Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles

Care of Wooden Floors is about a man who goes to stay in his friend’s flat while he is away in America. The flat is in an unknown country in Eastern Europe. The narrator’s friend, Oskar, is a bit fussy when it comes to being tidy and everything being in its rightful place. Oskar has left helpful notes around the flat suggesting things the narrator might do, go to a concert, and instructions on when and how much to feed the cats. A fact he emphasises is that the wooden floors in his flat are very expensive, so the narrator must try to keep the in the state in which he found them. Clean. As you can probably guess – chaos ensues.

The reader never learns the name of the narrator of the book and I’m not sure why that is. There is no reason for him to be anonymous. The only thing I can think of is that Wiles is trying to make the flat the main character rather than the narrator. However, this is speculation and only come to me having reached the end of the book. The unknown location sort of makes sense because someone from that place will inevitably read it and find something wrong with the description. But why not make a name up? I thought the air of mystery was a bit over-dramatic.

Wiles has quite a flowery style of writing. Not everything needs to be a simile or a metaphor or even both. Wiles didn’t seem to get this memo. Probably half of the descriptions are unnecessary. The book isn’t that long anyway but you could definitely lose a few pages. It distracts you from the story because once you’ve read this long description you then have to remember what happened before that. Although, to be fair, not a lot happens. You can’t help but think he’s just been on a creative writing course and tried a bit too hard to get it exactly right.

This is supposed to be a funny book. I didn’t find anything funny in the book. I can see where he was trying to be funny by causing unfortunate things to happen but that’s not the kind of thing I find funny. Also, slapstick is very difficult to write, being such a visual form. Maybe some nice word play or something would have been better. Comedy is a difficult genre to write and this book shows this. On the other hand, if it’s not supposed to be funny then I’m not really sure what was going on. It’s a little bit like Peep Show, so if you like that you may like this. However, for me neither book, nor Peep Show, are funny. They’re awkward.

The narrator of the book doesn’t seem like a particularly nice person. You don’t really learn an awful lot about him but he doesn’t seem to be very happy but at the same time doesn’t want to change that. He plans to do some writing while staying in the flat yet doesn’t do any. He spends the whole time drinking wine or being passed out from drinking wine. There are only so many times you can have this happen in a book before it gets boring. The book takes place over eight days. Perhaps six of those days he wakes up from having drunk too much. I didn’t find myself able to relate to this book at all.

Overall rating 2 out of 5.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

The Woman in Black is a ghost story. It is narrated by Arthur Kipps, a solicitor, who has been sent to go over the papers of an old lady who has died to see if there is anything useful there. The lady lives on the outskirts of a small village in the English Countryside. Her house is slightly unusual in that it is only accessible at low tide via a causeway. Arthur starts seeing a woman dressed all in black in different places, sort of following him around. He ends up staying in the house as there is so much to sort through. At night he starts hearing strange noises. He gets properly freaked out as this happens every night in one form or another. He decides the best thing to do is just get the hell out of there, so he does. He is narrating this story because he feels he needs to tell someone because it still haunts him even though he is now an old man.

To begin with, I was a bit reluctant to read this book. I had read another of Susan Hill’s books at school and really didn’t like it. Mainly for the subject matter. So I was a bit unsure how this would turn out. The story is told simply and really doesn’t take that long to read. It gradually builds up the suspense of who the ghost is and why she is there. You can figure out the story for yourself along the way too as she leaves clues that people mention or something that Arthur reads in the old lady’s papers. It was fairly predictable with the plot line, and I would have maybe liked a bit more to happen in it. However, it seems to me that Hill is trying to make it more realistic and less Hollywood, as it the temptation with this sort of book.

The story is well told although I didn’t feel I quite got the sense of just how terrified he was of being in that house. Being such a short story was sort of odd too. She could have easily made the books twice as long with accounts of other villagers’ experiences and more of the ghost. I suppose she figured that less is more and we could fill in the gaps for ourselves. The only problem with that is that not everyone has a very good imagination! In a way, it is perfect for making into a film because you can read the book and then watch it to get the atmosphere. As part of the scariness is the weird noises, that should come across better on screen.

I liked the book more than I was expecting to but it’s not the greatest book I’ve ever read. It’s classed as a teenage book and I think that’s about right. It’s a bit simplistic for an older audience but just about right for a teenager who wants a good ghost story to read. Ghost stories are just as bad as horror stories for their stereotypes. I think Hill has ignored these and just written it how she wants to, which is how I think you need to approach such a genre. I might consider giving Susan Hill another chance and read more of her books as I am aware she is a well liked author. The Woman in Black is a fun read and I will now be watching the film to see how that compares.

Overall rating 3 out of 5.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Cloud Atlas is sort of six stories in one and spans hundreds of years. It starts with the diary of Adam Ewing, an American who has travelled to the Chatham Islands near New Zealand. The letters of Robert Frobisher to Rufus Sixsmith follow this, an Englishman who has been disowned by his father so travelled to Belgium to study under now-disabled musician Vyvyan Ayrs. The text becomes a chaptered story of Luisa Rey. She is an American journalist who, after meeting Rufus Sixsmith, discovers that a power plant are planning to open up despite the fact that the site is unsafe. Investigative journalism can be a dangerous business. Next a monologue. Timothy Cavendish is a publicist who has just hit the big time because one of his clients, Dermot Hoggins, has murdered a critic. Hoggins’ brothers want a share of the money but Cavendish doesn’t have it. He goes on the run and ends up trapped in an old people’s home. We are then propelled into the future where there are robotic human clones who do everything for us. One of them, Sonmi-451, is in prison being interviewed as she’s had the gall to rebel against the norm. With the help of the Union rebels she has become a functioning human. The final part takes place after the apocalypse where nothing is safe anymore. An army is out killing everyone and Zachry has to live with this constant threat.

Although it sounds complicated, all the stories are linked together so it makes sense as you work your way through the stories. The order of the book is Adam, Robert, Louisa, Timothy, Sonmi-451, Zachry, Sonmi-451, Timothy, Louisa, Robert, Adam. To begin with I thought this was a bit odd but because the book takes place over such a long period of time, having that sequence keeps you connected to all the characters. Not all of the characters are likable but you know you’ll be moving on before too long. The style of each story helps differentiate between all the main characters and who the minor characters are in each story. Each main character is so different from the last that it is enjoyable to explore the personality of each person. Some find themselves in peril by accident but others are born into this scary world.

The book is well written and keeps your attention throughout. Some of the stories are left on cliff-hangers until you get to the next part. As long as this is the only book you are reading at the time and you have the time to read it on consecutive days, rather than leaving weeks in between reading, you can pretty much remember where it left off and so join back in with the narrative. Had this been his first book I’m not sure anyone would have gone for it, but as he is an established writer, people trust him to resolve it adequately. Some characters it would be interesting to know how they spent the rest of their lives. But in a way that’s not really the point and you do get some clues in the second half of their tales, or in the next tale in the timeline.

I wouldn’t say that this book is a light read although it does draw you in. I suppose it’s more a comment on the human condition. In general, people are the same, have been and will continue to be. It’s all about survival of the fittest. In our case, the fittest is the person who has power over others either in money or knowledge. There is also that humans like to be in control of their surroundings and their lives. None of our main characters are really in control of their lives and it’s how they react to this, given what control they do have, that is interesting. And at the end of the day, you just have to make the best of what you’ve got.

I would recommend this book although I don’t think it’s to everyone’s taste. David Mitchell knows how to write and I will try and read more of his books in the future. I did try and read this book once before. I don’t think I was in a reading mood particularly and so gave up fairly quickly. Reading it this time I was up for an epic story and that was exactly what I got. The book starts in the middle of Adam’s trip to the Chatham Islands. I had to Google the Islands. Having found out they were real and where abouts they were I felt more engaged with the book and once I’d started I couldn’t put it down! Some of the future scenes were a bit tricky to picture but I think that’s more my problem than the author’s lack of skill.

Overall rating 5 out of 5.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Shadow of the Wind is sort of an adventure book. It begins with ten year old Daniel being taken to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his dad. Daniel’s dad runs a bookshop in Barcelona and sometimes has cause to visit the Forgotten Books. This being Daniel’s first visit, he is allowed to borrow a book. The Cemetery is a labyrinth and he lets himself get lost until he finds a book that is calling out to him to be picked. That book is ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Julian Carax. It is the last book he wrote. Daniel stays up the whole night reading it and wants to read more of Carax’s books as well as find out more about Carax himself. This is not as easy as you would think. Someone has been buying all of Carax’s books and burning them. Daniel wants to know why.

The story takes place between the years 1945 and 1966. The reader follows Daniel as he grows up, makes friends and falls in love. However, his life is never separate from that of Julian Carax. While growing up Daniel is always looking out for Carax’s books and meeting people who knew or remember him. When you are reading the book, there is always a presence lurking in the background, out of the main action. Occasionally Daniel senses or even sees this presence which scares him but doesn’t stop him from wanting to find out what it means. Through his quest, Daniel finds himself becoming part of family’s lives. At the same time he is also reuniting people from Julian Carax’s life who are all now leading separate lives after his disappearance to Paris.

Books play a big part in this book. Without books there wouldn’t be a puzzle to solve and without books there wouldn’t be people who would be able to help. Daniel makes friends with Fermin Romero de Torres, an eccentric war veteran who can talk information out of anyone. As well as being comic relief, he also plays a major role in keeping things moving. It’s not the easiest book to read as there are lots of threads that all join up towards the end. As there are so many strands, it can be tricky to keep track of who everyone is. Sometimes there weren’t enough prompts to remember who people were but there are several families involved, it wasn’t too bad.

The book is really about Julian Carax being told by the people who knew him. Some well, some not so well. Some friends, some enemies. Almost every character gets a full story because they grew up with Julian or explain their background in order to show how they met Julian. Barcelona is the only setting and it could be described a bit more than it is. There are some slum areas where several people are living on top of each other, with just one or two rooms each. There are more affluent areas with mansions that have their own chapels and crypts. The edition that I read had a walk on the back where you could visit some of the locations mentioned in the book. I thought this was a nice idea as it does make you want to visit.

I didn’t really know what to expect with this book but I enjoyed it and will read the rest in the series. I don’t know what it is but the Spanish seem to be able to do threatening and sinister well. One of the characters is very much a baddie who you would definitely not want to get on the wrong side of. This is demonstrated in the climax of the book when everything comes to a head. Once you get three quarters of the way through the book you know what is going to happen and can see what the author is doing with the characters of Daniel and Julian. Other than that the story held my attention throughout and all the information is divided between conversation and letters so that you don’t get overwhelmed with all you are being told. Most of the characters are likeable and you want them to be happy. What is interesting is how different people growing up together can turn out so differently from one event taking place. In this case, the attempted murder of Julian after he decides to pursue a girl who one of the others in his group thinks himself in love with.

As well as being a good story I found it to be a good study of the human being. I suppose that books are very important for that. Different personality types deal with things in their own way and you are bound to sympathise with some more than others. And also how people deal with making their own mistakes and seeing other people make mistakes. Some take note and learn from it while others are not like that. I thought that was interesting.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist follows the story of orphan Oliver from his birth until he is a teenager. In this short space of time, more happens to Oliver than happens to most people in their whole lives. His mother dies giving birth to him and his father is unknown. As a result, Oliver is put into a workhouse where he is lucky to make it through til his twelfth birthday alive. He is then apprenticed to a coffin maker and bullied by a boy who hangs around there. Not being happy where he is, Oliver runs away and gets all the way to London. There he meets the Artful Dodger, Charley Bates and their boss, Fagin. Oliver spends some time with them until he realises they are thieves. He gets taken in by a man who takes pity on him but Fagin is out to get him back. He succeeds and Oliver is sent on a job with Bill Sikes. He gets shot on the job and is nursed back to health by a girl and her mistress, and the local doctor. Due to meeting these people, Oliver finds out who he really is and why Fagin was so keen to keep Oliver with him.

This is a well known story so I already knew what would happen before I read it. However, I didn’t know the specifics and it is a good read. Some of the descriptions of London and where Fagin lives were confusing but I’m not familiar with London and lack the imagination to really picture what it must have been like living in the slums with so many other people and detritus around you all the time. There’s not an awful lot of description of the surroundings as Dickens is more focused on the characters, of which there are a fair number to keep track of.

The same handful of people from Oliver’s past reappear in the book so it helps to have a good memory for names, although you are reminded who they are. The majority of the people aren’t really bad which I think is why people like it. Fagin and his boys may live in the slums but they are making the best of it. They only steal from people, they don’t go out to physically hurt anyone and they mostly steal handkerchiefs and snuff boxes. Sikes is a nasty piece of work but reading it in the twenty-first century, you can tell that he is mentally unstable and should be in hospital getting treatment.

Really, Oliver is just a plot device in order to examine the lives of the poor living in London who are constantly looking over their shoulders for the police and never know where their next meal is coming from, or indeed when. They live a tough life and as a result, are tough people. But they’re not unhappy. They enjoy what they do and make the best of it. Oliver also spends time with some of London’s middle income residents. These people have servants and have other residences in the country. These people aren’t as happy but are content in their own way. A reason for their subdued nature becomes obvious at the end of the book when Oliver’s past is revealed.

This book is worth a read even if you do know the story. Every character, even the minor ones, has their story told and their time in the spotlight. There were only a couple of characters I found myself disliking but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. The main thing that surprised me was that none of the well-known characters in the book have more focus on them than the less known ones, even Oliver. They all have equal time spent on them. I suppose there is something fascinating about the underworld of London that has made them stick in people’s minds. Also they do have the bigger personalities so that makes them more memorable too.

Overall rating 5 out of 5.

The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert

The Secret of Crickley Hall follows the Caleigh family as they move into Crickley Hall for a couple of months while Gabe Caleigh works in the area. The family have taken the decision to move away for a couple of months at this particular time as it the first anniversary of a family tragedy. Gabe scouted out the area in the summer and it looked like a beautiful setting. Come autumn everything is different and the constant rain and wind doesn’t help matters. The family dog refuses to enter the house and in the night they hear strange noises that have no other explanation than paranormal activity. Understandably, the family are a bit freaked out and so try to discover what on earth is going on. They may come to regret that decision.

This book is your traditional horror book. It has the haunted house in a remote location, the family who are emotionally vulnerable, rumours from past occupants and locals and wild storms that cause power to fail and phone lines to come down at inconvenient times. While all these clichés should be off putting, and I must admit I did roll my eyes a couple of times, it doesn’t detract too much from the story. It is still scary and when you think you know what’s happening you don’t always. I think horror must be a difficult genre to write because there are so many clichés but in order to write a horror story you need to use at least some of them.

It started off a bit flowery and I was worried there would be lots of unnecessarily over the top descriptions but there weren’t. The descriptions aren’t too long so they don’t distract you from the plot which allows the story to carry you along with it. I like a book that draws you in doesn’t make you think too hard because you’re too busy reading on in order to find out what happens. James Herbert is a bestseller for a reason. He tells a good story that you can escape in to.

The only other horror novels I’ve read have been by Stephen King and I don’t always find them easy to get in to. With James Herbert I found that happened easily and would read more of his books. It has also made me interested in reading more horror in general. The thought of it being a genre full of people falling in love with vampires and werewolves had sort of put me off. Crickley Hall is a long book and towards the end there is a bit too much exposition all at once but the length felt right for all the twists and sub-plots that there were.

Crickley Hall is one of James Herbert’s recent books and some reviews I have read said his older stuff is better. I will have to look in to this. I was drawn to this one because of the title and I do like an old house. Horror is not my favourite genre but I don’t think it’s given enough credit because it has had the piss taken out of it so much. Also the fact that there are so many scary films around, some people may think that a scary book is just never going to be as scary as a film. To a certain extent this is true as with a book if you get scared you can just flip to the back and see how it turns out. But books can be scary too and especially when the author leaves a chapter on a cliffhanger and then goes and focuses on another character it keeps the suspense going.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

Blackout by Connie Willis

Blackout is a time-travelling adventure story. It’s set in 2060 and follows three historians, Polly Merope and Michael. Historians in 2060 do their job differently than historians do today. They don’t guess how people lived by finding artefacts or reading works of the time. Instead they travel to the time in question and actually live the history. They have a whole team of people to prepare them for their journey from clothes to important dates to driving the vehicles of the time. Our three historians all go to World War Two to separate areas of England as each is researching something different. They cannot be seen to appear in to thin air so each is given a ‘drop site’ that delivers them where they are supposed to be and allows them to check in when needed.

I do like a time travel novel where people go back to what is, for us, fairly recent history. Having each character looking into their area of interest means we get to see how people in London view and experience the war compared to people in the country who are taking in evacuated children and collecting items to help with the war effort. It helps break the story up and keeps you reading as she often leaves you on a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter and the next one is from someone else’s point of view.

The book is written to draw you in and take you on a journey with these three people. Willis creates vivid images although, having not experienced anything like it, it is still difficult to imagine just how terrifying it is being in the middle of a war. Polly, who is based in London, has memorised all of the big department stores on Oxford Street that get bombed and when so she can get a job that will be safe. She also knows the area that will get bombed each night. Even though she has this information she is still terrified and doesn’t always trust that what she knows will happen will actually happen.

The characters are all fairly similar in that they are all historians and are all based at the same university. They are all keen to be in on the action but their boss is very cautious and doesn’t like them to be in danger zones. They have all time-travelled before too, so they have certain expectations of how their trip will go. However, when things start to go wrong, that’s when you get to see their real personalities and how they cope in unexpected circumstances, away from the characters that have been created for them. They often have their research to fall back to get them through but sometimes they are unprepared as they didn’t always have time to get their research done. This allows them to understand even better, the people whose time they are living in.

Although it doesn’t seem that far in the future, Willis’s 2060 is an advanced time. The time-travellers are unsure how to do things that we wouldn’t even think about, like how to send a letter, where the stamp goes and the address. But the time isn’t so futuristic as to be unrecognisable. Not knowing an awful lot about WWII I enjoyed reading about how everyone did their bit to help and just got on with it once they’d got the hang of the raids. You have to admire the people who stayed behind to keep the country going as well as the amazing things the troops themselves went through. I will definitely be reading the sequel to this as it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Well worth a read if you like Doctor Who or historic or adventure stories.

Overall rating 5 out of 5

Gillespie & I by Jane Harris

Gillespie and I tells the story of Englishwoman Harriet Baxter and the months she spent in Scotland in 1888. She initially goes up to Scotland to see the International Exhibition that they are having in Glasgow. She also goes because her stepfather has a house not far outside Glasgow and she hasn’t seen him in years, not since her mother died. He’s a bit of a recluse so she needs to go to him rather than him going to see her. While walking around Glasgow she comes upon a scene where it appears a woman has fainted. Harriet, having had some first aid training when she looked after her aunt, goes to help. Having saved the woman, this begins Harriet’s relationship with the Gillespie family and the tragedy that befalls them.

The story is told at two different times. We meet Harriet in 1933 when she is about 80 years old and living in London, with a live-in companion to help with cooking, cleaning, shopping and so on. She is in the process of writing her memoirs, although it mostly seems to be about her life with the Gillespies. The story then flashes back to 1888 and we read her recollection as she is writing it. Usually I would find this a little bit annoying as there’s not always a point in doing it, it doesn’t add anything to the story. In this case there is a mystery surrounding Harriet’s companion. Harriet isn’t convinced the lady is who she says she is and thinks she may be a character from her past in Scotland despite trying to cover up her accent.

The story is told from Harriet’s perspective and so we only see the characters as she sees them and, when it comes to the tragedy, some of the information is second hand as Harriet herself wasn’t there for some of it. To a certain extent, our opinions on the characters are shaped by how Harriet sees them as she has more love for some than for others. It’s also a bit frustrating because you don’t get to see people’s motives for their actions. But that’s sort of the point. You’re not sure who’s side you should be on.

The story is full of twists and especially towards the end you really feel for Harriet and the situation she finds herself in, but also for the Gillespie family who haven’t been able to cope with their tragedy in peace. It is an interesting character study on how different people cope with the same situation, and how they react to the people around them. Of course, how close you are to the tragedy also is a factor. You think you know how a character feels about another character but as soon as something comes along to challenge that, some will stand by how they felt but some will be swayed by the manipulation of others.

It gets off to a slow start so you can get to know the characters and what their day to day lives are like before they are torn apart. Having started slowly it all ends quite quickly after the tragedy happens. You don’t have time to stop and think as you’re dragged along to the end. You’re not sure what’s going to happen to Harriet in 1890 although you know she is fine 40 years on. But 40 years is a long time. I did enjoy the story. I didn’t really know what to expect and due to spoilers the blurb on the back isn’t that great. However, this book is worth a read and gives you an insight into the Scottish legal system at that time.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach

This book is about a group of pensioners who through choice or accident end up spending their retirement in India at The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The book follows several different characters in their lives before the hotel and during their stay there. The main character, however is the hotel itself. When the book starts the Marigold, as a retirement home, doesn’t exist. It is just a small hotel run by a husband and wife that isn’t doing very well. It is the brain child of two cousins, one of whom wants to get his father-in-law out of his house. The problem is that the father-in-law isn’t welcome at any retirement homes as he is a nuisance. Therefore, the men decide that if no one will take him in they will have to create their own retirement home. And the further away the better. India is chosen as they are both of Indian descent and so have connections there.

Each of the residents has his or her own story of how they came to be there. The story doesn’t follow each character from before the Hotel to at the Hotel. Some we only really meet when they are there. Otherwise the book would be super long and they’d never get there. The people we do meet at the start are all widows who either live by themselves or in a retirement home. At the point where we meet them they are making do in a world that is unfamiliar to them. They have also, to a certain extent, been abandoned by their families, those that have them.

When they reach the Hotel they club together and make do, because that’s what they’ve always done. They probably wouldn’t know what to do with a perfect life with nothing to worry about and everything being taken care of by their children or other family members. The Hotel is a bit run down and the owners are a middle aged couple who have their own problems and the chef is an alcoholic but that’s fine. They’ll get through it together. India is a culture shock for them with all the beggars on the streets and not being able to drink the water but they adapt.

The spirit of the characters is what make this book. You feel that the author has really thought about what it’s like to be alone after having so many people in your life before either through family or through work. Once you retire and your time is your own there’s suddenly too many hours in the day when before there were too few. Having them go to India and be the first residents of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is one of the best things to happen to them. They are surrounded by people in the same situation as them and they can work out this new life together. One of the characters likens it to being in boarding school and that’s what it is. Each character learns something about themselves and can point to their stay in India as being a turning point in their lives.

The book is slow to get going with introducing characters and their stories but once they are all together I found it an interesting study into how the different generations go about things. There is not a lot happens in the book but the people keep you reading. Everyone will probably identify with at least one of them. You follow the lives of some of the children of the residents and how they are starting to screw up their lives just as their parents are getting theirs together. The message I took away from this book is that while life is short and you should make the most of it, it’s never too late to discover who you are, to start again. But most of all, don’t ever think that your life is over when you reach old age, it can be the happiest time in your life.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

The Electric Church by Jeff Somers

The Electric Church is set in a future where the divide between rich and poor is even bigger and very obvious. The rich are literally above the poor in that they live in high buildings and travel by hover crafts. The poor live on the streets and have to get by in any way they can with a constant threat of death, either from other criminals or the police known as the SSF. The SSF are highly trained killers, the slightest thing and if they catch you then you can be tortured or even killed. Life in this time is not easy by any stretch of the imagination.

It is set in New York and London, there are some landmarks mentioned that everyone knows but are now just ruins. There have been a lot of riots which has led to the destruction of the world as we know it now. Life span is vastly reduced for the poor, the best way to earn money is to be a criminal or earn money killing criminals. There aren’t many buildings that are complete and lots of people are cramped into whatever room they can find. Food and drink is difficult to get hold of too. Impromptu bars get set up in buildings but only stay there a day or two before they are raided by the SSF and get closed down. Everyone knows this is going to happen so there are hidden exits from the building for the staff and in this case, one of the patrons.

The story follows Avery Cates, a criminal killer. He has messed up and is on the run from the SSF. It’s not just the SSF that he needs to worry about though. He also needs to worry about the Monks of the Electric Church. The Monks are essentially cyborgs, mechanical bodies with human brains in order for them to live forever preaching their message. However, they aren’t humans, they’re programmed to preach and convert people to their church. Avery gets recruited to do the biggest jobs of his life. He enlists the help of specialised criminals; tech, transport and weapons specialists to help him do the job. He isn’t used to being in a group so he needs to learn to trust the others to do what he needs them to in order to fulfil their task.

This book is a fun action packed adventure set in an oppressed, violent future. Avery, at twenty seven is a veteran killer. The reason he has survived so long is that he is good at his job. He is also very lucky. It’s sort of like a Big Brother type existence in that the SSF have records on everyone and always seem to know where people are. They can also see what people are doing on their computers, although there are some people who have old computers that are not linked in to the System so they don’t know what those people are doing. The book is not the best written but it’s now bad either. I don’t read a lot of Sci-fi stuff so it took me a little while to get into it and figure out what sort of world it was. After the first couple of chapters it sucked me in and I really enjoyed it. You can relate to Avery as he is trying to be the best that he can given the situation and doesn’t want to just mindlessly kill people or hurt people. I do find books set in the future interesting as it seems that technology just gets so advanced that nothing is secret any more. It’s a bit scary really, especially as it may not be all that unlikely.

Overall rating 4 out of 5

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

The book is about retired man, Harold Fry who receives a letter from someone he used to work with. The letter informs him that she has cancer and is dying. He is understandably upset about this and decides to write back. However, when he gets to the post box he doesn’t post the letter. He decides to deliver it himself. The story follows Harold on his journey and his wife waiting at home for him to get there. He isn’t prepared for his walk and has to overcome various obstacles along the way. His wife also isn’t prepared and she has her own things to overcome.

The book is written from both Harold point of view and his wife, Maureen’s, point of view. Usually, finding yourself stories are about young people but Harold has been retired for a few months when he starts to find himself. He’s got himself stuck in a rut. He did the same job for years and now he has nothing to do as he never really made any lasting friends in his job. He and his wife keep themselves to themselves and only really talk to their next door neighbour, Rex. They’ve got themselves into a routine and are now finding that they can’t get out of it. Until Harold receives a letter and changes their lives and their relationship with each other.

Harold meets a variety of people along the way. Sometimes they inspire him and keep him motivated to keep going on his walk. Sometimes he inspires them. They too may have found themselves stuck in a rut in their lives and telling Harold their story helps them to work their way through their problems. It’s often said that people don’t talk to each other anymore and you do get a certain sense of that as some of the characters have become isolated and no one seems to have noticed until Harold comes along. He is happy to talk as, doing his walk has got him doing things he wouldn’t normally, like engaging strangers in conversation. He finds that the majority of people are friendly and will help him if he needs to or offer him a cup of tea if they are chatting by their house. It’s not just the older generation who are happy to talk. Harold talks to everyone and they are interested in what he’s doing and share a part of themselves with him in return.

The only thing Harold has to do on his walk is think, and that’s exactly what he does. He thinks back to his life with Maureen when they were first married and how happy they were but now they barely speak to each other. He remembers what it was like when their son was born and how terrified he was that he wouldn’t be good enough as a father. He thinks back to his childhood and how his parents’ mistakes made him the person that he is. He is such an unassuming person that it doesn’t occur that he has problems that he hasn’t resolved and that his life isn’t as good as it seems. Harold’s walk has a massive effect on Maureen. She and Harold have been married for years and now he’s gone off on his walk she’s left by herself. She has to pay the bills and put the rubbish out, jobs that he would usually do.

Living in the technical age and meeting a lot of people, Harold begins to find out that people know who he is. Some of the people he’s met have told others about his walk and he’s gone viral. When he was able to walk by himself at his own pace and was able to take in his surroundings he had a sort of freedom. Now people know who he is, he finds people joining him on his walk. And while they think they are trying to help, this is Harold’s walk not theirs. When people get a whiff of fame they come flocking. There’s always someone who gets carried away and ruins it for everyone. Harold didn’t ask for anything like that to happen to him but now, anyone can become famous without even trying.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me think quite a lot about life and stuff. You really connect with Harold and what he has been through and the massive change he is making to his life. It’s a brave thing to do and it definitely helps that it was a spontaneous act. He would never have done it otherwise. It shows that you’re never too old to start again, to get new hobbies, make new friends or reacquaint with old friends. This is an excellent book and well worth a read. It’s not difficult to read and you’re with Harold all the way.

Overall rating 5 out of 5

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants is a coming of age story rather than a love story as that’s what it’s sort of been publicised as, especially the film. So I was expecting a love story but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a coming of age story. It follows Jacob who accidentally joins a circus when he boards a train in the middle of the night after failing to find somewhere to sleep. It takes him a while to become accepted by the circus people as they are a close-knit group. He has something that they need though, he’s a vet. He didn’t complete his exams but he has all the skills and experience, just not the certificates. They don’t care about that though. As long as he can keep the animals healthy enough to perform, that’s all that matters.

The story is well written and holds your interest. It is told by an old Jacob in a retirement home looking back on his life. A circus has arrived in town and he’s eager to see it but needs to be taken there by his family as the staff are unable to take him. In the days leading up to the visit from his family, and so the visit to the circus, he keeps having flashbacks to his time as part of The Benzini Brothers Circus. It’s a nice way to tell the story as some parts are referred to before they happen, or something happens in the home that triggers a memory for him. Despite this method the story is still told in a linear fashion which I liked. The writing style is good and the descriptions are vivid although the character descriptions could be better. You have a stereotypical idea of them in your mind and that doesn’t really change.

The history of it interested me. I like a circus but they’re more acrobat based now rather than having lions and horses and elephants as this circus does. The circus travels around by train which, with America being a vast place, was the most efficient way of transporting everyone and all their equipment. Jacob’s journey from dogsbody to vet allows the reader to experience how different life was for the workers compared to the performers. The workers sleep in cramped conditions, some having to sleep with the canvases while the performers get nicer carriages. While some performers share, the environment is much more comfortable. I never felt I got a proper sense of scale and organisation involved in getting a circus around the country. It was clear that there were a lot of people involved, enough that there were three separate trains needed as they can only be so big before the engine can’t pull it. It certainly wasn’t an easy life and most people ended up there because they were free spirits and didn’t fit in anywhere else. But also, there was a sense that once you’re part of the circus and are useful to them it can be difficult to get out again unless you do something drastic but that could result in physical harm. The circus was a dangerous place and took a certain kind of person to be able to live and work on it.

The characters are a good mix of personalities. Jacob is a bit lost and is finding his way. Uncle Al, who runs the circus, is a megalomaniac and ruthless when it comes to getting the best from his staff. He’s out to make money. August, who is in charge of the animals, sort of takes Jacob under his wing but his personality is volatile and he can be nice one minute and unpredictable the next so Jacob doesn’t really trust him but is scared of him. Marlena, the performer, is sort of your typical female love interest, there’s nothing that special about her. Kinko is one of the performing dwarfs and Jacob’s roommate, he is hostile towards Jacob to begin with but eventually they bond. The real star of the book doesn’t appear until half way through and that is Rosie the elephant.  She has a wicked sense of humour and won’t take shit from anyone.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I was expecting to. It had more substance to it which was good. I liked the character of Jacob although he was a bit irritating towards the end and you just wanted him to grow up a bit. The minor characters made the book for me. I would have been happy had it just been a novel about working in a circus in America in the 1930s. I didn’t mind that it was told via flashback, it would have worked either way. It’s worth a read but I’m not sure if I want to see the film in case it’s too Hollywood. It held my attention and you really felt for the characters and the way they were treated. It’s not amazingly descriptive but it’s enough.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

I’ve not seen the film of Howl’s Moving Castle but I can see why it was made into an anime film as it was pretty much made for it. I will definitely be watching the film at some point to see how they’ve done it. There are lots of different landscapes that I imagine the animators had fun with.

The book is set in the past but in a past where magic is an actual thing. It follows the story of a girl called Sophie. She is the eldest of three sisters and her dad and step-mum run a hat shop in the village where they live. As the eldest she isn’t really expected to amount to an awful lot. Elder siblings never do. All is going well until she gets turned into an old woman by the Witch of the Waste. Sophie can’t tell anyone what’s happened to her so leaves the village and ends up at the castle of Wizard Howl that moves across the landscape but never comes into the village itself. Howl is an evil wizard who steals young girls’ hearts. The story then follows the adventures of Sophie as an old woman trying to break the spell on her and encountering other people with curses on them on a similar mission to herself.

I was a bit unsure of the book to begin with but really enjoyed it in the end. Sophie is a likeable character and, although she has her bad days, is generally pretty cool. She accepts the fact that she has been turned from a young woman into an old woman with stiff joints very calmly. That can be overlooked as it is a children’s book and not an overly serious one.  She’s not going to take any nonsense from anyone either, be it Howl or a scarecrow. I suppose growing up in a world of magic you’re not going to be as easily shocked by strange occurrences as you might be. Sophie has also taken on the mentality of some older people and just isn’t fazed by anything, she absorbs the situation and processes it later.

Howl is a different kettle of fish. Not having things from his perspective it’s difficult to tell what he’s thinking and what his motivations are. He’s in a battle with the Witch of the Waste as they are both the two most powerful people in the land. Also, she put a curse on him. The problem with being magically powerful is that they can’t do it alone. Each of them has a fire demon to help them with their spells. They may have had good intentions to begin with but joining forces with a demon is never a good idea. While the demons aren’t inherently evil, the human mind is so easily manipulated that it often turns out badly.

Howl’s castle is almost a character in itself. It has one door but the doorknob has four different sides. Depending on which way up it’s facing you could end up in four different places. Three of the doorways come out in different places in the world that the book is set. The fourth place that you come out in is our world. You see, Howl is originally from our world. I’m not sure it explains how he ended up where he did but it may have something to do with the Witch of the Waste. It’s an idea that’s been explored before but it works well here. It shows a more human side to Howl as you get to see some of his family and how he interacts with them.

I didn’t really know what to expect from the book but I did expect it to be a little bit odd just because there is an anime film of it. It is a strange book but it also sort of makes sense. It draws you in and you want to know what happens to the characters, even the minor ones like Sophie’s sisters and the not-so-minor ones like Howl’s assistant Michael. They each go through highs and lows and all have their reasons for ending up at Howl’s Moving Castle. They are trying to sort their lives out but also they have to help out others in their town with potions and powders, including the King.

The book has mysteries in it too as there are a few characters with curses on them. In order to break a curse a different character has to work out why or how the person has been cursed without directly being told anything. They can be given hints but only if they are subtle and the other person doesn’t know they are being given a hint. It’s a bit complicated but obviously if this wasn’t the case then curses would be really easy to break and there would be no point putting a curse on anyone. Despite being a children’s book it is really well written and is an enjoyable story. I will definitely read some more of Diana Wynne Jones’ books. She is a well-known children’s author for a reason. She tells a good story and combines reality with fantasy smoothly.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

This book is about the lives of two people; Sasha and Bennie. Bennie is a music producer and Sasha is his assistant. There are twelve chapters in the book and each one is told from a different person’s point of view. Each person has a connection to either Sasha or Bennie. Sasha is pretty much the main character but some of the narrators only know Bennie and have just met Sasha in passing. As if having each chapter being told to you by different people weren’t complicated enough, the timeline also jumps around a lot. This means once you start a chapter you need to work out who is telling it, how they relate to Sasha or Bennie and at what point in their lives they know them.

A lot of the characters recur in the narrations and so we glimpse their lives as they change too. Sasha was a wild child, hanging out with bands and running away when she was younger. She then gets her life together and goes to college and becomes Bennie’s assistant. She then reconnects with a boyfriend from college whom she marries and has two children with. Her life is obviously not a boring one and would have been a perfectly good story without all the jumping around on the timeline. I like her as a character, she’s independent and strong. Although she doesn’t have a conventional upbringing she calms down and has a family of her own. She’s not completely happy with her life but it’s enough.

Bennie used to be a bassist in a band. It wasn’t a very successful band and he wasn’t the greatest bassist but it led to him becoming a record producer and owning his own label. He acquires Sasha as his assistant who runs everything for him and makes sure he’s in the right place at the right time. He has been married and has a son from that relationship. He doesn’t see his son a lot and their relationship is an awkward one. He is contacted by an old bandmate who hasn’t been as lucky as Bennie. In the future Bennie has a new assistant, a new wife and child, and is preparing for a concert for his old bandmate. Bennie is your average flawed character and not really that interesting.

There is another character that links a lot of the characters together. Lou is a hippy who picks up a hitch-hiking girl. The girl is in a band with Bennie. Lou gets Bennie to the position he does as Lou is also a record producer and takes Bennie under his wing. Lou has various children from various relationships and the only time he slows down is on his death bed. At the end of the book all the characters have a connection to each other. This does bring everything together nicely but you do need to remember who characters are and how they’re related which can be tricky.

The book was well written and I read it all the way through but I didn’t really like it. It was too confusing when the story was already complicated enough. It’s trying to be too clever when it really doesn’t need to. The chapter from Sasha’s daughter was interesting because that was told in slides. The other characters’ narrations weren’t always easy to follow as there weren’t always speech marks so you had to check to see which parts were being spoken. I can see that this is a good book for book groups as it would definitely bring mixed thoughts to the table. I’m not sure how much I’d be up for reading more of her books. I think I’d have to flick through it first and see what sort of story it was. She’s a good writer and doesn’t need to try and be clever. It’s just confusing. It’s an interesting idea but didn’t quite work for me.

Overall rating 3 out of 5.

Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness *Spoilers*

The books follow twelve year old Todd Hewitt and Viola Eade as they discover and fight for the world they live in. The books are set on ‘New World’. Earth has become too full of people and too full of war so some people chose to leave and start a peaceful life on a new planet. Todd’s family were among the first to land on the planet. Viola is from a second wave of people about to land on the planet. Her family were sent to scout out the planet but crash-landed leaving her stuck on a new planet by herself. She soon finds Todd and they set off for the big city in the hopes that they’ll be able to contact the people on the motherships to let them know what happened to Viola.

However, it’s not that easy. They are held back by a tyrant ruler who, if can’t have everything, wants to destroy the world they’ve created. There is also the native species who aren’t too happy about their planet being taken from them and have decided they want it back.

There is an unexpected aspect to the planet too. Everyone can hear what the men are thinking all the time. They can’t hear what the women are thinking. The native species known to the humans as ‘Spackle’ communicate through their minds as both males and females can hear each other’s thoughts. Where being able to hear thoughts freaks the humans out, the Spackle have embraced it and communicate freely between each other using their minds, even if the person they want to talk to isn’t near them. They’ve connected themselves to the world, which is why they refer to themselves as ‘The Land’.

The idea of having men and women being able to hear men’s thoughts but not women’s is interesting. In the case of the Mayor, the tyrant, he hates this and so tries to wipe out all of the women from the planet. He succeeds is ridding them all from his town but other towns and the city still have women and are even governed by women. Most men don’t resent the women for not having ‘Noise’, in fact some find it helpful to their relationship as both parties are more open with each other and are stronger as a result.

‘Noise’ can also be a dangerous thing in the wrong hands. The Mayor and some of his minions learn to control their minds so that people can’t hear their thoughts. The Mayor even goes so far as to be able to invade men’s minds and get them to do what he wants. He creates armies and sends them off by using his mind so that they won’t question his orders. The only way to stop them is to kill the army’s Captain, which then releases the rest of the army from the hold that’s been put on them.

The native species of the planet are sort of what humans would be like if we didn’t have the desire to destroy everything around us. They are one with their planet and look after it and help it grow. They have life partners who they live with and stay with forever. The Land are ruled by their leader ‘The Sky’. The Sky makes the big decisions like whether to go to war with the human invaders but generally The Sky just keeps everyone together and living peacefully.

The main character, Todd has lost both parents to the war that the first settlers had with The Land and was then raised by two men. The book never specifically states that they are a gay couple but Todd does know that they both love each other, and obviously they both live together too. The main Spackle that we follow also has a male life partner and the Spackle is also male. Again, it is never said that they are gay but they too both love each other.

The author doesn’t address the issue of homosexuality and gay parents raising children. It’s not relevant to the story and I guess it’s not really that big of a deal any more in real life. It’s getting more common for same-sex couples to have children and so why should you have to state someone’s sexual orientation. It doesn’t affect whether they’re a good parent. If it was mentioned in a book that a man and a woman were living together and had a child you would probably assume they were together and it wouldn’t need to be said. So the same should be true for same-sex couples. I think not making anything of it helps it feel natural and that those sorts of things don’t matter any more in the future. Especially when everyone is too busy trying to create a new world.

The story is told from the point of view of Todd, Viola and one of the Spackle. It’s told in first person which I don’t always like but the story drew me in and I got used to it. I think it maybe helped, having multiple points of view, I might not have got on with it as much if it was just Todd. Being a trilogy of books it’s set over a few months and has a lot of action and emotion in it. Also, with the world being a vast place, while at some points the characters are in the same place, most of the time they’re having their own problems and fighting their own battles in different areas. Multiple points of view is also handy for building a situation up and then switching person at the crucial moment.

I really enjoyed this series of books and read them one after the other. It explores the human mind and human nature in an interesting way. Humans like to think of themselves as a superior species when actually they aren’t all that great. The books are categorised as teenage and this is the right age to be reading this sort of thing. There’s lots of action in it to keep you interested but it also looks at some interesting issues. While you know that the Mayor is a baddie, he does do a few good things and at certain points they do need him. Todd is his opposite, being a good person but they get along worryingly well and the Mayor begins to control Todd’s mind.

I think a message of this book is that we’re stronger and better together. Love conquers evil and everyone has a partner who is perfect for them. Family is a big part of the book. Sometimes people make their own family and this helps them grow and become better people. Humans are dangerous creatures and it can all go to shit very quickly. In order to get to peace sometimes you need to fight for it. Viola and Todd yearn for peace but very quickly learn that it’s not an easy thing to achieve and have to grow up almost instantly. It’s sort of  in a similar vein to The Hunger Games so I think if you like those you’ll like these. It’s gets you thinking and learning without you realising which I think is a good thing.

Overall rating 5 out of 5.

Essential Captain America Vol 5

I don’t normally read graphic novels but I’ve been watching The Big Bang Theory so have become curious because the characters love them. Ideally I would start from the start but this is the one I found so I’ve started with Vol. 5. I don’t know the back story of Captain America and his crime-fighting partner The Falcon but that didn’t really matter as they are stories that you can read by themselves but there is also references to past issues that you would get if you’d read them but it doesn’t matter if you haven’t.

I have tried to read graphic novels before but never really got into them. I found myself quite enjoying this one though. They are fun and don’t take themselves seriously. It does mostly consist of baddies turning up and Captain America and The Falcon having to find a way to defeat them but that’s okay. Some of the story lines last for several issues so you can learn a bit more about the characters and their lives. It also means the baddies can have more of a back story and be more evil than they would be otherwise.

Captain America fights all sorts of baddies that have powers that mean they can’t be killed by more conventional methods. Cap and Falc are conveniently very strong and agile, but I suppose that is the definition of a super hero. The costumes are obviously very important in a super hero too and the Cap and the Falc look pretty good. The pictures are really detailed and have a lot going on in them when there is fighting going on and close-ups of faces at moments of realization. You can see how these comic book drawings naturally lead themselves to becoming cartoons. You can feel the movement in the pictures.

The comics are set in the 1960’s but there are evil geniuses who are able to create technology that can wipe minds, send people between dimensions and alter people’s minds to believe whatever the person wants them to. It’s not just humans that have advanced technology. Sometimes the baddies come from other worlds, either by accident or on purpose, and they have all kinds of weapons available to them. It’s sort of like Dr Who in the sense that there are an infinite number of potential foes for the super heroes to fight. The writers can imagine anything and create technology to make it possible.

I think I would definitely read more of the classic comics. I wouldn’t necessarily go back and read more Captain America straight away, I would probably try a different super hero. If anyone wanted to try a comic or graphic novel who hasn’t really read any before, I think this is a good starting point as the stories are easy to follow and the characters are familiar from cartoons and films, so you have an idea of them before you begin.

It exceeded my expectations and I think people tend to look down on comics and graphic novels because they have pictures in them. In the same way that some children’s books are better than adult books, there are some really good comics and graphic novels out there; and of every genre too. Captain America would perhaps be the graphic equivalent of James Patterson or Nora Roberts, they’re fun books to just lose yourself in and don’ try to be anything they’re not.

Overall rating 5 out of 5.

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks

I’m not sure what to make of Sebastian Faulks as an author. He’s a good writer but there’s something about his books that are just slightly off. It may be that he seems to try too hard to be clever. While there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s also nothing wrong with making a story easily accessible to get sucked in to. I also suspect that he knows he is a good writer and this may have gone to his head a bit.

A Week in December is set over a week before Christmas. It follows, in varying degrees of detail, seven characters and the lives. Most of the characters are introduced as a list of guests attending a party hosted by a newly elected MP’s wife.

                John Veals is a hedge fund manager driven only by money. He is in the process of manipulating the stock market for his own financial gain. He is extremely clever with numbers and has no other interests whatsoever.

                Finbar Veals is John’s 16 year old son. He is left to his own devices by his parents and has unlimited access to his father’s wealth. He uses his money to buy drugs and pizza and spends all his time in his room watching reality TV.

                Hassan al-Rashid is a young Muslim radical with wealthy parents from his father’s food business. He is a member of a terrorist group who are planning an attack on London. Due to this he has distanced himself from his parents but remains friends with an atheist.

                 Ralph Tranter is a literary critic but that may be a bit generous. He spends his time being rude to people for a living and is as vile as possible. He refuses to accept that anything written after the nineteenth century has any worth whatsoever.

                Gabriel Northwood is a young solicitor who is struggling to find work and make ends meet. He has recently acquired a new case when someone jumped in front of a Tube train. He has recently stopped seeing the woman he was having an affair with.

                Jenni Fortune is a Tube train driver. She lives with her half-brother and enjoys playing an online role-playing game. She was driving when her Tube hit a jumper. Consequently she spends a lot of time with Gabriel, who is dealing with the case.

 

I did manage to get into this book although some things went over my head and I didn’t like some of the characters. The book seemed to go into John Veals world of banking a bit too much for my liking. There was too much banking language that I just didn’t understand. And while it may be the point that you can’t relate to him because he is banking and banking is him, spending a lot of time with him could sort of put you off as other characters are a lot more interesting. The majority of the characters are wealthy or from wealthy families which I also can’t really relate to. It definitely shows you that having money causes just as many problems as not having money. They’re just different problems.

 

The main problem I had with this book was the lack of female characters, or at least strong, believable women. Jenni is the only one who sort of fits this bill. However, she is into online gaming and drives a train so isn’t terribly feminine. Some female readers may have trouble relating to any of the characters and so struggle to read this book. The wives and mothers of the other characters Faulks focuses on have lead and do lead interesting lives and it might have been nice to have a bit more focus on them. I suspect Faulks has a bit of trouble writing convincing women for a long enough period for them to be a main character.

 

The concept of the story is a good one but the problem with only following people for seven days is that you need a bit of back story on them. Faulks has done this by having the characters thinking of how they got to where they are now. This is a little bit frustrating as there is no warning of these flashbacks so you do sometimes have to pause and think ‘is this a happening now or in the past?’. You do get the hang of it eventually, and there aren’t really any in the last few days. You definitely need them though, obviously. It is relevant to see how they got where they are and how their families and friends are affected by them.

 

This book is worth a read. Faulks tells a good story and does a good character study. He manages to flit between poor female train driver and posh stoner schoolboy with ease and they are obviously different. My only worry is how unlikeable these people are and the lack of relatable female characters for your average female reader. Even so I think it is worth persevering as it is an interesting study of the ‘great and good’ of London. It’s certainly not for everyone but it’s not a bad book.

 

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

I don’t think I would have ever picked this book off the shelf to read. It’s a crime novel set in the Soviet Union under Stalin’s rule. For starters I don’t really know much about Russia and haven’t really come across anything that involves Russia. It seems to me to be quite a secretive country. I also don’t know much about Stalin other than that he is a baddy. So this wouldn’t be the sort of book I would normally read. It was recommended to me by someone I know. He likes a bit of crime fiction and spies and all that sort of thing. I wasn’t convinced but he assured me that this book was worth reading. I said I would read it, so I had to.

The book centres on Leo Demidov, a member of the MGB, Russia’s elite police force. Except there are no crimes, so why do they need the MGB? The son of one of his colleagues is murdered and Leo is sent round to tell them that it was an accident, not murder. There are no murderers in Russia. Only he gets moved to another area of Russia and he finds another child murdered in exactly the same way. And another. Only the militia and the MGB are covering it up. They are blaming these murders on the mentally ill and social outsiders. They don’t think the killings are connected. There are no murderers in Russia so there certainly won’t be any serial killers.

To begin with the book jumps around a bit but that is to set the scene and to introduce you the characters and really the main character in the book, Stalin’s Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is the real killer. It is scary to think that people actually lived like that in the very, very recent past. Stalin was like a kid in a candy store plucking people out of their lives and putting them in Gulags or just killing them straight away rather than leaving them to rot in prison. It seems as if you could never relax, you always had to second guess everyone around you. Worst of all you had to second guess yourself. How would you actions look to others? Would they be likely to report you?

Tom Rob Smith has obviously done his research and that really shows in the writing. He drags you in with Leo into the heart of Stalin’s madness. Leo is an important character in that he starts off as a high ranked officer in the MGB, arresting people and assuming that because their name is on a list somewhere then they are definitely guilty. He doesn’t question his orders, just believes that they are right because the State is always right. When those views are shattered and he has to re-think every belief he had, if he didn’t have a military mind set he might not have got through it. He doesn’t really have time to process it. One minute he’s the accuser, the next he’s the accused.

The book is well written, the descriptions are vivid and you can picture what it must be like living in some of the toughest landscapes with one of the most severe dictators watching your every move. I enjoy books that teach you something whilst entertaining you and this was a real culture shock for me. I’d never stopped to consider what those people went through. The book is also full of action so it’s not all bleak and depressing. There are some thrilling moments in there too. Thinking back, I don’t think any of the adult characters laugh in the book. Even the children are very adult from a young age.

A lot of the characters aren’t likable. Even the ones that are you sometimes don’t like the decisions they make. Some of the reason that Leo is likeable and you are interested in his story is his wife, Raisa. She forces him to see her as an equal. She helps him solve and investigate the murders. To begin with they aren’t close but by the end they realise that they work well together. Without meaning to sound trite, she makes him more human for the reader. As soon as he loses his position and is no longer likely to have her or her friends arrested at a moments notice, she really comes into her own and is a strong female lead character.

This book definitely surpassed my expectations and having skimmed the first few pages of the sequel, which were at the end of this book, I will be reading the sequel too. I’m not sure why I’m so put off by novels set in some countries. It may be to do with the culture being so different, and me having very little imagination, I’m not sure I’ll be able to relate or understand the characters’ actions and feelings. Reading this has changed my mind to some extent. I may be broadening my reading horizons.

Overall rating 5 out of 5.

Reading Wrap Up March 2013

These are the books I read in the month of March and a rating out of 5.

Game of Thrones by George R R Martin  --  5/5

0.4 by Mike Lancaster  --  4/5

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman  --  5/5

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan  --  3/5

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan  --  3/5

Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin  --  4/5

Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan  --  3/5

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan  --  4/5


There are no reviews for these up yet as I have a backlog of reviews to post first and I want to post reviews in the order that I read the books.