A novel for anyone (18 years +) who enjoys a well-plotted love story with characters you won't want to say goodbye to - from sweet, confused Pip, to loveable Billy and potty-mouthed Nadine.

Reviews of No Number Nine

"I will recommend this book to everyone"

"easy to read and
​hard to put down"

"I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in a great story line with engaging characters"
"This book is in my top 5 surprise books of the year – I loved the sound of it, I’d seen good reviews about it, but I still didn’t fully know what to expect. So I went into No Number Nine not really knowing what to expect, and I came out of it with a fuzzy feeling in my chest and a stupid grin on my face."
​from beautifulbookland.com (see the full review here)
"Globally, hockey is the second most played team sport and the third most played of all sports – yet it seems to be almost entirely absent from popular culture. Huh. So much so that a ‘hockey novel’ is a very niche, almost unique prospect. That was the main reason I was initially interested in reading No Number Nine when I was offered the opportunity, and I’m glad I did. Though accessible to the lay-person – anyone could enjoy this story – being a hockey player adds an extra dimension to your appreciation of the book; especially given how accurately the dynamics and complications of a large hockey club are rendered.
The story itself is a Bildungsroman (a coming-of-age-story in Germany) with a funny, conversational narrative which means it is easy to read and hard to put down – but that’s not to say it’s frothy or frivolous, it deals with complex and difficult issues in a comprehensive yet engaging way.
Ideal holiday reading in normal times, great isolation reading in today’s. The plot is like a good hockey game: fast-paced, exciting, end-to-end stuff with a result that is somehow simultaneously unpredictable and inexorable." Simon Moriarty, Leeds HC (April 2020).

"Twists and turns to the plot, compelling characters, interesting setting, all mixed together with a healthy dose of nostalgia for a misspent youth."
"The instant I started reading this book it had me hooked. A tale of a young girl seeking to find herself after her sister’s death, which leads her on travels and adventures that take her completely out of her comfort zone, with many twists and turns on the way. I read this in 2 days flat and could not put it down. I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review and I am truly glad that I had the chance to read this.
The characters are developed wonderfully and you live every moment with Pip. The book is easy to read with some proper belly laughs. I would highly recommend it and if you are or have been a hockey player or involved in that field, this is an absolute must!"
"This is a heart wrenching story of loss, coming to terms with not only that loss but the mistakes made and coming out on the other side. I cried... I laughed... I punched the air and yelled 'YES!!!". Watching Pip move her way through her pain and become strong woman with a firm belief in who she was and what was right and what could and could not be forgiven was a pleasure. I will recommend this book to everyone and I look forward to what F.J. Campbell comes up with next!"
"This book arrived just in time for my holiday and I barely spoke to my husband until I finished it. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in a great story line with engaging characters. I played hockey myself (although you don’t need to be a sports player or fan to read this as the story is about far more than that) and, although I could recognise some of the characters in my team mates, I wish I had met some as sexy as the German boys!! A really entertaining read that keeps you turning page after page."
"No Number Nine is a cracking good read, a well written page turner that kept my interest from start to finish. Hockey is the back drop but not necessarily the star. The characters are recognisable from the hockey world but they are not the 'jolly hockey sticks' brigade we usually read about. Quite frankly I want to know 'What Nadine did next' as I think there is definitely room for a second novel by F.J. Campbell with this likeable character as the heroine.
Give this book a try, it is fun, quirky and reminds us of the excitement and opportunities that await the young as they set out on their own. A summer read with a hint of international glamour, a sporting back drop and Olympians on every page... what is not to love!
5 Summer Stars!
PS so good I read it twice!"
"A brilliant book. I have given it a 5 star rating. If you want to reminisce about life in your twenties this book has it all. If you have ever played hockey or been to spectate at an Olympic Games then this book is definitely one to read. But if you haven't ever touched a hockey stick or have only watched the Olympics from your sofa, then still read it, because this book has themes of travel and adventure, it has emotional highs and lows, plenty of relationship drama, and some fantastic characters who you'll end up wanting to meet. It was hard to put down; I read it and then read it again straight away. I'm looking forward to seeing more from the very talented author, F.J. Campbell."
"No Number Nine is essentially a young woman’s search for meaning after loss, for self-acceptance after blame and for love after let down.
The story invites the reader right inside Pip Mitchell’s head to encounter plenty of humour stirred in with the grief of her sister’s death. Although poignantly sad in places, Pip’s resilience and wit shine through. The dialogue is wonderfully zappy and the characters fully fleshed out. My favourite was Billy with his cheeky charm.
I’m not a hockey player but was happy to be given a glimpse into the world of high-level hockey. Much of the story takes place away from the pitch – no prior hockey knowledge needed.
Try it!"
"I read No Number Nine in one sitting and literally stayed up all night just to find out what happens at the end. After rushing through it, I had to go back and re-read the last chapter to savour again the ending as I didn't want to put it down. Throughout the story I found myself so involved in the story that there were moments where I would be mentally saying "no… don't do that" or "go on, say it". A great book and I am definitely looking forward to reading the sequel as soon as it comes out!"
"A brilliant and captivating read, I couldn’t put the book down. I have had the privilege to read before release in exchange for an honest review and I genuinely feel honoured. An excellent, emotional rollercoaster story of a young female finding her way into adulthood following a personal tragedy. The story is built around the sport of hockey, and having played for a long time myself, can relate to the strengths behind the hockey family. A very absorbing read."
"I received an advance copy of "No Number Nine" in return for an honest review of the book, and I am really honest when I say that No Number Nine is an absolutely marvellous, entertaining story, a great pleasure to read.
At first I didn't really got to start reading it, but once I had turned the first pages I was completely hooked. It is an emotional story about a young adult going abroad after a personal tragedy, life being a total wreck, trying to find back into life.
The characters are well described and I really felt with the the heroine, Pip. There were many situations when I mentally said "Why do you do this" or "Why do you say that, don't make it so difficult for yourself" or "Yes, you're so right!". Watching Pip struggle, suffer, love and laugh until the great final at the Olympics is really compelling. 
I am myself a German hockey player and am thus able to relate to the strengths and loveable peculiarities of the hockey family. But you don't have to be connected to this sport, no rule knowledge is required to enjoy this story.
As soon as this book is out for sale I will buy a copy and read it again- to shorten the time until the next book of F.J.Campbell is being published!"
"OMG this book was amazing!!!! Literally couldn't put it down, I would be thinking about it when not reading it and would grab any spare moment I could to read a few pages. It made me laugh, it made me cry and was just addictive. So so good"
These reviews and more can be found on Goodreads, Facebook and anywhere the book is sold. You can also leave your own reviews on these sites or others e.g. LoveReading.

Questions for your book club discussions
(don't read these until after you've finished the book - I've tried not to give anything away but I don't think I succeeded).

1. Do you think Pip should feel guilty about how she behaved after Holly's death?

2. There are three scenes in the book with Pip + a man (one in England; one in Germany; one in Australia). How are each of them different and what does each of them say about consent?

3. Troy and Billy both sleep around - but are they the same kind of person? Why? 

4. Pip spends a year living with the von Feldsteins, not telling them who she is. Why does she do this and do you sympathise with her lies? Would it have helped her grieving process to have done everything differently?

5. Do you love / like / hate the way Pip daydreams in film scripts? Why do you think she does it? Why do you think the author used this device? What do you think happened at the end of the book?

Feel free to email me more and I'll post them for other book clubs.
Films and books Pip loved in 1999 / 2000

Ghost (1990)
Lola Rennt (1998)
Todo Sobre Mi Madre (1999)
Stephen Chbosky - The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999)
Bernhard Schlink - Der Vorleser / The Reader (1995)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Gladiator (2000)
JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997)
JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
Roald Dahl - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
Rudyard Kipling - The Jungle Book (1894)
Asterix - all of them
Rushmore (1998)
The Graduate (1967)
Shawshank Redemption (1994)
LA Confidential (1997)
Melissa Banks - A Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing (1999)
There’s Something About Mary (1998)
Zadie Smith - White Teeth (2000)
Bryce Courtenay - The Power of One (1989)
Tootsie (1982)
Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials trilogy:
​Northern Lights (1995), The Subtle Knife (1997), The Amber Spyglass (2000)
Bryce Courtenay - Tandia (1992)
Soundtrack to Holly & Pip’s lives (here's the Spotify playlist)
​
INXS – Never Tear Us Apart
David Bowie – Heroes
The Rembrandts – I’ll Be There For You
Cameo – Word Up
The Pogues – Fairytale of New York
TLC - No Scrubs
Macy Gray – I Try
Survivor - Eye of the Tiger
Britney Spears – ... Baby One More Time
Einaudi – Le Onde
INXS - Beautiful Girl

Contact F J Campbell

Photos used under Creative Commons from Kimmo Räisänen, hermilo87, Fabiano'Photography