Alfie Summerfield's fifth birthday was on 28 July 1914, the beginning of World War I. His father insisted to Alfie's friends and family that he wouldn't go to war, but the very next day he returned to the house in military uniform and left. Four years later and with an absence of letters from his father, Alfie tries to find him, while his mother tries to convince him that his Dad is on a secret mission and can't have any contact.

Much like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, the book is based around a young child and his naïvety toward tough subjects, with a true innocence that only young children can have. With simple vocabulary and structure, it is easy to pick up. Like children, Alfie finds it hard to keep to the main storyline and gets sidetracked easily within the book, but that's okay, because it adds depth and meaning to it.

John Boyne is very much in touch with his childish side with the capable way he writes and thinks like a child, but in Stay Where You Are & Then Leave it's hard to pinpoint the exact age of Alfie (which is nine), because some things he does make it seem like he is much older, yet some of the things he thinks makes him seem much younger.

The facts and imagery about tough topics in World War I, such as shellshock, racism and defiance are on point and are gripping and informative. The story is both entertaining and touching, yet lacks the realism that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas had, as it feels farfetched towards the end. But Stay Where You Are & Then Leave is an enjoyable, quick read.

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