that should be interesting for teenagers or pre-teenagers (I didn't realise it had that age group as a target when I bought it, oops!). It has nice, clear language and is narrated by a 12 year old, though you sometimes can feel the adult behind, writing it.
It's a good story, the plot is easy to guess but it still left me scratching my head sometimes thinking 'what the heck is this?'
For adults, I think this might be a little predictive, but it's still gripping and a good read.
It's a good story, the plot is easy to guess but it still left me scratching my head sometimes thinking 'what the heck is this?'
For adults, I think this might be a little predictive, but it's still gripping and a good read.
I really liked this book. It started off as a sweet "Love Aubrey" style kind of story but swiftly turned dark. It was engaging and addictive, yet a very light read. I'd recommend this to a girl aged 10 and up. but it's still good for a teen reader who wants a really great read. It was very well written, and had an authentic voice. I really enjoyed this, and I look forward to the next one from this author!
It was a really good book, I liked the secrets within it. I think it would have been better, If The Twist had not happened, it didn't make sense and detracted from the rest of the book feeling. I also seriously didn't get that every time Becky asked her mum a question she made an excuse. It got repetitive. Apart from that it was really good. I would recommend it to 10-13's.
This was the best book I have read in ages. It is so creepy but also moving and sad. I really loved the relationship between Becky and Mack and at the end of the book I just wanted to read more and more about them. I also thought the link between the mum's depression and her obsession with the puzzle was brilliant. Overall a five star book. Please read it - it's AMAZING!!!
This is a sweet enough book but it really has been 'mishelved' as YA. Much more appropriate to 8-12. The story of a 12 year old girl coming to terms with her mother's past (with just a little soupcon of the supernatural in there, not enough to scare a year 5) was just a little too trite and sweet for me. It's something I would have enjoyed as a seven-year-old though.
Enjoyable and quite atmospheric; though the plot was fairly obvious I found as an adult reader that the characters were well drawn. Interesting perspective on grief, loss and adult depression as witnessed by a young girl. Ultimately this was a bit too sweet for my liking, but very readable.
Such a suspenseful book, its sad yet intriguing.It was such a good book that I read it all in one day. I started to unravel the secret slowly but soon I knew I was right. A truly mesmerising book! :)
Great story for the Jacqueline Wilson/Cathy Cassidy fan. Seems like realistic fiction but this one has a paranormal element. Enough tension to keep readers hooked. Great for 9-12 year olds.
It's an ok story but there was this niggling sense that the story had been done before, or I've seen a similar plot on the television. Predictable in places but this is aimed at upper teens.
Quite predictable, really, but then I might be too old for this kind of litterature... Really nice teen or child read though. I would have loved this book if I had read it when I was a child.
Jan 09, 2013
Marlen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
I would recommend this book for pre teenagers (10-12yo).
Shelves:
paranormal,
reviewed
I have really enjoyed reading this book. A very gripping and engaging read (and also very predictable).
It is a lovely story about a girl and secrets, family drama and butterflies(!).
.
It is a lovely story about a girl and secrets, family drama and butterflies(!).
.
The book I think was a bit too young for my tastes> The plot was a bit wierd and not really age appropriate, odd book but nice mental pictures.
a slow read but once i started i had to finish a nice story about relationships but not a page turner
While I enjoyed the story, I did feel the plot was rather flakey at times and it was easy to guess the twist from quite early on. I know this is aimed at younger readers but kids aren't stupid! The book does cover the issue of depression and loss rather well, as well as friendships and boys, and I did enjoy the paranormal element. All the elements were there, it just missed that certain je ne sais quoi.
good read. aimed at teens but still enjoyed it. I worked out the gist of the outcome early on though
i read the first chapter and the last few chapters.
A lovely light book to read. It wasn't what I expected but in a very good way. It was very moving and beautiful.
OMG. CLEVER AS PLOT!!!
However, it wasn't as amazingly written as it could have been. Huh.
However, it wasn't as amazingly written as it could have been. Huh.
Terrific story, lovely ideas, sad and sentimental
A lovely read, but a bit predictable!
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What do you think about the end of the book? | 4 | 5 | Aug 31, 2012 05:24am |
Anne-Marie Conway is a primary school teacher specialising in drama, but also runs her own children’s theatre company, Full Circle. She lives in London with her husband, two young sons and two eccentric cats, Betty and Boo. Anne-Marie has written a number of humorous sketches which have been performed by her theatre company, but "Phoebe finds her voice", shortlisted for the inaugural Times/Chicken...more
More about Anne-Marie Conway...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
