I do love the ending though, there's some closure to it, but there's also an element of surprise as if Hetty's future is never set in stone. This is the fifth book of the Hetty Feather series, and needless to say, I also adored this book, and still do.

When she was admitted, her hair was cut off and her Sunday clothes (as well as the doll Peg made her for Christmas) taken away to be burned, which upset her, and Gideon was taken to the Boy's Wing of the hospital. All of her little dreams seemed big when she was little, but now, given her circumstances in 'Little Stars' at the cavalcade and with acting, they seem so small compared with her dreams now. On the Queen's Golden Jubilee, Hetty runs away to find the circus, and tries to persuade Madame Adeline to let her live with her. One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker.Now, seeking life as music hall artistes, our beloved characters are well-off with a place to stay where Hetty earns their keep sewing gowns for Miss Gibson from Gibson's Gowns, and performing a child novelty act in the Cavalcade music hall for Mrs Ruby. Fired from the music hall, Hetty and Diamond join the actors troupe and start rehearsing for a new show, David Copperfield, with Hetty playing a young Davy. There, her child was christened Hetty Feather and was given to Peg Cotton's family to be cared for until it was time for her to go back.

I absouloutly love this series, I loved it the first time I ever read it (this was a re-read) and I managed to force a few friends to read it too. When she is giving autographs he simply says how he doesn't want Emerald Star, just simply Hetty Feather. Hetty gets to play the roles of Alice in Alice in Wonderland at the Calvacade music Hall and she plays young Davy in David Copperfield. She’s a plucky heroine and this fifth book about her trials and triumphs will appeal to intermediate-age readers who enjoy an entertaining historical novel.She snuck into the boy's wing by stealing some boy's uniform to check on Gideon, and ran into Saul while doing so. I just love this entire series, I've read plenty of books, but this is by far one of my favourite series.

One thing I would change is how the fact that Jem's wedding is only about 5 pages long, I was really expecting it to be a key event in the story however, I also like that it wasn't more than 5 pages because it really showed Hetty growing up and becoming more independent without needing Jem. This is still the ambitious and determined foundling I fell in love reading about, but in a way I couldn't relate to her. Hetty attends the funeral and gives a speech when Jem freezes up but drinks too much cowslip wine afterwards and is sick for a day. When Mona Smith, Mr Benjamin, Marcella, Roland, Esmeralda, Bruno and Ambrose go to the Empire Exhibition at Wembley, after all the rides Ambrose complains that they need to go somewhere more peaceful, so the group visits the Pear's Palace of Beauty, where several models played historical figures.Being the Ringmaster at the circus in 'Diamond' was such a big and fantastic thing, but now looking at her being a professional actor it seems like her circus life was not professional and not proper. She befriended Ida, the kitchen maid, who slipped her extra treats during mealtimes, and was good at receiving sweets on Sundays, although they were frequently stolen from her by bigger girls.

I surprisingly managed to read this book in a single day - a first ever to read a book in a single day, and it wasn't a terrible experience If I can say. After putting together a ventriloquist show and naming themselves the little stars, Hetty learns that it’s actually harder work than it looks. She is also young, so she doesn't understand every situation as well, but I feel these two traits are in conflict with each other, as one implies she's wise to the dangers but the other not.

Indeed, since the second he first graced the pages of this instalment, my thought process, whatever it was, was instantly replaced by an excited rattle of 'Bertie Bertie Bertie Bertie Bertie'. I’m glad she met Bertie again and although I think she could do better, he’s certainly a better bet than sappy Jem! I must admit; there was one bit towards the end of the book, where I was getting nervous that Hetty was not going to get herself out of a difficult situation. When exactly was unclear to me, which occasionally felt like a shortcoming, but most of the time I did not mind. I love how her new profession, acting, inspired by Marina Royal falls in line with one of her greatest talents from the very first book - imagining.