Not Enough Bookshelves: Book Review: The Sky Always hears Me and The Hills Don’t Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Friday, 26 August 2011

Book Review: The Sky Always hears Me and The Hills Don’t Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Reading wise this summer has been something of a disappointment. A lot of the books I had saved up expecting to adore didn’t engage me. Luckily my summer reading was saved by the arrival of The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don’t Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills, which I won in a competition on Tara Kelly’s blog, and which Kirstin kindly emailed internationally

I’m so glad she did, because it is a gem of a book.

There are many things to love here, but the main reason is Morgan. She is such an engaging narrotor with such a compelling voice. From the first few lines I just knew I was going to love her and I did.

She’s funny and fragile and strong and confused and honest and very real. She has a thing about words, wants to write the Great American Novel and fortune cookies. Plus she screams on hillsides. I completely get why quite a few other characters in this book were trying to kiss her – I think I have a crush myself.

The characters in The The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don’t Mind  are dealing with a lot of things and yet this book has a quiet feel to it.  It is could almost be a segment on This American Life, with Ira Glass narrating ~ I mean that as a huge compliment. It feel reals. It’s like we’ve dropped into Morgan’s life, it is at a critical moment, but the huge family secret (and it is huge) that gets revealed, never becomes overblown.

Although Morgan’s life is nothing like mine, now or when I was a teenager, I knew her and I understood her.

There are some outstanding secondary characters here too. Morgan’s next door neighbour, Tessa, with whom she shares a late night kiss, Rob the boy she works with and crushes on, and Morgan’s unconventional Grandmother.

If you like real, relatable, and funny contemporary fiction you should track down The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don’t Mind.


Kirstin Cronn-Mills blogs here


And here is the trailer for The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don’t Mind, which captures the tone of the novel perfectly.

3 comments:

  1. I am so glad to hear you liked this one. I've had it on my list to buy for my school library for ages, but haven't really pushed it. I will now!

    ReplyDelete

  2. I loved this book so so much. I'm glad you loved it! The storyline was so good and a bit differnt in a good way. I loved Rob. It also kind of reminded me of 'The sky is everywhere' which i love with a passion.
    great review!

    ReplyDelete

  3. Helen – Oh good! I hope you and the kids love it too 🙂

    Abbey – ah was it your blog I read a review of it on? I knew I'd heard of it before. Yes to the storyline ~ I meant to say that I liked how the story was about family too, which always gets me – guess you can't put everything in the review or it would be as long as the book 🙂

    ReplyDelete

I adore comments, so thanks so much for taking the time. I'll try and return the favour 😀