Book Review of Jigsaw Pieces by Carol Hedges

‘He had been part of my everyday life. I hadn’t liked him much, nobody had liked him much, but he’d been there. Now, I’d never see him again.’

Annie Skjaerstad had been searching for her identity since being uprooted from her native country of Norway. With a spiky personality winning her no friends, and family members suddenly torn out of her life, she is left seeking comfort from a growing intrigue into the stories of fallen war heroes.

But one day, a boy from her school unexpectedly commits suicide, changing things forever. Confused by the tragic tale of someone she knew, Annie soon finds herself conducting her own investigation into his death.

What she uncovers will bring her to a dark and dangerous place, as suddenly – her own life is put at risk.

My Thoughts

Aimed at the YA market this book touches on some of the darker issues faced by society through the eyes of teenager Annie.

I thought that the teenage characters were believable and realistic. Annie coming from Norway gave it a different slant which was nice – I felt a lot of empathy for her, a teenager on the outside, not really fitting in with her peers, just rubbing alongside them. She had a different outlook and perspective on the events throughout the book which was refreshing.

I also liked that there was a sub-plot to the story which again touched on social issues but in a caring and thoughtful way – I found Billy’s story very touching.

Jigsaw Pieces is a coming of age book, the events of the last year at school having a big impact on Annie’s life. I really appreciated the ending to the novel, it felt the right thing for Annie to do in order to move on.

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