Life, Interrupted by Damian Kelleher   Previous review     /     Next review Back to shortlist

Tegh
Year 9
Brighton College

Life interrupted is by Damian Kelleher and is aimed at older children and teenagers and displays the feeling of a boy who finds out that his mother has been diagnosed with cancer.

The main characters are Luke, a 14 year old boy and his younger brother Jesse who is 12 and football mad. The book is set in the present age in England.

The story is about how in a normal day Patty (his mom) collapses and is very sick whilst at the same time she is in hospital with Jesse after he picked up an injury on the football field. Jesse has just got concussion but Patty finds out that she has cancer. The story from here begins to convey the feelings of the boys and Patty during this period of time.

The author uses a humorous style to ease the pressure and sadness in the form of Luke’s two friends, Jack and Freya and in the form of a monster baby-sitter type Nanny.

Despite the humour the sadness oozes out of the book and the author uses assonances to express these feelings. This meant that the story flowed very well and had a lot of expressive meaning and for this I rate this book 5/5 as I felt it was truly brilliant.

 

Yazzi
Year 9
Brighton College

"An important book that everyone should read” is a review of the book by the writer Eoin Colfer. The book Life Interrupted, by Damian Kelleher, is about how two boys called Luke and his younger, ‘football-obsessed’ brother Jesse have to cope with terrible consequences in their life. They each find different ways to cope, Luke has his friends and uncle to talk with and Jesse deals with things by playing football. This book is dramatic and captivating and full of emotion. ‘A lovely, warm, funny book, though searingly sad at times’ said the writer Jacqueline Wilson. This book shows how by working together and supporting each other, they get through tragedies and continue with their lives.

 Luke, who is just a typical 14-year-old boy is the narrator of the book. His mum works in the geriatrics ward as a nurse. The start of their troubles is when she suddenly collapses at the hospital where she works… This book is extremely sad at times but also warm-hearted and humorous. I love the way that after an incredibly emotional chapter, it changed to a completely different and unexpected topic.

This book was hard to put down as I found myself very attached to the characters. It was a moving story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would rate this book 8/10.

 

Adele
Year 9
Brighton & Hove High School

I think Life Interrupted was an okay book. It was a bit plain and didn't really appeal to me. Overall I think it was a bit bland. The book was hard to get into but it got better about 1/3 of the way through.

 

Matthew
Year 9
Beacon Community College

Life, Interrupted is an exciting and emotional book. All of the characters are believable and easy to relate to. The book also highlights a major medical disease. It portrays two young boys’ journeys when their mother is diagnosed with cancer. This is a real family book as anyone can pick it up and connect with the characters. Overall I liked it. It was neither too fast nor slow, and included both at the needed times. When thrown together it is a truly enjoyable book to read.

 

Abe
Year 9
Brighton College

Written from Luke's point of view, the book is an account of how he copes with the news that his mother has cancer and how his life changes from that point on. Despite the serious topic there is some light relief in the form of Luke's daft friends Jack and Freya, his uncle Stu and a revenge attack on a hideous house sitter. 

The book is basically how Luke copes with his new life. He is used to accident prone Jesse, his brother, but nothing can prepare him for when his mum falls dangerously ill.

I think that this book is very good and is directed at teenagers as it is through a teenager’s eye.

Overall I would rate this book 8/10.

 

 

Alice
Lycée Henri Avril – Lamballe (France) 
Shadowing School

I really enjoy this book, because of the balance between humour and sadness. Luke Napier is a 14-year-old boy who lived with his mother and brother Jesse. His whole world changed when he learnt that his mother had a cancer. I admit that at the beginning,I couldn't get into this book because it is a"slow" and sentimental book, so it took me a long time to finish it, but it remains pretty enjoyable. I nearly cried at moments, but on the other hand some parts were funny, as when Luke and his friends were meeting...

All in all I recommend this book, because we need to read sometimes some sad stories, although it's a bit long to read.

 

Otillie
Year 9
Benenden School

Life, Interrupted is a very realistic book that really made me think about what other normal children go through. Some things in this boy’s life came as such a surprise. I found the characters in the book very realistic and they did the things real people do, like going to the playground, talking and guessing which flavour Revels they were eating. I cried when I read this book, but I found it interesting how each brother handled the disaster that happened to this family. I really liked the sort of Mrs Doubtfire bit in the book when Polly’s mother babysits the children. I found it funny how they tried to get rid of her. Overall I loved the book and thought it was a really good read.

 

Georgie
Year 9
Benenden School

Life, Interrupted is based on a totally ordinary boy who is suddenly struck down when he finds out that his mother has cancer. I feel this book is good because Luke is so easy to relate to, he has no super powers, crazy genes or anything else weird – he is plain and simple and sometimes very funny. I think this book is very well set for this age group as it slowly lets you in to one of the biggest diseases around, so although it is funny in places you also learn from it.

 

Hebe
Year 9
Benenden School

Luke’s a pretty normal kid, he’s got nice friends, normal school, a brother who is football mad, but when their father left it was their mother they depended on. But when their mother is taken ill she is replaced by a child minder whom they really don’t like, and who can’t even make casserole! His normal life stops when his mother is diagnosed with cancer and the story really starts at that point.

 

Jemima
Year 9
Benenden School

This book is about a boy called Luke whose brother is mad keen on football and his mum who is a nurse. After his mum collapses on her shift, she soon discovers after a seriess of tests that she has cancer. Life, Interrupted is about her two sons, Luke and Jesse and how they deal with this. Personally I found that this book lacked any real point towards the end and although other parts of the book were more eventful I found it slightly slow moving.

 

Iona
Year 9
Benenden School

Life, Interrupted is a story about a normal family ripped apart by cancer. I thought that the book contained a lot of vivid imagery which made it believable and consistent. I thought that the readability was excellent and I liked the way lots of the book was about recovery rather than having pages and pages leading up to the death. I think that Kelleher has written about a subject that a lot of people can relate to and he has done it well. I liked the ending as it was simple and different to other books that I have read on this subject.

 

Harriet
Year 9
Benenden School

This book has quite a basic plot of a family who lose their mother. I think what makes it good is the characters are well written and I could easily relate to all of them especially Luke. It is a very sad book about them trying to come to terms with her death. I think the relationship between Luke and his brother Jesse is very believable and sweet. I think this book would be very good to read for people who have lost a member of their family. I think it would show them that they are not alone and that other people have been through the same thing.

 

Luke
Year 9
Bishop Bell CE Mathematics and Computing Specialist School

 

Connor
Year 9
St Richard's Catholic College

This book, by Damian Kelleher, is a very moving book with funny characters and a deep emotional storyline.

Follow the story of Luke, a teenage boy with friends and a loving family, whose world is turned upside down, and he is forced to adapt to his new life, which is completely different from his old one.

This is a very good book and it is one of my favourites.

 

Connor
Year 9
Beacon Community College

Life, Interrupted was a very boring book for me to read, as the plot was very boring for a 14 year old boy. It was very slow and not exciting at all. For me, the plot was very predictable as there was not a climactic ending or middle, it was just a very ordinary book. Also the characters had nothing exciting about them. They were bland and boring. Some books I would read 30 times over, this book I struggled to read once.

 

Charlotte
Year 11
The Causeway School

Luke’s world is turned upside down when his mum collapses at the hospital where she works as a nurse.  Fourteen-year-old Luke, and his football obsessed younger brother Jesse, each cope in their different ways, and, as time passes, they must confront some painful truths.  Some books for young people shy away from tricky topics.  ‘Life, Interrupted’ tackles a devastating event head-on.  Luke is a typical 14-year-old boy who lives with his younger brother Jesse and their mum.  Despite it being a difficult topic, they don’t seem to back down from the subject and actually make the reader feel quite down in the dumps.  It also makes the reader feel that this does happen and that it could happen to your family. 

Therefore, I don’t really like this book because it made me feel very sad and not very happy after reading it.  It is written very well, but in some points of the book I think it could be more sensitive.

 

Naomi
Year 7
Seaford Head

66% of one family in hospital. Can life get any worse for the one person left out?

A comical yet sad book, it gripped me from start to finish. It faces life and the sadness that it can bring to life. It is not a book for the emotional people as it deals with something that most people would rather not think about.  I would rate this book 8/10.

 

Emma
Year 9
Brighton College

‘Life Interrupted’ is about a teenage boy, Luke and his football mad brother, Jesse. When their mum gets cancer, they have to try to keep life the same as usual. When the mum’s cancer gets terminal and an evil nanny moves in, Luke must do all he can to keep life normal.

This is a good book which I enjoyed more than I expected, but it is very stereotypical. It is also written and set-out in a very childish style , so even though there is a lot of emotion that may be a bit upsetting for younger children I think that it is a good book, but maybe it should be in a category for  younger children.

 

Davina
Year 9
Brighton College

Life interrupted is a story about a modern family whose single mum becomes ill, how they then survive as a family and the journey they go through together.

At the beginning the story was quite slow moving and difficult to get into. I found it a sad story and it showed how unpredictable family life can be. It is not a book I would normally have chosen but it has a hopeful ending which shows how adaptable and flexible the characters in the book were. This is not my favourite book so far and despite it being written in an easy style to read I would not recommend it to younger or sensitive children. It is not a book I would give to a friend as a present or really recommend.

 

Charlotte
Year 10
St Richard's Catholic College

Meet Luke, a 14 year old boy, who has a brother, Jesse, and a mum but no dad.  Luke’s mum works in a hospital, so it comes as a bit of a shock to hear that she has collapsed whilst working. Luke and Jesse go to see her in hospital and it all unfolds. Luke and Jesse’s life takes a sharp turn for the worse when Mrs M comes to babysit. She is the babysitter from hell. So they set out to get rid of her.

I really enjoyed this book, because it helps you come to grips with the upset that an illness causes a family. I found it so sad at times. It was beautifully written, and by far my favourite. 10/10

 

Harvey
Year 9
Ardingly College

Life Interrupted is a brilliant book in my opinion, but I can see why others would not like it. First of all it is like real life so not everything is resolved and it is not a completely happily ever after ending. Also some people may find it quite boring because it’s all about his life and how he feels about it. Personally I love it and I wish there was a sequel. There were no real stereotypes but it is very realistic, now when I say that I mean that his thoughts and his emotions are very realistic although the storyline is not. From me this book gets a solid 9/10 but I think others may give it more of a 6.5/10.

 

Rhiannon
Year 9
Beacon Community College

This is a sad story written in the first person about two brothers who find out their Mum has got cancer when she collapses at the hospital she works in. It is sad to read about Luke’s gradual understanding that his Mum is not going to get better, and the way that he tries to cheer up his younger brother, Jesse.

 

Ewan
Year 9
Beacon Community College

Life, Interrupted was not one of my favourite books. I would not grant it a place in my top 20 or possible top 30 books. The pace was slow, the idea lacked originality, and the descriptions started repeating themselves eventually. Despite the character interactions and dialogues, I could find little to like about this book. The author gave a good effort, however I would only give the book 2.5 out of 5.

 

Tuesday
Year 11
Davison C of E High School for Girls

 

Lydia
Year 9
Brighton College

I thought Life Interrupted by Damian Kelleher was moving and really interesting. It was simple to read, and the fact that there weren’t many characters made the plot straightforward. I read it really fast, and found it really hard to put down because it is so interesting. At times, it is quite funny, and it was really good how he portrays the teenage banter between Luke and Jesse. Overall I thought it was a really good book, and it kept me hooked from start to end. I would give this book a 4/5.

 

Peony
Year 9
Brighton College

The plot is certainly sad but warm and hilarious as well. Most people wouldn’t mix illness with humour but this author manages in so many splendid ways. When I first picked up the book I didn’t think it would particularly appeal to me because I thought the plot was all about football crazed boys. However once I had read a chapter I realised it wasn’t at all and  enjoyed the way football was involved as a get away from the sad reality of life. I loved the ending: it suited the book fantastically, especially as it involved a small and very unpredictable twist. I enjoyed reading about every character as they all had special qualities. In the end it was a beautifully written heart-warming book which left me with a glowing feeling.

 

Georgie
Year 9
Lancing College

When I first picked this book up I immediately thought it would be one of my least favourite books but when I started to read I completely changed my mind, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day. My favourite aspects of the book are that it is so simple to read, it doesn’t have loads of different characters which make you confused when they talk about each separate one. I also like the description of the characters, Mum being a caring nurse, Jesse being the kid obsessed with football and always hurting himself and Luke being the acting parent to Jesse. It was a very emotional story and although the ending wasn’t what I expected I finished the book feeling relieved that it had ended the way it did. It was a very well written book and although I loved it, it didn’t quite beat my favourite book.

 

Megan
Year 9
Bishop Bell CE Mathematics and Computing Specialist School

Amy
Year 8
Bishop Bell CE Mathematics and Computing Specialist School

I did not enjoy this book because I thought the plot was too weak and needed to have developed more. The pace at which everything happened was too sudden. Overall, the story was okay, but it didn't keep me interested.

 

Saya
Year 11
Homewood School

This book is about a family and their struggle to maintain normality in the face of illness. It follows a young boy, about our age, who at the start of the book is a normal teenager. He hangs out with his friends, moans about his younger brother and is generally well, normal! However his life soon turns upside down as his mother falls ill.

There are lots of characters which each play a role in trying to keep life on the level but they also offer their own kind of support and each reacts differently to events as they happen.

The story was slightly predictable in that I guessed what was going to happen although I didn’t want it to. However, that aspect was good because it put me in their shoes and I was able to feel what they were feeling. Sometime their reactions weren’t quite believable but having said that I did understand why each character reacted in the way that they did.

It was a good story, the plot line was easy to follow and some of the language was amusing but I didn’t think it possessed that spark which lights up your imagination. It was perhaps a little too real to everyday life and what happens in some families.

 

Matthew
Year 8
Bishop Bell CE Mathematics and Computing Specialist School

 

Kimberley
Year 10
St Richard's Catholic College

Life, Interrupted is a very interesting and funny book but at times it is extremely sad. The book is told by fourteen year old Luke and is about his mum's struggle with cancer.

When Luke does finally show how he feels, it makes you feel really sorry for him because it is only then that the reality of the whole thing hits you. The part of the book where Luke finally shows his emotions says, ‘Then I hear this awful noise, it’s a shuddering, thundering, wailing noise and it’s only as she pulls me and Jesse towards her that I realise the noise is coming from me.’

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; I couldn’t put it down and had to read it all in one night. I think this is because of the way the writer wrote the book which made you want to read on and on to find out what happened next.

I would recommend this book for older children and teenagers because it is extremely sad in parts and I think these parts may upset younger children. I would give this book 8/10 as I really did enjoy it.

Rosie
Year 10
St Richard's Catholic College

I felt that this book tried to be more emotive than it was. The way the writer described important turning points in the story gave you the idea that the characters did not portray the expected reactions that many other books in the style did. The language used was very basic and the plot was very predictable, it was not nearly as gripping as all of the other books in the competition. I feel that to improve on this book the writer should use more engaging events and emotional vocabulary. Overall, I give this book a 6/10.

 

Emily
Year 9
Bishop Bell CE Mathematics and Computing Specialist School

I really liked this book by Damian Kelleher, although at first I wasn’t sure if I would because it was from a boy’s point of view, which I don’t normally enjoy. However, it was really easy to read, and an emotive and unexpected read. I loved this book, even though it was sad in places, and think that it’s a brilliant story.

 

Sophie
Year 9
Bishop Bell CE Mathematics and Computing Specialist School

 

Shannon
Year 8
St Richard's Catholic College

I didn’t think I would like Life, Interrupted by Damien Kelleher, but it was much better than I thought it would be. I felt very sorry for Luke and Jesse. My favourite character was Freya because she was funny and at the final football game, she dressed so eccentrically I laughed. Another part I laughed at was the poem Hyacinth Wood, which was so bad it was good. I would give this book a ten out of ten because it made me laugh and cry. I would recommend this book to eleven to fourteen year olds.

 

Lucy
Year 9
St Richard's Catholic College

Life Interrupted is a story about a normal everyday boy who lives a normal everyday life and then the worst possible thing happens to his family and him that turns his life upside-down. The story is based on Luke an average teenage boy who lives with his brother Jesse and his Mum.   

This is a realistic and real life story as it could happen to anyone. This makes the story easy to connect to and to relate to in our own families and gives us an idea of how Luke reacts to the different events that happen in his life. Unfortunately not all good ones though.

The story is written in everyday language and using Luke’s thoughts and feelings. Such as, ‘That sleeping pill will be kicking in now, I reckon. She’ll be keeping the rest of the ward awake with snoring (it’s that bad).’ This is an example of how his thoughts and feelings are used in the story and the everyday language and the way of thinking and adding his personality to everything he does e.g. his thoughts towards or about people.
This is a brilliant story but I prefer one of the other books from the award.
Stars:
(5/5)

 

 

Grace
Year 9
Roedean School

This book is about a family who try to live normal lives in the face of illness, it is warm and funny, but very sad at times. I liked this book, but it was not my favourite. I felt that it could been written a lot better and I did not like the style of writing. However, I did like how he portrayed Luke’s emotions as he came to terms with his mother’s illness.

 

Amy
Year 9
Bishop Bell CE Mathematics and Computing Specialist School

I found this a boring book! Although it was easy to follow the story, I found it predictable and not very exciting. I think everything happened too quickly at the end.

 

Amy
Year 9
Peacehaven Community School

I found this book quite sad as it highlights the fact that someone somewhere could be going through this right now. I also found this book sad because I think it shows what it is like going through day to day life knowing that someone you hold dear is dying and you can't stop it no matter what you do.

Overall this book is amazing with lots of shocks along the way. It is well worth a read. 7 out of 10.

 

Kate
Year 9
Brighton & Hove High School

I thought this book was an easy yet fascinating read about a family’s struggle to keep life normal. There are several characters in this book who all play a large role, such as Luke, Jesse and Mum who I would say are the main characters. This book was heart-wrenchingly sad in parts, however joyous in others. I really got a feel for the characters especially Jesse as I understand how bad it must have been to lose a mum at nearly twelve and also how happy you’d be if you helped to score the winning goal in the finals. I would give this book 4* and would recommend this to many of my friends.

 

Rebecca
Year 9
Peacehaven Community School

Life Interrupted is a heart-warming book which really explores the feelings of many different age groups as they have to confront their worst fears and how they end up surviving after they have solved their problems.

This book is deeply moving and funny. The author has written the book so well you almost feel like you are in the story yourself. The story is about two brothers whose lives are turned upside-down when their mother collapses at work. They each have their different ways of facing the problem being so different themselves and along the way discover something about who they actually are.

This book is amazing and must be read.

 

Claudia
Year 7
Seaford Head Community College 

Life Interrupted is a great book to read, full of emotion, adventure and football.  It’s about Luke and his little brother Jesse, plus his two friends Freya and Jack.  There’s his uncle and loads more…

Luke was summoned to the headmistress’s office, not for a talking to for not doing his homework (again), to say there was an ambulance in the car park waiting for his brother (again).  His brother is in Luke’s eyes the clumsiest person in Britain.  When they got to the hospital he decided to tell his Mum that Jesse had done it again, the fifth time this month and it was only two weeks in!  He asked the nurse and she said his Mum was in A&E, but she worked in the old people’s ward, weird!  So he went back to his brother in A&E through the long corridor of wards.  Just casually walking back to his brother he found his Mum, not giving out medicine and tissues but in bed instead... 

This is an amazing book with its ups and downs.  I would give this book on a scale of one to ten an 8 as it’s sad and funny but it does have a very sudden ending.

 

Jessica
Year 10
St Richard's Catholic College

This book is about teenager Luke. He’s a typical teenager and spends his time trying to keep his younger brother Jesse out of trouble. I think the book gives a good insight into how both adults and children cope.

The book was easy to get into but I thought it was quite slow paced in places. However I would still recommend it to boys and girls aged 11-14.

 

Lucy
Year 8
Beacon Community College

It’s a heartbreaking story, I cried a lot reading it. It’s very in-depth about how Luke’s feeling. The story never gets boring, it doesn’t go very quickly in time according to the book, but before you know it you’ve read the book and used up the last tissue. When you look back, it’s actually quite realistic in a way, because both of the boys have to deal with what happened, yet the older one doesn’t realise that his younger brother is also coping, just in a different way. I loved it, but I was crying so much!

 

Dean
Year 8
Beacon Community College

I did not find the book overly great as it was very hard to follow, and sometimes left me thinking “Why are they doing that?” Some things just didn’t fit in with the story.

 

Ruth
Year 8
St Richard's Catholic College

When Luke’s mother falls ill with severe cancer an awful woman comes to look after him and his accident-prone brother. Will he escape her grasp and will his mother survive?

I thought the characters were so believable that at some points you forgot it wasn’t a true story. They were so believable because they reacted just as you would imagine real people react.

The mood of the book was so happy though it was on a subject so sad it cheered you up to read about the characters struggling and laughing.

I think the winner status would be 3½/5.