Awards

• Long-listed for Carnegie Medal 2019 (UK)
• Long-listed for CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019 (UK)

Overview

LONGLISTED FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL An achingly funny, touching story for anyone who has been thrown in at the deep end. 'Smart and funny. It will tug at your heartstrings' Dawn O'Porter It's 1979, and thirteen-year-old Lydia has no idea how she'll cope when her dad announces that the family has to sell up and move onto a Thames sailing barge in Essex. With his girlfriend. And her three kids. Between trying to keep her clothes dry in a leaky cabin, disastrous hair-dye attempts, awkward encounters with local boys, and coping with her suddenly enormous and troublesome family, Lydia fears she'll sink rather than swim . . . At turns heartbreaking and uplifting, through Lydia's innocent and perceptive voice we find out that while the mud may stick, the tide can turn - and in unexpected and joyful ways. Perfect for fans of Louise Rennison, Hilary McKay and Rae Earl

Full Product Details

9781783446896

Table of Contents

Reviews

Smart and funny. It will tug at your heartstrings * Dawn O'Porter * This brilliant gem of a book is an acutely observed story of the challenges of adolescence, grief and family life. A truly charming, funny and poignant novel for anyone who who has lost a mother, or been a sister. I devoured it. * Clover Stroud *

Smart and funny. It will tug at your heartstrings -- Dawn O'Porter This original and tender comic novel is an apparent contradiction: a hugely funny story about grief, parental alchoholism and loneliness -- Imogen Russell Williams * Guardian * Poignant tale of a teenage diarist and her flaky father.... Lydia's voice - a mixture of protest and reconciliation - is the book's genius. * Daily Telegraph * Mud is a dark comedy of family implosion and Thomas's evocation of wry, romantic adolescence is impeccable. -- Rowan Pelling * i News * A searing and touching portrait of a family overwhelmed by grief under the shadows of alcoholism and emotional neglect. A remarkably assured debut, based on the author's own life. -- Sally Morris * Daily Mail * Equal parts funny and heart-breaking, Lydia's knowing yet naive voice shines through. Think I Capture The Castle set on a boat. -- Sarra Manning * Red Magazine * Funny and touching * HELLO! * An unforgettable read, honest, painful, and full of lines and observations to make you laugh out loud... Like the mud that the Lady Beatrice sits on, Mud will stick to readers, it's a book that colours your view of the world as the pages turn. -- Andrea Reece * Books for Keeps, Book of the Week * Funny, poignant and perfectly-formed, this is a triumph of true-to-life storytelling. -- Joanne Owen * Lovereading4Kids * The cast is wild and wonderful and I had lots of love for Lydia: what a wistful, fierce narrator. She carries you along, half bemused, half admiring, through her tragi-comic world of teenage kicks. This book is unique. There is nothing quite like it. Mud, glorious Mud! -- Hilary McKay This brilliant gem of a book is an acutely observed story of the challenges of adolescence, grief and family life. A truly charming, funny and poignant novel for anyone who who has lost a mother, or been a sister. I devoured it. -- Clover Stroud

Smart and funny. It will tug at your heartstrings -- Dawn O'Porter The cast is wild and wonderful and I had lots of love for Lydia: what a wistful, fierce narrator. She carries you along, half bemused, half admiring, through her tragi-comic world of teenage kicks. This book is unique. There is nothing quite like it. Mud, glorious Mud! -- Hilary McKay Mud is a dark comedy of family implosion and Thomas's evocation of wry, romantic adolescence is impeccable. -- Rowan Pelling * i News * Poignant tale of a teenage diarist and her flaky father.... Lydia's voice - a mixture of protest and reconciliation - is the book's genius. * Daily Telegraph * This brilliant gem of a book is an acutely observed story of the challenges of adolescence, grief and family life. A truly charming, funny and poignant novel for anyone who who has lost a mother, or been a sister. I devoured it. -- Clover Stroud Mud is a gem of a book, funny and warm and completely heartbreaking -- Catherine Johnson Mud charts realistically the challenges of family life as they cope with adolescence, bereavement and loss. Lydia's diary is authentic and consistent and acutely observed; it is funny and poignant, moving and smart. * ReadingZone * A smart, funny and often poignant debut * The Bookseller * I really enjoyed immersing myself in Mud. Emily Thomas brings us right into the heart of this family. Wonderful. -- Ingrid Selberg, co-author of Girls Can Vlog What a bitter-sweet, funny, irresistibly beguiling book this is. Emily Thomas's delightfully astringent heroine, Lydia, tells her story in a voice that perfectly mixes teen hurt and outrage with gleams of real tenderness and insight. Heart-wrenching and uplifting, this book deserves to become a classic -- Annie Dalton, author of Angel Academy series

Smart and funny. It will tug at your heartstrings * Dawn O'Porter * This brilliant gem of a book is an acutely observed story of the challenges of adolescence, grief and family life. A truly charming, funny and poignant novel for anyone who who has lost a mother, or been a sister. I devoured it. * Clover Stroud * The cast is wild and wonderful and I had lots of love for Lydia: what a wistful, fierce narrator. She carries you along, half bemused, half admiring, through her tragi-comic world of teenage kicks. This book is unique. There is nothing quite like it. Mud, glorious Mud! * Hilary McKay * A smart, funny and often poignant debut * The Bookseller * I really enjoyed immersing myself in Mud. Emily Thomas brings us right into the heart of this family. Wonderful. -- Ingrid Selberg, co-author of Girls Can Vlog

Smart and funny. It will tug at your heartstrings * Dawn O'Porter * This brilliant gem of a book is an acutely observed story of the challenges of adolescence, grief and family life. A truly charming, funny and poignant novel for anyone who who has lost a mother, or been a sister. I devoured it. * Clover Stroud * The cast is wild and wonderful and I had lots of love for Lydia: what a wistful, fierce narrator. She carries you along, half bemused, half admiring, through her tragi-comic world of teenage kicks. This book is unique. There is nothing quite like it. Mud, glorious Mud! * Hilary McKay *

Author Information

Emily Thomas was born in London, and has lived there most of her life - except between the ages of 13 and 18 when she lived in Maldon in Essex on board a Thames Sailing Barge, with her family of seven assorted siblings and stepsiblings and two warring cats. Emily also works as an editor of many different kinds of books, including children's and young adult fiction. She now lives in Brixton, with no pets and a lot of books.

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