My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece by Annabel Pitcher

   

  Imagine your family being torn apart while you were so young and life just isn't the same anymore. 10 year old Jamie is a very unique character who acts and talks his age, but he had some mature moments. Jamie is very in tune with his family and even when he does not understand what is going on, he still connects back to the reader.

     My sister lives on the Mantlepiece is geared toward young teens. Young Jamie was five years old when his twin sister was killed in a terrorist blast. The death of Rose had a huge effect on his family which slowly tears them apart. Mom and dad are blaming themselves for the death of their daughter. The two of them are unable to handle things so mom abandons the family for a new guy from her support group and dad takes the kids and moves hoping things will be better in a new home. In the new home dad is torn, he wants mom to return but she doesn't want to and he's still mourning about Rose which leads him to drinking. Rose lives in a urn that sits on the mantelpiece, the urn sat on a mantelpiece at the old home too.

     Jamie doesn't cry or isn't saddened by his sisters' death because he does not remember, he was only 5 when she passed away. His mother and therapist tell him that her death hasn't hit him yet, and he doesn't think that it will. Jasmine who is Jamie's older sister and the twin of Rose does her best to take her of her brother. She steps up and does this because her dad is now a drunk and her mom abandoned them. Although she is a good sister, she is somewhat rebellious.

     Dad talks to and holds the urn often and it seems that he pays no attention to Jamie and Jasmine.When Jamie attends a new school, he becomes friends with a Muslim girl named Sunya. He wonders if he can even be friends with her because his dad does not like Muslims. They are the ones that murdered Rose near their old home. Eventually Jasmine has problems with eating and Jaime struggles with trying to help her out. Although Jasmine lost her sister, she doesn't want her brother to be hurt so she is by his side as much as possible.

     I enjoyed reading this book because it tackled on different subjects. Racism, alcohol abuse, bullying and broken familes were pointed out in the novel. This book was a simple, quick and enjoyable read that I would recommend to children and adults, there was some sad parts but yet it was still funny.