Cosmo is a 10-year-old boy living with his grandparents. His mother is working overseas, his brother died in a tragic accident. Now it seems Cosmo's grandfather is losing his mind and may be taken into a home. As Cosmo's life continues to unravel, he is stunned when his grandfather, in a rare moment of lucidity, presents him with a key and urges him to visit Blackbrick Abbey. Once there, Cosmo steps back in time to meet his grandfather as a teenager. Can Cosmo alter future events with his experiences at Blackbrick?

This is a stunning book. The present day description of life with an elderly relative declining through Alzheimer's is fascinating, moving and real. I was completely immersed from the very first page so felt a little wrong-footed when this beautiful, vivid and revealing account segued into a time travel story. I remained gripped, though. This wasn't a twee or trite adventure and, when we are brought back to the present, we are intrigued to find out the implications of Cosmo's experiences.

There is a lot covered here and, for me, it felt like two books, but nevertheless I loved it and look forward to seeing what this author does next!