Marshmallow Skye

Marshmallow Skye by Cathy Kassidy is about a twin who feels like she is living under her sister’s shadow. Skye and Summer Tanberry are identical twins, and Skye loves her sister Summer more than anyone else in the world. They do everything together, but lately, Skye’s been feeling like second-best – it’s the story of her life. And when her friend Alfie confesses, he’s fallen not for her, but for Summer, it hurts. Skye wants to be her own person, but with an effortlessly cool twin, how can she? And will Skye ever step out of Summer’s shadow and find her own chance to shine? 

Summary 

Skye is the younger twin to her sister, Summer. She has always had a passion for vintage clothes and summer finds them creepy. Skye hates ballet as she finds she doesn’t have enough balance whereas, for summer, dance is her whole life. Summer has this attraction to her which draws everyone close, for Skye, she just has one best friend who seems to be slipping from her grasp by the minute.  

On Halloween day, the whole family sit together in the caravan and narrate a myth about Clara and her poor tragic love story. When they go back inside, they find their Mum and Dad have cleaned out the attic and found some of her old stuff. An old violin, which is given to Coco, and a box of old dresses which is given to Skye. to her, this is a dream but her sister is creeped out with the whole coincidence.  

As time passes, Skye finds herself stuck, where her friends are all talking about boys and makeup, while she is still stuck in the past. And the worst thing is, every time she wears one of Clara’s shirts, petticoats or bangles she is transported from her usual dream world to the memories of the long-dead girl, and soon finds herself falling in love with a boy who doesn’t exist and might not have lived in the first place.  

Her world is slowly falling apart while her family is still trying to stitch themselves together again. Her elder sister Honey isn’t getting any better either and Skye feels like giving her a piece of her mind but it seems like her twin is not on her side.  

Will Skye ever be able to escape the clutch of her dreams and this boy which haunts them. Or will she be forever stuck in the past, behind her sister and the world moves on without her!? 

Review 

Marshmallow Skye is a constant drama which gets even the most reluctant readers of the genre enticed by the fast progressing storyline. This is the second book in the chocolate box girl’s series which is an amazing story about a broken family and how five girls are trying to stitch theirs’s back together again. Before starting, I have to say that I’m not a big fan if drama’s and prefer fiction, fantasy or mystery to it any day. However, when I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down! Unlike the majority of books, I have read, Marshmallow Skye was an interesting read through and through.  

Cathy Cassidy has a way of reeling the reader in and involving them in the book. Which is actually one of my favourite things about this series; the fact its set-in perspective of a different sister every time. That way you get to connect to the character on a personal level as well as get to know their view on the way everything is progressing.  

Moreover, the storyline is on the basis of a myth about gipsies and I feel that is very creative and the ending was beautifully linked to that. This book to me proves that some dreams really do come true, no matter how impossible they seem. Kind of like marshmallows, they seem so dreamlike and soft and gooey when melted. It’s like this book, I can’t bring myself to think there is a better title to this brilliantly written book.  

“When our fingers touch a crackle of electricity passes between us.” 

Adding to what I said before, Cathy Cassidy has named chocolate after a girl, while also perfectly summarizing their chapter and story in that one sweet. For example, in the book, they created a sweet in honour of the twin’s birthday and named one marshmallow Skye. Skye is always daydreaming, soft-hearted and stuck in the past; as well as being sweet, kind and caring. Which is in a metaphorical sense, like a marshmallow. 

I recommend this book to readers between the ages of 11 and 15 years, this book is the following genre’s: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult, Children’s Fiction, Historical, Mystery. 

In conclusion, I would give marshmallow Skye by Cathy Cassidy a five out of five as it had me intrigued from the first sentence to the last. 

About the Author  

Cathy Cassidy was born in 1962 in Coventry and is currently a full-time author. She went to an art college in Liverpool, and then later worked as a fiction editor on the fab and legendary Jackie magazine.  She has also worked for many other magazines including, agony aunt on Shout magazine. One of her other jobs included working as an art teacher in her local primary & secondary schools, and a freelance illustrator. However, she is currently working as a full-time author and has written over 15 books so far. She loves her family and “living in nowhere” as well as her work. Cathy Cassidy is a big fan of being an author because it’s a good excuse to daydream after all!