Anthem for Jackson Dawes

Megan would never have met Jackson Dawes if she hadn’t had cancer. They’re the only teenagers on a children’s ward, normal life now a seemingly endless tunnel of tests and treatments. Jackson is different: with his hat and his stories, he refuses to be defined or confined by his illness, whisking Megan on forbidden expeditions through the hospital and enchanting the other patients. But when Megan goes home to recover, but Jackson doesn’t - leaving her with feelings of anger and a powerful sense of injustice.

There's an elegance to the striking images and poetic language of this careful, moving novel exploring the impact of cancer on patients, families and friends. Avoiding mawkishness or sentimentality, instead it is a celebration of the intense and unconventional relationship forged between Jackson and Megan.