What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

The Story of the Treasure Seekers (Bastable Children, #1)
This topic is about The Story of the Treasure Seekers
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SOLVED: Children's/YA > SOLVED. YA fiction narrated by 3 siblings (first person plural), maybe a mystery. [s]

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message 1: by Rachel (new)

Rachel | 1527 comments A book from the early 1990s or late 80s. I'm pretty sure it was a British book and I read it in paperback.

The main thing I remember is that the main characters were three siblings - I think two girls and a boy. The book was narrated as if it was written by the siblings as a group (e.g. "We went outside/we thought it would rain" etc) If you've read The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier, it's the same style of narration.

However, this book had a twist where the reader was told that only one of the siblings had actually "written" the book and the reader is supposed to try and work out which sibling is the narrator. There are clues throughout the book, something to do with the names - I think only two of the siblings are mentioned by name ("Fred did this/Mary did that")* but the narrator never refers to him/herself in the third person in that way, so the one person who is never named is the narrator.

*not actual character names, just an example

Unfortunately I can't remember much of the actual plot, just the narrator gimmick. It may have been a mystery or a problem which the siblings had to solve - maybe something to do with their parents? The siblings spent a lot of time together as a group, hence the group narration, and I think they spent a lot of time walking outside, maybe by a lake or river.

That's all I can remember, any help appreciated!


message 2: by Kris (new)

Kris | 54958 comments Mod
The Kneebone Boy (2010) by Ellen Potter seems to use a similar narrator gimmick. Perhaps there are book reviews that mention the book you're looking for.

One Goodreads reviewer says, "We're told in the beginning that one of the Hardscrabble siblings is writing the story, but can't say who it is: "They said it's because the story belongs to all three of us, and I suppose they're right, but it seems unfair since I'm doing all the work. No one can stop you from guessing though."


message 3: by Rachel (new)

Rachel | 1527 comments Thanks, I've had a look but didn't find any useful clues. It does sound like the narration is very similar.


Julia ♡ Sarcasm and Romance Addict ♡ | 176 comments Long shot but Flower Children (came out in 90s but this version was published in 00s).

If not, the literary style is known as "first person plural" - there might be a list of books narrated this way somewhere online...


message 5: by Rachel (new)

Rachel | 1527 comments Thanks Julia, it's not Flower Children (that looks a lot more literary than the book I am searching for). But thanks for the tip on the writing style, I've been trying to remember what it was called!


message 6: by Rachel (new)

Rachel | 1527 comments bump


message 7: by Amanda (last edited Oct 05, 2017 05:39AM) (new)

Amanda (misterfive) | 215 comments Was it a contemporary setting, or an older one? If the latter, E. Nesbit uses this device in The Story of the Treasure Seekers. But it is an old book, published originally in 1899.

On the first page the narrator says:
"It is one of us that tells this story – but I shall not tell you which: only at the very end perhaps I will. While the story is going on you may be trying to guess, only I bet you don't."


message 8: by Rachel (new)

Rachel | 1527 comments You know, I really remember this being a modern book, but Amanda your suggestion has made me think twice. I'll have to get hold of The Treasure Seekers and see if it's the one I'm thinking of. I remembered there being only 3 siblings, not six, but I could be wrong.


message 9: by Lobstergirl, au gratin (new)

Lobstergirl | 44924 comments Mod
Rachel, are you still looking for this or did you find it?


message 10: by Rachel (new)

Rachel | 1527 comments Thanks for the reminder, forgot all about this. The Treasure Seekers was the right book - moving to solved. Thanks Amanda for finding it.


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