Eight Pieces of Silva – Patrice Lawrence

Becks is into girls but didn’t come out because she was never in. She lives with her mum, stepdad and eighteen-year-old Silva, her stepdad’s daugther. Becks and Silva are opposites, but bond over their mutual obsession with K-Pop.

When Becks’ mum and stepdad go on honeymoon to Japan, Becks and Silva are left alone. Expect, Silva disappears. Becks ventures into the forbidden territory of Silva’s room and finds the first of eight clues that help her discover her sister’s secret life.

Eight Pieces of Silva is an intriguing and excellent story all about sisterhood with a big mystery at its centre. Patrice Lawrence has written yet another amazing book which is full of personality and one I would recommend!

I loved the characters in Eight Pieces of Silva. Becks especially is an engaging main characters with a very real voice that jumps off each page. I liked her immediately because of her relatable fangirl love of things like K-pop, Black Panther and The Lord of the Rings. Becks is bold, she is brave and I really felt that her character development was incredibly natural and done well.

Becks’ romance and the dynamics between her and China is wonderful. It is clear to see immediately how much they care for each other. They are always there for one another and always support one another. I love how truthful, kind and caring they are for each other. It is a wonderful relationship and I was a big fan!

What was cleverly done is that Becks and China’s romance is the completely opposite o the toxic relationship that is discussed throughout the book. The toxic relationship is discussed excellently and with a lot of compassion and care for the characters whilst still showing how the relationship is unhealthy.

I loved the sisterly relationship between Becks and Silva. I do wish we got to see more of this relationship in the book. I would have loved to have their relationship discussed more in depth as it is clear the sisters haven’t always got on. It is clear to see though that they will always be there for each other no matter what.

This book tackles a number of themes, all of which are covered excellently. It shows the complexities of family, grief, mental health and race. I have one issue with this book, whilst the mystery is intriguing, I did felt quite let down by the reveal. It wasn’t the big reveal I was expecting and didn’t shock me anywhere near as much as I expected. Some of the clues that lead Becks to Silva felt very irrelevant and some that explained the mystery as clear as day even before Becks figures it all out. All that being said, it is still a complicated and intriguing mystery just not to the degree I was hoping for.

Overall, Eight Pieces of Silva is an excellent UKYA that I would highly recommend. It discusses complex topics and has well-round, real and developed characters who I liked a lot. Patrice Lawrence is an excellent writer and this book shows just that!