A Library of Lemons byJo Cotterill

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 256 

Publisher: Piccadilly Press 

Released: 5th of May 2016 

Calypso's mum died a few years ago and her emotionally incompetent Dad can't, or won't, talk about Mum at all. Instead he throws himself into writing his book A History of the Lemon. Meanwhile the house is dusty, there's never any food in the fridge, and Calypso retreats into her own world of books and fiction. When a new girl, Mae, arrives at school, the girls' shared love of reading and writing stories draws them together. Mae's friendship and her lively and chaotic home - where people argue and hug each other - make Calypso feel more normal than she has for a long time. 

But when Calypso finally plucks up the courage to invite Mae over to her own house, the girls discover the truth about her dad and his magnum opus - and Calypso's happiness starts to unravel.

What I Have to Say 

A touching tale about a girl living with neglect and responsibility to look after her father while he struggles with depression, A Library of Lemons was beautifully written to show an accurate and very touching view into the world of a young girl. 

I enjoyed the way that throughout the start of the book Calypso goes about her own business, making friends and enjoying stories before the carpet is pulled out from under both her and her father and the truth is revealed about just how bad things are. It shows how many young people can just see these things as normal and everyday because they don't know any differently. 

I loved Mae and Calypso friendship as well. It started out seeming like a story about a girl making friends for the first time and seeing how much better it can be to have someone in her life to share things with, but as it turns out Mae and her family provide a vital amount of support for her as the plot unfolds.

Overall this was just a beautiful book that tackled some very tough issues in a sensitive and informative way, while also making it an enjoyable story.

My thanks go to Piccadilly Press for providing me with this copy for review.