The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day had such an interesting cover. I did not think of the targeted age and it slipped into my basket to be bought.

The synopsis is as follows:
How do you know you really exist? It’s Maisie’s birthday and she can’t wait to open her presents. She’s hoping for the things she needs to build her own nuclear reactor. But she wakes to an empty house and outside the front door is nothing but a terrifying, all-consuming blackness. Trapped in an ever-shifting reality, Maisie knows that she will have to use the laws of the universe and the love of her family to survive. And even that might not be enough… A mind-bending mystery for anyone who’s ever asked questions.

When I started reading this I had flashbacks to the film Interstellar but where I found that film haunting and sad, I found this book interesting and compelling.

Ability to read – I was surprised with how easy this was to read, regardless of it being a children’s book, I have always clashed with science and didn’t know how well I would process all the information. I needn’t have worried so much as the science aspects were woven into the story in a way that made me forget it was there. I was learning but learning without realising it. I could easily process what I was reading in time to understand what was happening in the book and the mystery surrounding what was happening to Maisie filled me with many questions and thoughts.

Characterisation – As a character I found Maisie relatable in ways I hadn’t expected. I am the youngest of three but I didn’t grow up with older siblings in the house, I did however, live under the stricter rules that were not handed out to the older siblings. I suppose I connected with Maisie, not in terms of intellect but in terms of growing up as the youngest. I thought the relationships between Maisie and her parents and her sister were very relatable and generally on-point. Maisie shone through as a very strong character, she didn’t let the fear of the situation get the better of her, nor did she breakdown at finding the truth of everything. I found her to have a big heart and compassion for the family she couldn’t find.

Visualisation – In terms of visualising, it was very easy to plop myself into the pages of this book and see what was happening. It helped of course, that I identified so strongly with Maisie as it helped solidify the image of her world around me. I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of an empty house and an all-consuming blackness would have given my imagination much to go on and yet the image I was able to conjure was quite scary in how vivid it was.

Uniqueness – I haven’t read anything like this before and however much the book cover drew me in, I became apprehensive once I’d noted that science was involved. I mentioned above that I was surprised by how easily I could process something that I usually find rather difficult. I don’t read many science fiction books, so this was something new for me to sink my teeth in. It was easy to let the pages carry me through the story and take me off to another place. I found this book unique because it was different, it wasn’t like anything I had read before and it was an interesting concept to read.

I kept thinking how powerful I found this book and how I had the ‘edge of my seat’ feeling while reading. I was engaged with Maisie and I wanted to see her story through till the end. Maisie’s journey gave me a new respect for my family and made me want to cherish them more. This book has a lot of heart and is well worth a read.

Hannah xoxo