Book in Every Stocking 2014: THE BOY IN THE TOWER by Polly Ho-Yen suggested by Natalie Doherty

Today we are very pleased to welcome Natalie Doherty back to Space on the Bookshelf, Natalie is a Fiction Editor at Random House and we interviewed about her role as Editor of Murder Most Unladylike back in the summer press here to read.

Natalie, has kindly agreed to write a letter to Santa to recommend a stocking filler book...

Dear Santa,


If there’s one book I’d love to see in all stockings this Christmas (in all honesty I’d love to see HUNDREDS of books in all stockings, but I don’t think I’m allowed), it would be THE BOY IN THE TOWER by Polly Ho-Yen.

Polly is a) a new writer, b) the owner of an incredible imagination, and c) an all-round lovely human being. THE BOY IN THE TOWER is a story about a boy named Ade, who lives in a tower block in London with his mum, who doesn’t like to go outside. One day, mysterious blue plants start to appear in the streets close to Ade’s home and school . . . and then without any warning, buildings start to collapse. Soon the streets are evacuated and even Ade’s best friend Gaia escapes with her family, but Ade’s mum refuses to leave, and so she and Ade are left in their tower block, knowing that it might fall down at any minute, with a rapidly-dwindling supply of food and water, and no one else for miles around. Or so they think…

The reason I’ve picked this as a stocking-filler book is that it really does leave you feeling that there are good people in the world. It’s a book about friendship and sticking together and helping other people out in any way you can, even when you’re feeling unhappy or scared yourself. And it’s a brilliant adventure!


Thanks Santa!



Natalie x

For more book stocking filler suggestions,pop back and visit SOTB throughout December!