Category: Adult Fiction

‘How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House’ – Cherie Jones

In this debut we learn that life in a tropical paradise is definitely not quite the picture-perfect idyll tourists might imagine.

The story focuses on a selection of characters living in a tourist resort in Barbados. Each character is very different, but is united in some way. Some of the stories are brutal, most are deeply upsetting but I loved the determination of each character to make the most of what life was giving them.

I found it a little disorientating initially, switching from character to character. But as we learned of their backstories and saw how they were interwoven over time it was an absorbing read.

The conflict between tourist and local, their interdependency and the bonds established over time were presented honestly. While the separate strands of the stories were bleak, there was a sense of optimism in some aspects that I found offset the potential negativity.

 

‘The Echo Chamber’ – John Boyne

The Echo Chamber is a curious read. It’s being touted as biting satire and a topical exploration of our obsession with social media…I’m not wholly convinced that’s quite what we’ve got, but it’s an entertaining diversion in some areas.

The focus of the book is the Cleverley family. George has been a favourite of the BBC for years, prone to the odd gaffe on air and his wife, Beverley, is a writer of popular romances (though she employs a ghost writer and merely gives the ideas) who has been having an affair with her partner on Strictly. Their three children have led a rather charmed life, and the whole family is obsessed with their social media accounts and profiles. The story (such as it is) focuses on a short period of time in their lives when everything blows up in spectacular fashion, leading them to reflect on their reliance on others’ affirmations.

As I was reading this I couldn’t help but rail at just how unlikeable each of the characters was. Much was made of the role social media had in this family’s trials and tribulations, but they seemed to be doing a very effective job of being rather unlikeable and messing things up in their own. For us to care about the fates of the characters there really has to be something about them we might like/admire. This was lacking, so it meant I read the book not really feeling anything had happened to these characters that they weren’t instrumental in bringing about.

There were some moments of mild amusement, but some of the observations became repetitive and simply telling us over and over again about an issue without offering any alternative doesn’t really seem the point of satire. For too much of the book it felt like Boyne had generated his own echo chamber. The reading of this felt like ordering and drinking an overpriced coffee, where everything was superficially appealing but the reality was full of froth with little substance.

I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to give my honest thoughts on this prior to publication, but it was not quite the experience I’d hoped for.

 

‘The Anniversary’ – Laura Marshall

On 15th June 1994 the small town of Hartstead was shocked when caretaker Travis Green went on a rampage, shooting eleven people. The victims appeared to be indiscriminate, and nobody has ever been able to understand fully why this awful thing happened. Cassie Colman was only four when her father – the last victim – was murdered in front of his wife and daughter.

It is now coming up to the twenty-fifth anniversary of the shooting. As expected, people are keen to revisit the town and to learn how these events have impacted on the lives of those left behind. For Cassie, now a young mum herself and struggling to cope with her mother’s early dementia, this is an unwelcome intrusion. Though she is, herself curious about exactly what happened she has reconciled herself to not getting answers.

When a local journalist starts talking to Cassie, she can’t help but be curious. It seems there are some anomalies in the accounts given of that day, and Cassie finds herself drawn into examining the actions of those she has always known in a different light.

This was an interesting idea. We are given some insight into the way in which such events are portrayed in the media and the way people are expected to behave. We get the stories from the past which help us to draw together a fuller picture of the events of that day. And, shockingly, we learn that sometimes things are not what they seem…

The main story was good, and I really found myself enjoying the way the narrative was structured. As we followed Cassie come to her shocking discovery, it felt so much more nuanced than I was expecting and turned things in a direction that took me rather by surprise.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this before publication in exchange for my honest thoughts.

 

‘The Heart Principle’ – Helen Hoang

Due for publication in August 2021, I’m very grateful to NetGalley for letting me read this before publication. I’ve enjoyed the previous two books in the series, but this one touched me in ways I wasn’t expecting. It felt honest, painfully so at times, but it was such a tender read that I found myself desperate to see how things worked out.

Our focus this time round is Quan, who we already know from the previous books, and his romance with violinist Anna.

Anna is a woman who sets herself high standards. She feels pressure to behave a certain way and her usual coping mechanisms are not working. Close to burnout it’s hard to imagine being at a lower point. But then her boyfriend suggests they take a break from each other and start an open relationship to help them figure out whether they’re really suited to one another. Perhaps it’s the way we’re encouraged to respond to him, but this just felt like a way for him to sow his wild oats without losing Anna. He never imagines she might be the one to move on.

When the open relationship thing is first introduced, she doesn’t know how to react. Her friends’ righteous indignation is just what was needed…setting things up perfectly for her to meet Quan.

Of course we want them to work out, and their relationship definitely ticks the boxes, but what I really loved about this was the way the pair of them together talked, shared their vulnerabilities and worked on ways to resolve problems.

Quan is invaluable support for Anna as she comes to terms with her late diagnosis of autism, and how she manages the expectations of others while working out the implications for herself. At the same time, Anna is having to cope with the demands of caring for her father and how these new responsibilities affect her and her family.

As I said, there’s a lot to digest here. Some issues are resolved, while others are not. Though there’s so much going on in this story it never felt cluttered or disorganised. Each strand combined perfectly to create a story that I defy people not to fall in love with.

 

‘The City We Became’ – N.K. Jemisin

 

A fantasy like no other, in turns confusing and exhilarating.

In The City We Became we are asked to imagine a world under threat from a supernatural entity which invades its target, sucking the life out of it, consuming its essence and then taking its place in a new world. This could be seen as a metaphor for so many things, and though it did have me scratching my head a little initially I found myself engrossed in the fight.

These kinds of attacks have been going on for years. Nobody remembers the successful attacks as the city that is lost becomes nothing but a story. But this time is different because the city under attack is New York.

In this world, New York can be saved. It can be saved by the physical manifestations of the city – people who represent a borough of New York – working together to save the place they love.

When I started reading I really was not sure what to make of it. Manny, our first character introduced, remembers nothing of his life and can’t really place what’s happening to him. Though this makes it hard to gauge what’s happening, I felt it meant we learnt about the scenario as Manny did. Not really knowing New York I wouldn’t like to say whether the author has painted an accurate picture of these districts and cities, but it was a refreshing concept and highly entertaining.

‘Unsettled Ground’ – Claire Fuller

Unsettled Ground tells the story of a family bound together by tragedy. Dot, the matriarch, has always had a clear set of rules that the family have to live by. Since the death of her husband she has lived in a remote cottage with her twins, Jeanie and Julius. Self-sufficient, they have always shied away from village life. However, when Dot dies of a stroke she leaves the twins alone for the first time in their lives.

Jeanie and Julius are fifty-one, but have never lived apart. They are – for reasons that become clear – quite dependent on one another. After the unexpected death of their mother they come to learn just how harshly life can treat you.

Upon their mother’s death they learn that she wasn’t entirely honest about their situation. They find themselves with ‘friends’ demanding money to repay debts they didn’t know they had. Soon they find themselves evicted from the one family home they know, and scrabbling to survive.

It is clear that both Jeanie and Julius have difficulties in living a normal life. Jeanie can’t read or write, but the spirit and resolve each shows is quite remarkable. Sadly, their self-reliance seems unnecessary and as the book progresses – and we learn more about their history – it is painfully apparent that this need not have been their life.

As soon as I began reading I was struck by the beauty of the writing about the everyday experiences. Though focusing on a very miserable subject, there was an inner strength to this that I couldn’t help but admire. It reminded me in parts of Bruce Chatwin’s On the Black Hill, and left me with a similar feeling of unease upon finishing.

 

‘The Rule’ – David Jackson

The Rule is simple. Don’t touch anyone. This is to protect people, to stop someone getting hurt. Twenty-three year old Daniel can follow this rule, just one of a number of rules that he follows to keep himself safe. But one day he forgets the rule…and it sets off a devastating sequence of events.
Daniel lives with his mum and dad in a pretty run-down area. He leads a simple life, but when he sees his father being attacked by a man in the lift – the man whose backpack contains bags of white powder, bundles of money and a gun – Daniel knows what he has to do.
Unfortunately, Daniel’s strength results in him killing this man. A tragic accident, but out of concern for how their son might be treated by the police, Daniel’s parents do not do what most would. They cover up the crime…and so begins a terrifying few days as the consequences of their actions catch up with them.
While we cannot help but be invested in the events surrounding Daniel and his family, I really liked the way we also got the story of Hannah, the lead officer investigating the murder (because, of course, this is discovered pretty quickly) and how she is forced to confront her own demons in the course of this investigation.
The story itself is so out of the everyday, but the care with which the characters are presented means you cannot help but follow each twist and turn in desperation of seeing how things pan out.
The Rule is a fast-paced story, but one which draws you in. You’re exposed to a dark underbelly, and though some of the choices made by these characters are definitely putting them on the wrong side of the law it’s hard not to hope things work out for them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this in advance of publication.

 

‘Five Minds’ – Guy Morpuss

From the moment I’d seen the teasers about Five Minds appearing on Twitter, I was eagerly awaiting my opportunity to read this. I’d trawled Morpuss’s website and played the games (I struggled to even think about which option I’d go for). Eventually I struck lucky and was granted access by NetGalley to read this before publication. All I had to do was write my honest thoughts. That sounds straightforward, but having just finished Five Minds my mind seems incapable of coherent thought!

So, let’s look at what we are told beforehand…

Five Minds is set in an alternate future. In an attempt to control the Earth’s growing population lifespans are carefully monitored, and people are made to choose their life at seventeen. Some become workers…they are educated for the next five years and then take their chance as to what comes next. Some become andis…their minds are uploaded into a body requiring little physical maintenance. They are granted a lifespan of eighty years. A few become hedonists. This group have wealth and are granted free choice…but they die at forty-two. The last group are, perhaps, the hardest to understand. The schizos. Five minds are merged in one body, each having control of it for a four hour period in the day. Each mind is granted a lifespan of twenty-five years, and the host can be updated regularly. Their life ends after the fifth mind has had their twenty-five years.

Our focus is on one schizo group, or commune. Alex, Dan, Kate, Sierra and Mike have been together for some time. They regularly compete in the Death Parks, underground competitions allowing people to try and win additional time. When Kate is offered the chance to win an obscene amount of life, she takes it. Unfortunately, it results in one of their group disappearing. No one seems to know what’s happened, but all too quickly it becomes apparent that someone does…and until this person is caught, the commune is at risk.

The concept of a group under threat isn’t new. But the idea that the murderer could well be one of the minds within the commune lends it a chilling feel. As soon as the murder element comes to the fore it becomes a very different style of book to read. I was gripped, and found myself wholly immersed in the story as I tried to work out who was behind it and how – or if – they would succeed.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Viper books for letting me read this early, and thank you to Guy Morpuss for a fascinating debut that makes me wonder what on earth could come next.

 

‘Beartown’ – Fredrick Backman

Beartown is one of those books that will haunt me, and though the subject matter has been done before there was nothing routine about this.

I have loved all of the books by Backman that I have read, and though I’d had this on my radar for a while I had never really felt in the mood for reading it. The subject of rape and how it is dealt with in the community is always problematic, and this is entirely true in the community of Beartown.

People say Beartown is finished…But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded town. And that rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior hockey team is about to compete in the national championships, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of the town now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

With that kind of power comes responsibility, and Beartown poses some interesting questions about the extent to which we are – as a community – repsonsible for the conduct of those within it.

The opening chapter gripped me from the off, and I loved the realisation (once I eventually got to the end) that it wasn’t quite what I expected. The novel focuses initially on the setting up of Beartown as a community. It is a crumbling town, where people are moving away in droves and it takes a particular kind of hardy soul to make their life there. The majority of inhabitants are obsessed with ice hockey – and though this is not a sport I have much experience of, the role of the team in the lives of the players and how sport can affect the community is pivotal. Understanding the sense of belonging the team gives to the boys is crucial – as it explains (though in no way justifies) the way some of them behave later.

In celebration of their achievements on the ice, the star player hosts a party. It’s been done before. Unfortunately, this time the fifteen year old daughter of the team manager is invited. Maya is naive, but it does not excuse what Kevin does. He rapes her…and what happens next is, sadly, all too common.

Maya is determined, eventually, to be brave. She does not hide away, though she knows the devastation her telling the truth will cause. The repercussions in the community are far-reaching and few are unaffected. However, it was a thought-provoking exploration of character to consider how each of our large cast responded to the events talked about.

There are a lot of characters within these pages, and each of them has a story to tell. Backman shows us their lives – their often miserable, petty lives – but he bestows on them a gravitas and dignity that I found myself admiring. Some of them are more endearing than others, but I liked the fact that Backman shows us each of them without hiding their flaws.

As we drew close to the end there was a clear sense of trying to prepare us for the story continuing in the second book, Us Against You. I have to say that I cannot wait to read it.

 

‘Survive the Night’ – Riley Sager

Another solid Sager read, where you suspect one or two of the details thrown your way and are just feeling quite satisfied when another detail is slipped in that throws a curveball. I’m not going to pretend all the film references worked for me, and there is a rather superior tone to this that occasionally had me feeling it was all about being just that bit cleverer than your readers, but I devoured this book. It’s a definite 4.5 stars for me, but I can’t go all in for reasons I’ll explain later.

A gripping read, that depends on some twists coming at you from the darkness so I don’t want to give away crucial details in this review.

We know the book centres on Charlie, a student who is struggling to come to terms with her part in the murder of her room-mate at the hands of the infamous Campus Killer. She is in a car with a relative stranger, Josh, who has offered a lift. Understandably nervous, Charlie cannot decide how much of her fear about Josh is in her head. As they drive, little details hint strongly that Charlie might be right to be afraid. Why won’t he let her see in the trunk? Why does his driving licence have a different name? Why does he follow her out of the diner when she tries to call her boyfriend?

The growing sense of unease as Charlie and Josh travel along quiet roads is palpable. Deliberately slow, but it reels you in. Just when we – and Charlie – think we’ve worked it out, there’s an abrupt shift.

Things pick up the pace after this point (almost too fast on occasion) and we soon find ourselves in a technicolour drama. Charlie’s obvious mental health issues and obsessive film referencing made it difficult to know to what extent she could be trusted at times. There’s a couple of moments where – when you’re not caught up in them – things seem just too convenient. While it was good to get some answers and be vindicated in some judgments, the big revelation rather came from nowhere.

I’m, once again, very grateful to have been given the opportunity via NetGalley to read this prior to publication.