Indigo's star (by Hilary McKay)

(Amazon UK link)

I do like the books by Hilary McKay! She’s one of only a handful of modern children’s writers whose book I have recommended unreservedly. She writes with humour and poignancy, and creates memorable, realistic and likeable people.

‘Indigo’s Star’ is technically the second in the Casson family series, but third chronologically. I reread ‘Caddy’s world’ (the prequel) in May and ‘Saffy’s angel’ in June, so was looking forward to the next episode in the lives of this chaotic but lovable family. I last read ‘Indigo’s star’ at the end of 2011, so it was well overdue for a reread.

Unsurprisingly, 12-year-old Indigo - the only boy amongst the four children - is the main character in this book. As it opens, he’s recovering from glandular fever. He’s also very much enjoying staying at home, even when he’s on his own. For Indigo loathes school, where he has been bullied and teased by the gang in his class. 

But at last his younger sister - the wise and perceptive eight-year-old Rose - points out that Indigo seems to have recovered. And so his mother, the scatty artist Eve, decides that he must return to school. Rose is the only person who knows that he has been bullied, but their older sister Saffy learns about it, and says that she and her friend Sarah will keep guard. Indigo does not want this, but they are determined…

It’s not just a story about teenage bullies, although they have a significant part to play in this book. Hilary McKay evidently understands well the dynamics that can take place in a classroom. Some children are neutral, but keep out of the bullies’ way as they don’t want to become victims. Some are on the fringe of the bullies, but like to support them verbally. And a few are very unpleasant children. 

Into this mix comes a new boy called Tom. He’s from the United States, staying with his grandmother who is thought to be a witch. Tom doesn’t seem to care about anything much, and he becomes another target for bullying. Tom and Indigo gradually forge a friendship, and we learn about Tom’s home life, which has resulted in him being sent to stay with his grandmother for a while. Tom is a very interesting child, talented in playing the guitar, and eager to become part of the extended Cassion family.

The story is also about the breakdown of family life. Mr Casson works in a studio in London, and in the earliest book he used to come home for weekends.  In ‘Saffy’s angel’, he mostly returned home. Nobody seems to miss him much, other than Rose. She is the one who notices how long it is since he has been part of the family, and writes him increasingly desperate (and sometimes amusing) letters, hoping they will prompt him to return. 

Rose is an artist, too, and has been painting a mural on the kitchen wall. The detail reflects her view of family life; as new people become part of their family, they are included. Caddy, meanwhile, is away at university, trying out a string of boyfriends to see if any of them is as good as Michael, the young man whom she expects to marry. Caddy evidently knows something about her father which her mother does too… it’s fairly obvious to the reader, but a nasty surprise for Rose when the revelation comes.

And it’s a very readable book, with a whole lot more. I found I could hardly put it down once I had started. The pace is excellent, the family dynamics well-written. Eve is perhaps a caricature of a scatty, casually neglectful mother who does love her children and is occasionally brought to earth by some crisis. Caddy and Saffy have less of a role; the book is mostly about Indigo and his life and friendships, but Rose plays a big part too. Indigo’s love for his little sister is a catalyst for some changes that take place, both for him and for Tom.

I would recommend this book highly to anyone who has read ‘Saffy’s angel’, although it stands alone and it’s not necessary to have read it. Perhaps this one might appeal more to boys, since it’s primarily about Indigo, and it could be a good book for a bullied child to read; not that it really answers questions, but it brings the topic more into the open. 

Intended for children of around 8-12, this is the kind of book that can be read by anyone at any age.  I’m already looking forward to reading it again in another decade or so.

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews