Sophie Cameron Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Sophie Cameron is a Scottish novelist of young adult books popularly known for her Out of the Blue and Last Bus to Everland novels. Born in Scotland Highlands, Sophie has spent around a decade in Edinburgh, lived in France, Canada and Germany before settling in Barcelona. She is a Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Creative Writing. She has been nominated for Bath Children’s Novel Award. In 2016 her debut novel was featured in SCBWI’s Undiscovered Voices.

Out of the Blues

Out of the Blues is one of the best dystopian-like standalone books. The story follows Jaya, a young biracial girl who’s dealing with the aftermath after losing her mother. She is also dealing with the sudden appearance of angels falling out of the sky. Even though this is a short ride, it is a well-woven story about trust and hope, love, and loss. Sophie Cameron beautifully explores the character relationships.

The story opens up with Jaya’s family, which consists of her father and younger brother relocating to Edinburgh for summer where her being an obsessed father is hoping to catch a glance of these creatures. No one knows a thing about them, except for the fact that the creatures have beautiful wings and keep falling from the skies. Could this be work of God or something sinister? Even though this novel brings into religious speculations and concepts, as well as cults, the storyline never at one point gets preachy. The appearance of the angels doesn’t overshadow the plot but is rather the propulsion of Jaya’s character development and her newfound relationship.

Jaya has a complicated relationship with her father, as well as her younger sister. Ever since her mother died, her father hasn’t been a good dad, and his obsession for the beings has interfered with his fatherhood responsibilities. While her sister “boards her father’s train as well,” Jaya’s is more obsessed about the human side of the fallen angels. When Jaya finally finds one of these creatures, she hides it from the crowd and helps it heal its broken wing. Along with her are two friends, Allie, and Callum, who also advocate for the right of these creatures. While the crowd refers to the creatures like it, Jaya tries refers to them as he/she to humanize them.

There is a romantic relationship that develops between Allie and Jaya. But there is more to their relationship since Allie is a bisexual and Jaya is a lesbian. While Jaya and Allie take care of the fallen angel, Jaya herself has also to come to terms with her mother’s death and her strained relationship with her family. On the other hand, Allie also struggles between living a fun-filled life and the barriers set up by her mother and brother for they fear about her health.

Out of the Blue is more than a story about angels. It’s a narrative about grief and learning to adjust to life after the loss of a loved one. Sophie Cameron deals with these themes more sensitively. The story weaves through struggles the man character with understanding her loss and building a close relationship between her and the creature she finds. The author’s descriptions of the Edinburgh and the angels themselves are detailed. This is more than a young adult novel showing a heroine navigate herself through life; it is an exciting self-aid novel that which can help anyone struggling with the effects of loss of their loved ones. The story details the importance of friendship and family, including a beautifully developed character arc to quench the reader’s thirst.

Last Bus to Everland

In the second book in the series, we meet Brody, a misfit and a victim of bullying. He lives his life trying to avoid the bullies and at the same time trying to pass his exams with the help of his friend Megan. When the bullies take his pet cat, Brody chases the bullies into another neighborhood where Nico rescues he and his cat. When Nico invites Brody into a place called Everland, he can’t resist. Everland is a magical place that a person can access through magical places that appear at specific places every Thursday. In this magical place, Brody finally feels his true self and not a victim, not an afterthought and not a shadow.

In the real world, his family lives in poverty; his mother works in different jobs to make ends meets because his dad is disabled. When Brody’s father benefits run out, the family is forced to cut off more of the most important things in life like internet, drama lessons, food, the cat and so much more. As his family life shatters, Brody seeks refuge in Everland in both his dreams and on Thursday’s nights. Soon the doors that lead to Everland begin to vanish, and Brody is forced to choose whether he wants to live his reality or stay in Everland where things are good.

The second novel in the series is set in Scotland as well as a magical place. It delivers its story with a light touch while at the same time managing to reach down into some serious issues we face in the society today. The way this narrative deals with bullying is satisfying and allows the reader to follow the main character through a series of emotions and how he deals with the bullies. You will appreciate how the main character doesn’t instantly find inner strength from nowhere to cope with bullying but how he slows matures and develops to a point where he can confront them and fight back.

One of the main themes that Sophie Cameron explores in her book two is poverty. Brody comes from a working-class family, and the author approaches that head-on, never shying from showing the readers the hardships Brody’s family faces without providing some magical cures. The story deals with parents struggling to pay bills, working night shifts, cutting back on food, and much more. How all these aspects are portrayed in the book and how the main character’s reaction to all these are carefully woven into the storyline allowing the reader to experience in firsthand the struggle the family is undergoing.