Review by Aimee Johnston, aged 12
Our heroine and narrator is Becky, who settles in a town called Oakbridge with her mother who seems strangely affected by the move.
When she stumbles on a photo of her mother holding a baby12 years before she was born it changes everything about what she knows about her childhood. The find leads Becky into a mysterious journey into her past. Who is the girl her mother is holding in the hospital?
Along the way she meets a girl called Rosa May in a park called the Butterfly Garden and they become friends. Small clues add to Becky’s suspicions – why is her mother too afraid to let Becky go swimming? Why does her mother suddenly change the subject when asked about the past? Why does her mother refuse to answer any questions about her dad?
Why, when Becky speaks of her mother to Rosa May, a keen environmentalist, does she behave strangely too? Slowly, Becky unravels an astonishing truth that shocks the reader. This is a really good book as you have no idea how the story will end.
The author, Anne-Marie Conway, keeps the suspense going right until the end. Butterfly Summer will appeal to girls who like mystery stories. I’d definitely recommend it.