Mags Clarke narrates Parkinson's (Something Invisible
) often hilarious tale. This is quite a trick, since the novel unfolds in two voices. A little detail like that is no deterrent to the irrepressible 12-year-old, who tells her own version of events, offering writing tips intermittently ("Avoid beginning by telling people what your name is"), and attributing the alternating chapters to her fiddle-playing acquaintance, Gillian. "I have had to make up her actual thoughts, and don't for one moment imagine it is easy." Occasionally, she even interrupts Gillian's account to correct impressions, giving some of Gillian's chapters a dizzying, almost schizophrenic presentation. This wise and winning story plants truths about the frailty of life, the dreadfulness of some parents and the often fractious nature of friendship. Nominally, the plot involves Gillian being invited to audition for Yehudi Menuhin, a prestigious English music school, (which Mags calls "Yahooey-Manooey"), but not having the funds to get to the audition. Mags, whose own beloved dad died suddenly a year earlier, thinks the answer is simply to find Gillian's somewhat estranged father and ask for 100 euro. Of course, it's more complicated than that, and her last piece of advice for readers is a warning that life is unfair. "We all have to learn this painful lesson. You are lucky enough to be able to learn it by reading this book." Lucky, indeed. Readers will quickly warm to this winning heroine and the quirky characters who surround her. Ages 11-14. (Apr.)
