The seventh Miss Hatfield by Anna Caltabiano

Gollancz Publishing Group, 2014. ISBN 9781473200395.
Recommended for readers ages 12+ (middle school). Caltibiano's The seventh Miss Hatfield intertwines an original concept of time-travel and the endeavours of immortality into one tale. As I had heard of this novel in the past, I was eager to start reading and hoped it lived up to my expectations. When I came to the conclusion of the novel, I planned to never read it again. It just didn't hit the spot for me unfortunately. I wasn't fully enthralled in the novel despite the amicable characters and imaginative plot.
The seventh Miss Hatfield sparks a tale of fictitious history and irrevocable love at first sight. The story takes place in 1954 where flower wallpaper and mismatching furniture are what you call 'hip'. We meet eleven year old Cynthia who only has one thing on her mind: to impress her mother by becoming an independent lady. So when the postman leaves the neighbour's mail on her lawn, Cynthia is met with a mission that will hopefully make an impression on her tough mother. When she knocks on her neighbour, Miss Hatfield's door, she has no idea what's going to happen next. Met with a disastrous fate that she can't change and a task that takes a toll on her, Cynthia travels back in time to retrieve a painting that isn't what it seems.
Although the book didn't make my toes curl with anticipation and my heart stop with excitement, the concept of the book was well-delivered. I really enjoyed the experience of reading from Cynthia's point of view as the character was likeable and entertaining.
Samantha May (Student)