Dizzy

by Cathy Cassidy

A ragdoll, a postcard from Marrakech, a rainbow-stripe hat, a dreamcatcher, and a silver necklace with a pink stone are what Dizzy's mum left her when she was small. But every year, on her birthday, something arrives in the post - a present or a card with her mum's loopy writing on. Dizzy has kept everything. But this year is different. This year's present is her mum, in person. Tanned and skinny with loads of earrings and a huge smile, Storm is a human whirlwind. She whisks Dizzy away for a summer that puts her whole world in a spin.

• ISBN10: 0141332301
• ISBN13: 9780141332307
• Publish Date: 3 March 2011 (first published 3 June 2004)
• Publish Status: Cancelled
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Puffin Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 224
• Language: English

Reviews

"I know who I am, where I'm going. That's what matters." (Finn Campbell)

About 5 months ago, I read 50 pages of Dizzy, put it down, started my third term of varsity and completely forgot about it. After reading a string of disappointing books, I thought, "What harm would one more disappointing book do?" and I decided to give Dizzy another try.

Dizzy's mother left her when she was very young, but she never fails to send Dizzy a gift for her birthday. But this birthday, the gift that Dizzy 'receives' is her mother and the surprise that her mother has for her is something that she could never have imagined.

Dizzy suffers from pacing problems. The first part is snooze worthy, the middle part drags and the last part is where I began connecting with the characters and their stories.

I like Dizzy. We see everything through her eyes: wonder, confusion and fascination. She also has to deal with the realisation that the image that she had of her mother doesn't match up with reality. Dizzy also finds friendship in Finn and I enjoy witnessing the natural progression of their relationship. The brief spark of romance - this is a middle-grade novel aimed at tweens so there isn't much romance - doesn't feel forced. There's also Mouse, the most interesting character in Dizzy and I feel so sympathetic towards him. However, the child characters in Dizzy have a tendency of acting older than they are.

Dizzy deals with many topics. A few of them are: the negative stigma against hippie life, drug usage and child abandonment. These topics are dealt with in a way that a younger audience can understand, but the information isn't dumb down or spoon fed to the reader.

I expected to be disappointed, but Dizzy taught me to expect the unexpected. Once I skipped through the first quarter, I started enjoying what I was reading.

"I gave up on fairy-tale endings a long time ago. You have to make your own luck in this life." (Tess)