‘Flowers for Algernon’ – Daniel Keyes

There’s a horrible inevitability to this, that even though I knew it was coming left me with a sinking feeling.

Flowers for Algernon is the story of Charlie Gordon, a man with profound learning difficulties, and an IQ of 70. He becomes part of an unusual experiment into intellect, and ends up with a genius IQ. We follow him through the experiment and after, as the significance of this event becomes clear.

Initially Charlie can’t read or write particularly well. He is given a job by an old family friend and seems content in his experience. The information he recounts in his reports makes it painfully clear that he is bullied and humiliated on a daily basis. Yet he is unaware of it.

After the experiment, nothing seems to change. Then it does. Suddenly he can read in numerous languages and understand concepts way beyond the level of those he previously looked up to. With this astonishing intellectual development comes the growing self-awareness of how he was viewed by others, and how his family abandoned him.

There’s no easy answers in this novel, but as an exploration of psyche and social interactions it was fascinating.

I’m surprised such an experiment could have been undertaken on a human, and that those around Charlie didn’t try harder to help him adjust mentally/emotionally to his world.

As he grows aware of the temporary nature of this change, it became painful to watch him change and regress to his previous state. This time round he knew what it would mean, and his inability to change things was difficult to read.
I’m quite surprised this is a staple in American schools, but I’d be interested to see what students thought of it.

‘The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods’ – Emily Barr

This story by Emily Barr is definitely one to go into without really knowing too much.

Initially I found the split in narrative quite disconcerting. We focus on sixteen year old Arty who is forced out of her commune when illness affects many of the group. She is thrown into a world of which she has no experience and her story as she navigates what so many of us take for granted was interesting. Alongside this is a curious story told from the perspective of someone locked in a basement.

As the story progressed I confess to getting quite carried away trying to plot how the two would be linked. It did become evident where it was heading, but not before I’d imagined things far worse than we were faced with.

I enjoyed the story, though the reaction of characters to Arty’s innocence did, on occasion, make me frustrated. That irritation aside, this was quite enchanting while not being afraid to touch on some rather unpleasant things.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it in exchange for my honest review.

‘I Am Not A Number’ – Lisa Heathfield

A must-read book that shows people at both their best, and their worst.

Ruby has always been encouraged to value her opinion. She’s encouraged to make up her own mind about politics, and even when the Traditional Party get voted into power she imagines she will still be able to have her own views.

It begins quite innocuously with assemblies and an increased presence of those keen to uphold these traditional values. Slowly we start to see a clamping down on opportunities for people to dissent. Then, all too soon, Core supporters whose views are not welcome are herded together.

Taken from her home in the middle of the night Ruby is slowly adjusting to a life where she has no rights. Living in a modern-day concentration camp she is starved, forced to work and subject to brutal treatment. Like Ruby and those around her, we wonder how it can happen. But it does.

A chilling tale that shows just how easily the world we know can be changed, and just how vital it is for people to fight for others.

‘Underdogs’ – Chris Bonnello

A fast-paced action-packed read with some very real characters.

Though we’re never told exactly how this scenario came into play, we’ve got a world where one person has used clones to take over the country. However, there’s a small group who have not fallen…a group of teenagers from a special needs school. Though they’ve spent their lives being made to feel they’re not normal, in this scenario their ability to think outside the normal parameters is what’s helped them survive.

The writer’s knowledge of his subject means the characters are presented sympathetically, and the story is paced in such a way as to keep things moving.
Some questions are answered, but it’s nicely set-up for the second in the series to show more of what’s planned.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity read this prior to publication.

 

‘The Sharp Edge of a Snowflake’ – Sif Sigmarsdottir

I really dislike the term ‘snowflake’ and its suggestion of people not coping with life’s events. In this instance, the snowflake definitely shows its sharp edges.

Imogen Collins is a social media influencer. She’s also someone who had to abandon her degree studies as she struggled to adjust to life after a sexual assault. Caught up in her own plan to bring down the man who was responsible, she ends up embroiled in some very dubious events.

Hannah is determined to be a journalist and fed up that she has to go and live with her father in Iceland. On the day she arrives their journey home is disrupted by the sight of the police collecting a dead body that was dumped in a ravine.

Naturally, the two girls’ stories merge and we get a pretty tense thriller.
The setting was interesting, though there were elements of the characters/story that didn’t quite pull together for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this prior to publication.

‘What She Found in the Woods’ – Josephine Angelini

‘Be like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’ – the advice given to Macbeth by his wife before he commits the murder of King Duncan definitely sprang to mind as I was reading this. Everyone is hiding something, and it’s not clear who to trust.

What She Found in the Woods is a pacy thriller, focusing on the story of a young girl with mental health issues who finds herself caught up in events beyond your worst imaginings.

Magda has – we know – done some awful stuff. She’s heavily medicated and comes from a life of privilege. When she is forced to live with her grandparents she finds herself drawn to the woods, where she spends her time hiking. There she meets Bo, a young man whose family live in the woods.

There’s a bit of everything in here, and yet it works. We quickly become invested in Magda’s story and curious to see how the strands come together. Some of the reveals were quite heavily hinted at, but there was plenty to leave us doubting the reliability of our narrator.

‘The Rest of the Story’ – Sarah Dessen

A coming-of-age story that explores family bonds, grief, friendship and romance…and even has time for a major event…

Emma Saylor is (dare I say it) rather bland as a character. Since her mother’s death she’s always been protected by her father and, at seventeen, leads quite a sheltered life. When plans for her to stay with a friend fall through, she is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure her father and stepmother go on their honeymoon. So she agrees to stay with her grandmother, the one she hasn’t seen since she was four, at the lakeside resort her mother lived in.

A rather slow beginning as Emma gets to know who’s who in the family she never knew. We have quite stereotypical reactions from Emma as she learns some of the truths about her mother that others have tried to hide. However, through these stories she also learns about herself.

There’s no major revelations, just a gradual self-awakening. But it was portrayed quite realistically and did leave me with a bit of a smile on my face.

‘My Name is Venus Black’ – Heather Lloyd

Venus Black is not at all what you expect her to be.

Our first meeting with her is when she’s being taken away by the police and about to be charged for killing her stepfather. She’s a grade A student, chatty and personable but she doesn’t deny what she’s done. Which version of Venus Black is accurate?

Little details are revealed and it’s clear that there’s more to the story. However, Venus is charged and detained in the juvenile system. While she’s incarcerated, her little brother Leo is kidnapped.

Over the course of the story we shift viewpoint. We learn a little more about Venus as she hits nineteen and tries to start a new life on the outside. We follow Leo’s story as rather unusual events transpire around him.

The book is a touching one about friendship, family and forgiveness. There’s a darkness to it, but there remains a sense of hope at its heart.

The way certain events go seem rather of their time, and you’d hope things have moved on a little. However, what it shows about making bonds with people is timeless.

‘To Best the Boys’ – Mary Weber

Following the story of Rhen and her desire to make a difference, this is a tale to fire up your spirit. For Rhen lives in a world where some believe women should stick to their role…and that they don’t possess the attributes needed to do anything more. It was great fun watching Rhen prove them wrong.

The initial set-up felt a little more dragged out than strictly necessary. However, once Rhen took it upon herself to try her hand in Holm’s labyrinth then we were in a very different story.

Inspiring ideas, and a cracking story.

‘I Hold Your Heart’ – Karen Gregory

From a distance, everyone thinks they can spot the signs of an abusive relationship.

From a distance, you think you know that some actions are just not what forms part of a healthy relationship.

But when you’re the one in that situation, how easy is it to tell?

When Gemma first meets Aaron she’s confident and outgoing, has a part-time job, dreams of singing and is just starting A-levels. Within weeks of meeting Aaron things are shifting. She starts giving up things that meant so much to her. Is it because Aaron loves her, or is there a more sinister angle?

Reading this knowing what the story focused on meant I was on alert throughout, looking for signs that it was heading that way. But the way the story developed felt very natural, and it’s easy to see just how easy it could be to end up in a situation you’re not entirely comfortable with.

An emotional journey, which may not ring true for everyone, but it will certainly get people talking.

The link to the e.e. cumming’s poem has now given a much more sinister vibe to what always seemed such a heartfelt sentiment. The power of words.