Irish Fiction Month Review: Ciara Geraghty - Lifesaving for Beginners

Kat Kavanagh is not in love. She has lots of friends, an ordinary job, and she never ever thinks about her past. 

This is Kat's story. None of it is true. 

 Milo McIntyre loves his mam, the peanut-butter-and-banana muffins at the Funky Banana cafe?, and the lifesaving class he does after school. He never thinks about his future, until the day it changes forever. 

This is Milo's story. All of it is true. 

And then there is the other story. The one with a twist of fate which somehow brings together a boy from Brighton and a woman in Dublin, and uncovers the truth once and for all. 

This is the story that's just about to begin...

Lifesaving for Beginners is the story of two people, Kat, a reclusive writer living in Dublin, and Milo, a nearly ten-year-old boy, as he likes to remind everyone, living in Brighton.  Although they've never met their lives are both impacted by a tragic accident which turns out to be a catalyst for the unearthing of some deeply hidden secrets.

This was an emotional story right from the off when you start reading about the car accident that is the trigger that affects not just the lives of Kat & Milo but also those closest to them, in particular Thomas, Kat's boyfriend, and Faith, Milo's sister.  

They each have to try and deal with the after effects of the accident and try and continue on with their new lives.  It's a story about fate, how your life can be going down one path one moment when suddenly it takes on a whole new different direction. But don't worry it's not all doom and gloom, there is plenty of humour throughout as well to lighten the mood.

Milo was a great character, a young boy wise beyond his years, who clearly loved his sister Faith and would do anything to make her happy.  Whereas at first I didn't warm to Kat at all, I found her rather cold, but as the story progressed and you learned more about her history it was easy to see why she was the way she is and you start to warm to her a bit more. 

Although this is Ciara Geraghty's fourth novel it's the first that I've read so will need to try and find some time in the future to read her other novels. 

I'd like to thank Hodder & Stoughton for sending me a copy of this book to review.