SuitabookDead gorgeous
Malorie Blackman
- Reading
- Try discussing the unusual premise and the characters’ feelings as the story unfolds. Pause when the family relationships or Liam’s situation raise questions, then revisit what the ending means to each character.
- Themes
- Feeling unseen: Nova struggles for attention at home, while Liam cannot attract his brother’s attention and is visible only to Nova. The story clearly centres on two young people recognising one another’s difficulties, but it is unclear what conclusions it reaches about loneliness or support.
- Family attention and distance: Nova’s parents focus on the hotel, and her older sister seems too grown-up and good-looking to spend time with her. Family distance is part of Nova’s difficulty, though the book’s judgement of the relatives and its resolution of these relationships are unclear.
- An extraordinary mystery: Liam is permanently stuck at the hotel and can be seen only by Nova; their friendship may help them both see a way forward. The premise invites questions about what has happened to Liam and what ‘seeing the light’ means, without establishing a particular explanation or outcome.
- Worth knowing
- The family strain and Liam’s unexplained situation could prompt attention to feelings of being overlooked or stuck.