Don’t be put off by the fact this book is written entirely as a glossary. I worried it was a literary gimmick, but soon found myself caught up in William’s life, and his unusual way of capturing moments, ideas and feelings. It’s a strange way to tell a story, but I found it funny, moving, and a unique reading experience!
Twins born to be raised as monks, but their destiny is to be parted. Starting of as a fantasy fairy tale this novella draws you into a magical world where good and evil struggle for power. Gradually, the picture became clearer and guessing moved forward to a better understanding. The sometimes shrouded language and the fluidity of gender give it a mythical quality wherein basic human needs are still paramount. (#1 in a series of four).
This powerful and challenging story seriously threw me off-kilter. Vanessa Wye is a complex character, not always easy to like or get a handle on. Graphic scenes of sexual abuse made me recoil, but I still read compulsively late into the night. A sure-footed debut which makes you appreciate the lasting effect abuse has on the victim and the courage it takes for them to acknowledge it.
This elegiac series of vignettes, written in an evocative jazzy prose style, deals with the impact of class and race history on a black American family, leaving a raw emotional legacy across the generational lines. The narrative is told from alternating perspectives, with a poignancy and universality which will find resonance in the current climate of identity politics. The audio version is highly recommended for a fully immersive experience.
I was blown away by this strong debut. By the language, the description of the stark nature of Hawai’i, the people in it. Noa, touched by the Gods according to his mother but suffering for it. Brother Dean, the basketballstar and sister Kaui, ambitious student. Their wish to become someone, to be loved for who they are. But life is throwing them a curveball. Stunning reading.
Three short sentences can hardly describe the whole range of impressions I got while reading this. Compassion for Janey, sympathy for the cause she gets involved in, extremely high appreciation for style and expression, experiencing languidness and urgency at the same time. So many voices, so many viewpoints, so many layers. I imagine great discussions with friends. A turbulent, mindblowing, unique ride…
The Luberon, Provence - a landscape of quaint hilltop villages overlooking rolling fields of lavender. Don't let the romance of the setting fool you, this is a story of disaffected lives longing for escape. The chemistry between sisters Céline and Jo is brilliantly realised, the summer heat palpable, stoking a simmering pot of teen sex, racism and violence until it boils over. Grim and gritty is my genre of choice, I loved it!
Six perspectives on one young woman's murder. Who did lock Lizzie in the tower? Are the three convicted men really to blame? And who created the Dead in Six Days challenge? A tense and shocking story of a seemingly innocent game ending with disastrous consequences. As the story was told by different observers I felt buffeted between belief and incredulity. Whatever the truth, the result is heartbreaking for everyone including us.
This intimate novel follows wannabe writer Casey's growth into adulthood, her search for love and the fulfillment of her dream. The pointed observations about the uncertainty of a young woman after the recent death of her mother, her love-life and the pretensions of writers are striking and punctuated with humour.
The disappearance of children is investigated by 9 yr old Jai and two pals who live in a ‘basti’ (communal village) near a railway line in India. Beautiful descriptions of the ever changing weather and light, the noise and the smells, especially of food as the children are always hungry. Very funny despite the dangers the children face and the horrors that unfold. A brilliant debut novel long listed for the Women’s Prize 2020. I loved it.
Drawing on the lives of four women linked by mental illness, this novel touches on many themes: alternative history, personal legacy and the power of imagination. The psychiatric hospital setting lends an air of claustrophobia. I grappled too with a fragmented, digressive narrative but my perseverance paid off. These are fascinating characters vividly portrayed, making it one of the most thought-provoking books I have read in a long time.
Alex, a journalist, falls passionately in love with Ranna, a gifted photographer. The place, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, spoke to my imagination. Ranna and Alex not so much. But after a while I got intrigued: what has Ranna been hiding, why are all her former boyfriends dead, and who is the mysterious stalker she is talking about. Just like Alex I sometimes had enough, but I kept reading all the same.
