I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were all believable, and it was easy to see why the events unfolded as they did. Although I do not have children, I felt that I went on the journey with Juliet and I was completely routing for Zac and her to get a happy ending.
Regan tackled several issues within the book including bullying which I feel strongly about. Bullying may happen between children but I feel that parents behaviours have a major influence.
The biggest question I ask myself after reading a book is: Did I gain something from this and the answer is yes. Hence the five start review. ( )

A story of a family recovering from a tragic night out, a boy in search of his father, and mother coping with doing it on her own. The ending makes it a definite beach read. ( )

An interesting read that I did enjoy, although not a whole lot of "it stuck with me for weeks after" with this tale. The typical UK penchant for subtlety and understatedness, which I absolutely love when it comes to psychological thrillers, came off a little gloomy (like the coastal English weather) in this one.

It's the story of a quirky, young boy named Zac, his best (and only friend) Teagan, and a mystery the two junior sleuths try to solve regarding the father Zac has never known.

The original title of this story was Little Big Man, which frankly makes more sense as Zac's mother Juliet calls him by this moniker consistency throughout the novel.

I'll leave you with my favorite, although lengthy, quote from the book, which is a perfect synopsis of both Little Big Man Zac's quaint thinking process, as well as a good summation of the human experience, and how we're all really just trying to fit in and get along on this crazy, blue marble we call earth:

"I wondered what she meant by different. People don't like different, in my experience. They don't like fat, or really think; they don't like people who are poor. But then, they don't like too rich either, or big noses, ADHD, smelliness, sticky-out ears, funny teeth, glasses, people with one arm, weird names, or weird parents. They don't like anyone who stands out, basically. I don't think any of these things matter - it's the person inside that counts. But not everyone thinks like that, do they? That's just not real life." ( )

4.5 stars.
Written from three distinct points of view, Little Big Love by Katy Regan is a poignant and heartwarming novel that touches on serious issues such as addiction, grief and bullying.

Ten year old Zac Hutchinson and his best friend Teagan O'Brien have embarked on a scheme to find Zac's dad whom he has never met. He has been told by both his mum Juliet and his grandparents Lynda and Mick that his father, Liam Jones, took off before Zac was born and in fact, he's "a waste of space". Zac is certain that if Liam just meets him, he will want to be part of his son's life. What Zac does not realize is that his mum and grandparents have not told him the complete truth about Liam's departure and his quest is unknowingly going to lead to some heartrending revelations.

As one of the story's three narrators, young Zac is a breath of fresh air as he navigates through life's challenges. He is a sweet, compassionate young man who handles the bullying of his classmates with aplomb. Zac adores his mum and his grandparents and his relationships with each of them are quite special. With his Nan, he enjoys replicating the tempting recipes developed by his much loved Uncle Jamie. Zac and his granddad share a special bond as they fish, watch sports and informational shows on the telly. He knows how hard his mum works so Zac tries to keep out of trouble so as not to cause her any further stress. He realizes his mum and grandparents will not support his quest to find Liam, so he and Teagan keep their search under everyone's radar.

Juliet has never really recovered from the events that occurred around the time of Liam's disappearance. She works hard to provide for herself and Zac, but making ends meet is a struggle. Juliet has very unhealthy ways of coping with her anxiety but she is doing her best to be a good mum so she is quite distressed to learn about the issues that Zac is facing at school. She must sometimes walk on eggshells around her mum, but when Juliet becomes aware of Zac's search for Liam, she knows she has to put her son first.

Mick's chapters are written as diary entries and these passages are quite reflective as he tries to pinpoint how and why his life took such a wrong turn. He is quite honest as he ponders the impact his alcoholism had on his wife and family and he is regretful of the choices he made. Mick is building up to confessing his role in the events that lead up to Liam's departure but these events are so painful he only confronts them in the novel's heartfelt conclusion.

Little Big Love is an emotional yet uplifting journey of healing for the Hutchinson family. Zac's optimism is a stark contrast to his mum's unhappiness and his Nan's unhealthy inability to let go her anger and grief. Mick is trying to understand how he ended up at this juncture in his life and his ruminations offer surprising insight and a bit of suspense as he builds up to a shocking revelation. Readers who enjoy family-centric storylines are sure to enjoy this captivating novel from Katy Regan. ( )

This is a cute story. I liked Zac and his friend, Teagan. They were so cute together. Yet, at the same time that is sad that the game they came up with involved assigning "dad points" to guys that they thought would make a good dad. Just like Zac; Teagan's father left her and her mother.

Yet, I will say that Juliet was just "ok" for me. She may have been a main focal point of the story but it was actually Zac's voices that came out loud and clear in this story. In addition, I will say that the story really seemed to start and pick up for me by the second half. Maybe this is because I was not feeling Juliet or some of the other characters as well as getting to know more about Juliet's story BC Zac. So glad that this story had a happy ending. ( )