Review of ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ by Celeste Ng

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the ARC of this book.

I’ve been wanting to read this book for ages after I started hearing people raving about it on lots of my favourite podcasts. I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it because this is exactly the kind of book I love.

The highest praise I can give this book is that the voice and style reminded me of Anne Tyler who is probably my favourite author. Just as a Tyler does, Ng is able to describe the small family dramas of suburban life beautifully. She also does a wonderful job of capturing the peculiar heartbreak of longing for a child, losing a child and of actually parenting a child and how the fear of losing that child can impact negatively your ability to parent well. I felt personally touched by the stories of women suffering fertility problems and miscarriages, it’s quite rare to read about this topic in an understated, realistic way which captures this awful but normal pain.

I loved the 90’s setting of this book which meant the teenagers in this book are the same age I was at that time, so I understood all the cultural references perfectly. I could also totally picture Shaker Heights, the Ohio community where the book is set from Ng’s descriptions.

The novel follows the lives of two families living in Shaker Heights, the Richardsons and the Warrens, and how their lives intersect over the course of about a year. There’s also a really thought-provoking sub-plot about the adoption of a Chinese baby and whether she would be better off with a wealthy white family or growing up in her own culture with her struggling single-mother. This sub-plot is treated in an incredibly even-handed way.

I was slightly disappointed by the ending of the book as I hoping for a bit more face to face conflict. The book starts with the Richardson’s youngest daughter burning down their house with her mother inside and then sets out the explain the events which led up to this. I was expecting a more dramatic provocation for this dangerous and irresponsible act and I didn’t really feel that anything that happened in the book warranted this outcome. I wanted a bit more of a showdown between the characters but I suppose it is ultimately realistic and people do just move on from each other’s lives without the having the opportunity to say everything they feel to each other.

I will definitely search out more books by this author as I loved her writing style, voice and the subject matter of this book. It’s structured really well and is thought-provoking about issues without being polemical.

Advertisements

Review of ‘The Lost Man’ by Jane Harper

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the ARC of this book.

I’ve really enjoyed Jane Harper’s two previous books, but I think this is my favourite book by her so far. Unlike her other books, this is a standalone self-contained story of a family and the mystery surrounding the death of one of three brothers. It’s an easy, quick, engrossing read with a satisfying, if a little neat, conclusion.

In common with her previous books, this book does a wonderful job of evoking the huge landscapes and isolation of the Australian outback. I’m not sure I’ve read another author who is so good at bringing to life the landscape of a place without resorting to long, boring, florid descriptions which take you out of the story. It is such a skill to bring the landscape to life so well while always writing in service of the narrative. I love reading her books.

I really warmed to Nathan, the main character in this book, who is able to acknowledge his flaws and bad choices while still seeming somehow noble and trustworthy. His son Xander is also a really sweet and likeable character. It is really intriguing following the two of them trying to unravel the mystery of the reason behind Nathan’s brother Cameron’s death and uncovering secrets at the heart of their family.

I’d highly recommend this and Harper’s other books.

Top Ten Tuesday – longest books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is ‘the longest books I’ve read’. I thought this was going to be tricky but then I discovered a nifty filter on Goodreads which let me sort books I’ve read by their number of pages. I don’t think I’ve recorded every book I’ve ever read on Goodreads, but I think this list is probably pretty complete. The page counts come from Goodreads too.

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien (1,137 pages)

2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (850 pages)

3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (766 pages)

4. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (756 pages)

5. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (748 pages)

6. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare (733 pages)

=7. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (720 pages) Felt like 7200 pages!

=7. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (720 pages)

9. A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz (711 pages)

10. The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy (704 pages)

Review of Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz

Thanks the NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for the ARC of this book.

This is the third book in the Orphan X trilogy. I’m not sure why I keep reading these books. The first one was ridiculous, the second was even more ridiculous and it’s clear from the end of this book that the series is heading into beyond ridiculous high-level conspiracy territory.

I picked up this book hoping to discover the fate of Jack which was left dangling at the end of the last book, fortunately this is disclosed almost immediately. I was also hoping this book might tie up the series and that Evan and Mia could finally settle down and be happy together and I could stop reading this series, alas this did not happen; this is clearly one of those series which is going to drag on and on and milk its premise (a silly Jason Bourne rip-off) for all it is worth.

I think I should probably stop reading the series anyway. It’s not that these books are bad; they are standard by numbers thrillers with overblown repetitive descriptions (do I really need to know the make of every gun and car?) and unsubtle emotional language; but I’m sure they meet the needs of their target audience, I’m just pretty positive that’s not me.

What’s puts me off the most is the way this book revels in its descriptions of violence, the main character Evan is basically a killing machine and in this book is responsible for at least 50 deaths and the glee the book feels when describing these is just wrong. I also really object to the awful leery language used to describe the female character Candy, she is the sum of all her physical parts and I feel queasy whenever I read a passage describing her. I really think contemporary books, even with a male focus, should do better with this.

Farewell Orphan X, may I reread this review if I’m ever tempted to pick up another book in this series.

Review of ‘One Of Us is Lying’ by Karen M. McManus

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC of this book.

This book is a blast! I had so much fun reading it. I was so worried when it started with 5 stereotyped teens entering detention that it would be a dismal, unnecessary retelling of ‘The Breakfast Club’; but then one of the kids dies and immediately I knew I was in safe hands.

It’s a teen murder mystery set in an American high school with really likeable characters and a sweet unbelievable romance. My favourite element was the transformation of the character Addy from clingy girlfriend to independent girl who realises it’s better to be alone that be with a man who won’t let you be yourself.

I guessed two thirds of the solution to the crime but there was one element I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed the whole book and would love to read more by this author. 

Review of ‘Force of Nature’ by Jane Harper

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the ARC of this book.

I read ‘The Dry’, Jane Harper’s first book in this series, earlier this year and really enjoyed it and found it an easy and engaging read, so I was excited to get the opportunity to read the next book in this series.

I found it had the same good and bad points as ‘The Dry’. 

Plus points: I think the rural Australian setting is a really great backdrop for a crime novel; it’s a refreshing change from the standard crime tropes such as gritty urban underworld or 1920s manor house. The writing in both books is very fluid and easy to read, short chapters and well paced. The books are written without gimmicks, in third person past tense, which nowadays is actually also surprisingly refreshing. I don’t know why so many contemporary books stray from this formula, it makes for such a satisfying way to read.

Negative points: both books suffer from same major flaw which is that there is one storyline/character which feels totally irrelevant to the rest of the story and therefore it’s obvious that that plot point/character must be central to the solution otherwise why would the author include it?

This major flaw didn’t stop my enjoyment of the books but it does mean that you don’t feel quite so satisfied when your prediction proves to be correct, as it was so easy the reach that conclusion.

I’ll definitely read any more books that appear in this series, they start with really interesting premises and are fun to read. I liked the premise of ‘Force of Nature’ which is ‘5 went into the bush only 4 came out, what happened?’ as a starting point, just as I liked the ‘did this crime that clearly happened one way really happen that way’ premise from ‘The Dry’, but ‘Force of Nature’ never managed to be quite so intriguing as this premise promised.

I’m not sure about the main detective character, Aaron Falk. His character didn’t feel entirely consistent with the previous book and his relationship with his new partner Carmen seems a bit forced. I think I would have been happier had there been a bit more crossover with characters from the first book to give his character’s personal life a bit more depth.

Overall I think both books are great and I look forward to reading any future instalments. 

Review of ‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ by Stuart Turton

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC of this book.

This is going to be a very brief review because I really don’t want to spoil this book for anyone who might want to read it and pretty much anything I say about this book will be a spoiler.

I will just say that this is an incredibly complicated, intricately plotted and astonishingly detailed novel. I found it really difficult to get into because it throws you right into the action with an amnesiac unreliable narrator and it takes a while to get to grips with what is going on; but I’m glad I persisted because it is a thoroughly rewarding and unique read. I was not entirely satisfied with the ending but the journey was very interesting. 

I think the title is a bit misleading, I was expecting the book to be about a woman called Evelyn; however, she’s a fairly secondary character. Instead, it is told from a very buttoned-up traditional male perspective, which I found a bit off-putting to start off with. 

I’d definitely recommend this book to fans of golden age crime looking for thoroughly modern and mind-bending interpretation of the traditional 1920s crime novel.

Top Ten Tuesday – favourite colour

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is ‘books with my favourite colour on the cover’. As you can see from my selection below, my favourite colour is purple! I’ve stuck to books and editions which I’ve read.

Top Ten Tuesday – great books not to reread

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is ‘books I loved but will never reread’. As far as I’m concerned, there’s too many books and too little time in this life to reread books unless they are truly exceptional, so I could fill this list with almost every adult book I’ve ever enjoyed. Therefore, I’ve tried to think of books I love but wouldn’t want to reread for a particular reason.

1. Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson – creepy subject matter and probably less of a thrill when you know the twists ahead.
2. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold – not really a subject matter I want to revisit, though it’s beautifully told.
3. The Cider House Rules by John Irving – just in case I didn’t love it as much the second time around because it was perfect the first time.
4. Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes – disturbing subject matter.
5. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger – I enjoyed it but it was weird.
6. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – loooong and if I really wanted to revisit it I could watch the TV series.
7. The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson – I know how it ends now.
8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – not sure I could take being that destroyed by a book again.
9. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett – in case I didn’t love it as much knowing that I found the very end slightly disappointing.
10. Eragon by Christopher Paolini – it would probably be marred by how boring I found the subsequent books in the series.

Top Ten Tuesday – Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is books on my Spring to be read list. These are my NetGalley ARCs I’m planning to read this Spring.

1. Mad Blood Stirring by Simon Mayo
2. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
3. White Houses by Amy Bloom
4. How I Lose You by Kate McNaughton
5. Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
6. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
7. Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion and Annie Buist
8. The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth by William Boyd
9. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
10. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin