The Flask by Nicky Singer

This is a story focusing on realities – friendship, family, life and death. Yet, to the serious subject matter Nicky Singer has added a flask full of wonder, hope and magic. The Flask is a beautiful story.

There are lots of different themes running through this book. We start with twelve year old Jess, who is grieving for her favourite aunt, Edie. She’s also dealing with the worry of her mother, who is pregnant with twins. There’s a problem, the twins are conjoined so they are all expecting complications. As her mother goes into hospital Jess is presented with Aunt Edie’s desk, in it there’s the flask. It’s hidden far back in one of the draws.

This flask is special; it appears to contain something. Something that is very difficult to explain without using Singer’s words. ‘It is very plain, very ordinary and yet it is like nothing I’ve ever seen before’. As the story develops it becomes apparent that the flask and its contents are somehow connected to the birth of the twins, in particular Clem, who is the weaker of the two. It responds to music and the feelings of those around, especially those of Jess. Lots of things are changing in her life, not only has she lost her aunt and is worried about the twins, she also feels as though she’s losing her best friend Zoe. These girls are growing up, and maybe growing apart. It’s this storyline for me that makes The Flask a real coming of age novel. Their friendship is tested.

I feel like I’m struggling to review this book accurately and I’m not doing Singer’s magnificent storytelling skills justice. The Flask is complicated, the past becomes intricately linked to the present, and Jess is enticed to delve into her Aunt’s life where tragic truths are discovered. The plot becomes particularly interesting when Jess starts work on a school project to do with Buddhism, she begins to realise why The Flask presented itself to her. I’ve never read anything like this before, it’s a very real story with what can only be described as a majestic, uplifting and spiritual ending. Read this and you will not be disappointed. The Flask is one of those books that will stay with you forever.