The Unadoptables by Hana Tooke

 In the autumn of 1880, five "unadoptable" orphans make a daring escape from their orphanage to evade the clutches of a sinister gentleman. Embarking on a daring adventure, they begin looking for a family of their own, which may already be closer than they realise.

(It's a pity that so much emphasis and attention has been placed on the title because that really is such a small part of the story. I would say that this is a piece of historical fiction which reflects the views and beliefs of the time period in which it is set. Any prejudice is clearly shown to be a flaw or ignorance in the antagonists and is nothing to do with the children themselves.)

What I liked about the story - I loved that each of the five children is an individual with their own quirks, values and beliefs. I have a clear picture in my head of who Lotta, Egbert, Sem and Milou are. Fenna (who is selectively mute) I have less a picture of, but I think that would change on a second reading. 

I love that there is a point where Milou acknowledges she is behaving selfishly. Too often characters behave selfishly without repercussions or self-awareness and it makes them really annoying to read about! Her need to find her birth family above what the others in the group want is understandable but it does put the others in danger and it's good that this is acknowledged.

Whilst the story never made me cry, it did make me chuckle in a couple of places and also gasp out loud as there is a surprise and shock or two.

The baddies are very very bad - think evil laughs and (figurative) signs over their heads saying these are the bad guys. But other characters in the story are well-rounded with flaws and their own believable motivations.

It's well written and the plotting is tight, with things that are casually mentioned early in the books being tied up by the end. It also has some memorable lines - 

"I suppose there's only so much normal the five of us can realistically get away with."

and also:-

"I'm making you nervous? She's speaking in tongues."

Things I struggled with - At 384 pages it's quite a long read and I didn't always feel completely engaged with the story and characters. It's a book that I enjoyed whilst reading but I could put it down and not feel the need to pick it up again. However, it is a story that grows on you, probably for me starting as a D and ending as a B- hence the C review. I think you'd get more out of it on a re-read as you'd have more appreciation for the deft plotting.

Overall - I liked it but didn't love it. Lovers of YA historical fiction may find it more appealing.

(I received a free copy of this book for review)