The Night Animals

Nora is fine; her mother fine. At least that is what she tells herself – though it is clear her mother is not fine and the bad days are becoming more frequent. How can Nora cope and return her world to normal? Do the night animals – the fox, the hare, the raven and the otter – rainbow shimmering ghost animals that only Nora can see, have the answer? Can she allow Kwame, her new friend, into her world? How can she be fine, when her life is not?

Sarah Ann Jukes takes a situation that many young people with recognise today to create an imaginative and hopeful story. Nora wants to take care of her mother, she also wants her life to be normal. The animals, so real to her – and to the reader – are a clever and sensitive way to illustrate Nora’s emotions, fears and the difficult decisions she must take. Nora is a well drawn contemporary child as is Kwame, her friend. Both feel that they are outsiders, alone – but both reveal individual strengths. The adults are handled well and have a real presence that is believable. Jukes’ prose is direct and accessible. Nora tells her story herself, a technique that mixes vivid descriptive moments with the immediacy of emotion and the directness of dialogue. The plot moves briskly, neatly balancing the real world of school and home with Nora’s imaginative engagement with the ghost animals. This is a satisfying and engaging novel to be recommended with confidence.