- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Contemporary
Not My Fault
Part of the Cath Howe universeOpen the collection
Two sisters stop speaking after an accident leaves one of them injured and the other consumed by guilt. Told in alternating voices, it's a raw, honest story about blame, resentment and the long road back to each other.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
- Length272 pp
- Read aloud~3 hr50 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
Tone
- Warm
- Bittersweet
- Thought provoking
- Suspenseful
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Maya and Rose are sisters, but they haven't spoken since the accident. Rose pushed the roundabout too hard and Maya fell, and now Maya's leg is held together with metal pins. Rose is certain it was all her fault; Maya is certain it wasn't hers. Quiet, careful Rose and loud, popular Maya could not be more different, and the silence between them has hardened into something neither knows how to break. Then they're both sent on the same week-long school journey, with their mum ordering Rose to keep an eye on her sister. Maya is out for revenge, Rose is braced for disaster, and when a genuinely life-threatening moment strikes, the two of them are forced to face what really happened. Told in alternating voices, Cath Howe's second novel is a gripping, tender exploration of sibling resentment, guilt and forgiveness.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Aimed at independent readers of 9-12, with real emotional depth around guilt and forgiveness that suits the upper end of that band. The dual narrative and building peril also make it a strong shared read from about 8.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
None
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: illness or disability.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Sibling relationships
- Emotional realism
- School stories
- Dual narrative
Avoid if
- Wants light escapism
- Wants gentle bedtime
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anger management
- Making friends
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Getting both sisters' sides means you understand exactly why each one is so sure she's right, and the school trip ratchets up the tension until a real emergency forces everything into the open. The alternating voices make it fly by.
- Being understood finally
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
Howe refuses to take sides, letting both girls be right and wrong in equal measure, which makes the reconciliation earned rather than tidy. A thoughtful springboard for conversations about blame, guilt and repairing relationships.
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
About the author
Cath Howe.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
