Cover and illustrations: Jennifer Jamieson
It’s your funeral
I wonder how many MG or YA books open with the main character attending their best friend’s funeral? There surely can’t be that many. Yet happenstance has brought me one after the other.
However there are few other direct similarities between this and the last book I reviewed. (Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan). For starters Finn Jones Was Here is suitable for a much younger readership; it sits comfortably within the MG range Simon James Green deals with death and bereavement with a much lighter, often very funny, touch. If indeed you can consider death and bereavement light. But then that is exactly the very clever coup that this talented writer pulls off. Although charmingly entertaining, his book is far from superficial. Nor is it sentimental. In fact it treats its situation and characters with enormous sensitivity and understanding, making this an important read as well as a highly entertaining one. Constantly balanced on the knife edge between giggles and grief, it is often deeply affecting and ultimately life-affirming.
Sadly, many children will experience loss, be it of a grandparent, other family member, friend, or even a loved pet. And it is never easy for them to cope. Even for those who are fortunate enough not to encounter personal loss in their early years, it is important to understand the feelings of others who have. There are actually a good many children’s novels around that help deal with bereavement and the best are outstanding works of literature. Now Finn Jones Was Here has joined the ranks of these important books. Indeed, for a highly engaging, accessible read that offers consolation, in a way that this age group will be able to understand and talk about, it is hard to better.
A very special author
Simon James Green himself has already made a significant contribution to fiction for children and teens. His YA titles are hugely important (as well as enjoyable) in that they have brought stories with gay characters and themes into the mainstream and led to their availability in many schools and libraries. These books are helping enormously to bring diversity, inclusion and a more open society, as well as benefiting countless individuals who need to be able to find themselves in books. At the same time he has written several outstanding MG titles, to which he has now added another.
Protagonist Eric’s very close friend Finn has recently been lost through incurable illness, but has left a series of ‘treasure hunt’ clues for Eric to follow.These begin with the invitation to turn up to Finn’s funeral dressed as a unicorn, with inevitable hilarious consequences. The whole scenario initially reinforces Eric in the conviction that his friend is still alive somewhere and pulling a crazy stunt. For the reader, amusement is offset from the outset by the painful suspicion that Eric is simply avoiding a reality he does not wish to face. However, it takes Eric most of the book to work towards this acceptance. At one stage, I did find myself wondering whether the author was going to be able to sustain this scenario for an entire novel. However, I need not have worried. Simon James Green keeps Eric’s story developing through a whole sequence of significant (and funny) activities. At the same time he reveals increasing detail of Eric’s earlier relationship with Finn in a series of nicely integrated flashbacks. Confirming the quality of this novel, the discoveries Eric makes about himself and about life (as well as death) are profoundly and universally human. And everything is brought about through the selflessly huge spirit of Finn.
Images matter
Also importantly, the author here provides positive portraits of boys who are sensitive and loving, with imagination and flair, and this carries the vital, subliminal message that boys can be many things and should not let themselves be coerced into conforming to narrow stereotypes and prejudiced expectations. All have the need, and the right, simply to be themselves.
Jennifer Jamieson’s illustrations enliven the text wonderfully, reflecting its warm humour whilst still allowing space for its poignant sensitivity.
This is a book for all libraries, many upper primary classrooms, and hopefully lots of homes too.