Hidden Treasure by Jessie Burton

STAFF REVIEW

This charming middle grade novel finds the perfect balance between heart and adventure.  Set on the banks of the river Thames we are introduced to Bo, who finds a remarkable jewel in the mud on the same day her older brother Harry is sent off to the war front in Somme.  She meets a mysterious new friend, Billy, to whom she immediately feels a strange and powerful connection.  Weaving together a quest with themes of love and understanding grief, the book has a cast of fantastic and sometimes surprising characters that kept me engaged right til the end.  Jessie Burton’s experience as a writer for adults, comes through here as she successfully writes for children for the first time.  I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet novel – nothing nasty or too scary, just a really great read.

Reviewed by Kate

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‘For anybody who believes in love and magic and trying to do the right thing.‘ – Abigail Dean, Bestselling author of Girl A and Day One

‘A jewel of a book. An exciting and absorbing adventure story full of magic and wonder. A rare feat.’ – Katya Balen, author of October, October

‘A glorious, glittering story that shines with magic, friendship and wonder. Unmissable.’ – Pari Thomson, author of Greenwild: The World Behind the Door

From the bestselling author of The Miniaturist. Jessie Burton’s Hidden Treasure is the phenomenal page-turning story of two children whose lives collide when they find an ancient treasure with the power to return to them the most precious thing they have ever lost

For the people who live on the banks of the Thames, the river is a living, breathing thing. It can take your treasures. It can hide your treasures. And, sometimes, it can give them back.

Bo and Billy are two children who have never met. Billy is an orphan. Bo’s dad died when she was small and now her brother is off to war. Both children are poor, but they have each found half of a priceless treasure, given up by the river. A treasure which – when the pieces are reunited – holds the power to give back to one of them the most precious thing they have ever lost.

But should the treasure be put back together again? And why has the river given it up now?

For fans of Katherine Rundell and Philip Pullman’s The Ruby in the Smoke, Hidden Treasure is a classic in the making, with a rip-roaring plot, spine-tingling twists and an unforgettable cast of characters.

‘Stunning, so finely crafted it’s as if the author found it shaped and complete like a treasure itself‘ – Hilary McKay

‘Totally transporting and beguiling, Hidden Treasure sweeps you up in its tide and releases you feeling like you’ve discovered treasure‘ – Stacey Halls, author of The Familiar

From the bestselling author of The Miniaturist. Jessie Burton’s Hidden Treasure is the phenomenal page-turning story of two children whose lives collide when they find an ancient treasure with the power to return to them the most precious thing they have ever lost

About the Author: Jessie Burton is the author of four internationally bestselling novels for adults, including The Miniaturist and its sequel The House of Fortune, which have been translated into 38 languages and have sold over a million copies worldwide. Her highly acclaimed YA retelling of Medusa was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal.

13 Mar 2025

Hidden Treasure by Jessie Burton ISBN 9781526662897