Amalia Gkavea

UPDATE: The feedback from the children and the parents of my elementary classes has been overwhelming, therefore we can safely say that this book has been officially approved and loved by the persons of interest, that is the children themselves:)

What a gloriously beautiful book! It reminds me of the ones we used to have when we were children, in a time that was much more innocent, less dangerous. When it was easy for the parents and the teachers to communicate the love for reading since there were no mobile phones, no bloody idiotic Facebook, no ‘'teen'' programmes that manipulated the children to behave as spoiled adults before their time. Back then, we didn't need fancy page material or gore and princesses painted to look like vampires. We needed books that were simple enough for a child to understand and with a message (as old-fashioned as it may sound) for the adult to convey.

‘'The Frightened Little Flower Bud'' deals with a crucial worry of ours, the fear of letting our children develop themselves freely, because we either want them to do exactly as we do or because we don't want them to be hurt or disappointed. The anxiety that comes when our child is a bit more introverted than we'd want and as a teacher, I've often seen this worry on many parents' eyes. With simple and beautiful texts, Renée shows that the bud takes its own risks no matter the circumstances and, many times, out of a negative, contradictory situation something positive occurs. The symbolism is poignant and couldn't be more relevant to our current times, when parents and teachers are plagued with all kinds of fears and uncertainties over our children's future. The illustrations inspired by the flaura and fauna of County Leitrim in Ireland are stunning. The post-reading activities are easy and useful for engaging the children, developing their thoughts on the subject and sharpening their observation skills.

As a teacher, I usually choose children's books to further familiarise my students with the main texts and try to develop their reading comprehension skills as much as possible. This is a book that can be used in class and become an exciting process for both teachers and students. It provides food for thought not only for our young ones, but for us adults as well, over the issues of restrictions, protection and coming to terms with the society of today. Renée Paule and G.R.Hewitt should be extremely proud of themselves. Many thanks to both for the opportunity to discover my class' new favourite read.

*Disclaimer- As always, any comments concerning politics will get the rough treatment. That is delete and block. And possibly end up with a chair on the head after a wonderful brawl...Inappropriate, I know:) *

“If Hieronymus Bosch had gotten around to writing poems, I suspect they would have sounded like Novica Tadić .”
Charles Simic

I feel this quote describes the nature of the poems included in this superb collection in a way more accurate than any review. This is my first foray into the work of Novica Tadić and the only word I can use to describe the experience is “shuttering”.

Tadić is considered to be the finest poet in Serbia and among the most significant literary figures of Balkan Literature. Born in picturesque Montenegro, he spent his life in beautiful Belgrade and his poems seem to reflect the idea of the metropolis and its influence in our lives. The isolation that often comes with living in a big city, the turbulent past of a country in a region that has suffered tremendously, paying a terrible price in blood and pain, the search for a kind of innocence and the danger of losing hope are the main themes in this collection.

The scenery is modern, urban but hellish. This is a city where demons are ready to attack. There are dark corners occupied by people without property, without future or hope. They are sitting, watching the passerby. Images of flames, destroyed buildings, houses blackened with smoke standing amidst a heavy darkness, bring to mind pictures and memories of wars we all try to forget in a not so distant past. Darkness and claustrophobia are always present. There are elements of well-known Balkan Folk legends and references to Biblical stories.

Unfortunately, I am not able to read the poems in Serbian (yet) and I am certain that much is lost in translation. Still, this collection is so powerful, dark, haunting, nightmarish. Unlike anything I've ever read in terms of poetry. What shocked me most is Tadić's descriptions of the violence coming from the mob, the sadistic tendency to continue beating sometime who has reached the lowest point that seems to be planted in every human being, looking for the chance to come to surface. As I was reading, the busy metropolis came alive in my mind. Nightly streets, still wet with rain. Dimmed lights in the distance, footsteps walking noisily in a hurry, lonely people smoking in a corner. Reflections of troubled faces on the glass. Reflections on the waters of the Sava and the Danube.

There were five poems that I couldn't stop thinking about:

Midnight Lady

“...Dumbstruck night creatureswill now see the face of death,the zero, the shrew, the abyss...”

Dark Things

“...Night is their kingdom,and this day, just breaking,is their cloak of light.”

Armful of Twigs, Dream

“...Flames rise and the glowbeyond the ecstatic crowdsinging, shouting and firing guns.”

City At Night

“...In this city with its dimmed lightswhere there appears to be no one,did you see the wreckers,wrecking buildings, wrecking bridges,filling up the river with rubble?”

The poem titled AMIDST THE NOISE is shuttering. A Guernica in poetic form...

I don't have anything more to say, except that you owe it to yourselves to read this collection. Sometimes, nightmares can be of a special kind, of striking beauty. I plan to visit the White City again this winter and I know these poems will not leave my mind easily...

1.Poor us, we are all kingswhen we gaze at the starry sky.2.The noise of the crowd grows fainton the town square and in our blood.3.The voice will re-enter the angel's trumpet.Once again hell will rise on its feet
(Night Passes)

‘'But there's more than right or wrong, don't you think? Life is no so...so neat as that.''

Helen Sedgwick has been on my radar for quite some time as her novel ‘'The Comet Seekers'' has been waiting in my TBR with much patience, begging me to start reading. After deciding to ‘'meet'' Sedgwick through ‘' The Growing Season'', I can only say that I've postponed it for too long. Without further ado, her new book is one of the most intriguing, fascinating, exciting Speculative Fiction (or perhaps, Alternative Reality) I've ever read.

The novel is a difficult one to handle, in terms of the various ethical and social dilemmas it chooses to bring to the spotlight. The central idea is the notion of ectogenesis, the pregnancy and birth outside the womb, with the means of a baby pouch, a sack, essentially, which becomes the shelter of the embryo until the time to meet the world comes. The pouch can be ‘'carried'' -as it is- by men and women. Grandmothers can ‘'give birth'' to their great-grandchildren and it seems that the idea of absolute equality and the avoidance of the risk and pain of natural birth are behind the development of the scheme. But what if the ethical, social, physical implications? This is for the readers to decide...

In this extraordinary (quite literally...) novel, we have four main points of view. Freida, one of the creators of FullLife, Holly, an elderly woman who became the first to ever use the pouch and who's currently ‘'carrying'' her granddaughter's child. Eva, the daughter of Avigail who was a sworn enemy of the program and Piotr, a journalist, who was in a relationship with Eva a few years ago until a tragic event which caused a rift between them. So, Sedgwick gives us a complete, well-balanced view of the problematic and highlights the common bonds that bind these 4 very different people together. The need, the hunger for parenthood and the wish to right the wrongs, to find the truth. However, the sense of what is right and wrong isn't concrete and the characters clash and come together in equal proportions.

The themes that are communicated in Sedgwick's book are complex and of extreme importance and relevance to our modern society. What truly consists the notion of parenthood? What if the danger that comes with giving birth is extinguished, but the potential threat of a world where women are looked upon as completely recyclable becomes apparent? Does one have the right to interfere with Nature if there's no medical reason? I don't believe these are questions that can be relied on the spot and each one of us has a different notion of where our limits (if any...) as humans lie. This is what I really appreciated in this book. Sedgwick is never preachy or didactic. The way I understood it, she presents as many points for and against the program through her characters and allows us to think and attempt to make a decision. A good writer oughts to be objective and in my opinion, Sedgwick succeeded. Speaking strictly for me, I can say that I definitely shared Avigail's anxieties and doubts.

Coming to technicalities, I found the writing to be almost impeccable. The purse is full of beautiful images and I read her descriptions of the Trans-Siberian route with nostalgia, while others are so powerful, harrowing, filled with pain and despair. There is loneliness, sadness, but there is also hope and love. We get different personal stories throughout the narrative which is enriched with the inclusion of audio and video logs. There were a couple of problems, though. The transitions from the present time to the past, from interactions to inner thoughts weren't very clear and proved quite confusing AT times, so this read requires your full attention. Also, I agree with Adina's observations regarding a few open-ended issues. What went wrong with a number of the pouches? Why the need to resort to pouches instead of natural birth? It's not fully explained, apart from a few personal convictions of the characters.

The cast of characters is very interesting and realistic,although not the most sympathetic people in the world. Eva was very strong, albeit a bit too thick-headed, Piotr was kind and considerate and sort of the layman's yes in the story. I really, really liked the dynamic between these two and I was deeply invested as to how their personal journey would end, equally to my wish to fnd the answers to the main mystery. Holly was a bit dogmatic and heavily misguided at times, Avigail and Freida were fascinating women standing at the two ends of the spectrum. Rosie I found to be insufferable, James and Kaz were indifferent.

So, this book is highly, highly recommended. Give it time and it will grow on you (pun not intended...), although I suspect you'll be hooked within the first couple of chapters. And as for me, I need to start reading ‘''The Comet Seekers'''as soon as possible. I think that ‘'The Growing Season'' is a novel that will be talked about in years to come...

Many thanks to Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Although I am an avid History reader, I always approach any Non-Fiction History books with caution, since we all know that no Historian (either professional or amateur) can be wholly objective, especially when it comes to biographies. Now, I can't claim to be much familiar with Alison Weir's work, but she comes highly recommended by trusted Goodreads friends and since the extraordinary queens in English History have always been a favourite subject of mine, I chose “Queens of the Conquest” eagerly. I wasn't disappointed. I found the book to be thoroughly researched and a satisfying read with only a few weak parts.

The book narrates the lives of the queens of England after the Norman conquest in 1066 but doesn't include Emma of Normandy and Eleanor of Aquitaine (who is mentioned in the periphery, nonetheless) along with Isabella of France since Weir has written separate biographies of the two illustrious monarchs. So, our focus is on Matilda of Flanders of the Bayeux Tapestry fame, Matilda of Scotland, Adeliza of Louvain, Matilda of Boulogne, and my personal favourite, the Empress Maud.

Weir stresses the fact that sources of information coming from monastic chronicles are difficult to be trusted. Think of the raiding Vikings and the horned helmets which was a fairy-tale way for the monks to refer to the Norsemen as the personification of the Devil. And it is to be expected that the views of the Church authorities about a woman in a position of full power were not favourable, to put it mildly. It is evident in her writing that Weir tries to create a balanced view of each queen by presenting the positive and the negative opinions of the time. She includes letters, chronicles and testimonials to paint a portrait of each woman that will be as rounded and objective as possible. In my opinion, she succeeds to the fullest and creates a vivid biography by providing background information about the era, the daily life, the castles, the clothes, the customs and beliefs.

“And so it lasted till the land was all undone and darkened with such deeds; and men said openly that Christ and His Saints slept”

The narration of the war between Maud and Stephen and the time of his reign which was called “The Anarchy” is the most fascinating moment of the book, in my opinion. Maud has always been one of my favourite queens along with Isabella of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine. I like the rebel queens who refused to be defined by their husbands and bend the knee. Maud is also one of the reason I love Follett's “The Pillars of the Earth” so much. Part 4 is a beauty. There we have the first years of Henry's reign in the shadow of his mother, Maud, and his wife, Eleanor.It is an era that most history buffs are very familiar with, an era that brought about so many changes not only in England but in the whole European continent. Another incident that attracted my attention was the complex, turbulent relationship between Matilda of Flanders and William the Conqueror. If the historical anecdotes are indeed accurate, then Matilda was an extremely courageous woman to put up with such a husband. Not that there were many means that women could use to defend themselves at the time, whether they were queens or peasants.

The only weak part of the book, in my opinion, was the heavy inclusion of correspondence. Certainly, it helps us understand and realize that these historical figures that contributed in shaping Europe were people with fears, hopes, passions and incredible responsibilities on their shoulders. However, the Appendixes include the letters in their entirety. It became progressively tiresome to stop the narration in order to present quotes from the same letter again and again. Another thing that diminished my enjoyment was the plethora of syntactical and grammatical mistakes in my ARC. I hope and - believe that they will be corrected in the published book, because they are almost childish at parts and yes, I am a serious case of Grammar Nazi, I admit.

Whether you are a connoisseur of the times of the Norman conquest and the monarchs that sealed England's future forever or whether you wish to become familiar with the lives of five of the most fascinating women to ever grace this continent in an era full of changes, fights and progress and all at the same time, this book will definitely satisfy your craving.

Many thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

“...what if we all behaved as if we were being watched? It would lead to a more moral way of life. Who would do something unethical or immoral or illegal if they were being watched?”

A significant majority of our planet's residents has access to the Web. This has been the way for decades now. We were provided with a great instrument in the everlasting search for knowledge. Everything is there for us to grasp. By pushing a button, a key in the keyboard, by touching a screen, knowledge that would fill millions of pages lies before our fingers and eyes. We use it for entertainment. Films, TV series, books, photos, games...you name it. We use it to establish, sustain and, perhaps, reheat relationships. That beloved friend from school is found via Facebook and a friendship of the past is rekindled. Our other half travels to the USA, to Russia, to China and we can still see him and talk to him because Skype is there for us and suddenly, the distance becomes less painful. (True personal story...) Online dating, dubious and dangerous as it is, provides a solution for a large number of lonely hearts.

The police forces worldwide can prevent crime (or so they claim...) by tracking a terrorist or a pedophile in the Net. We constantly let glimpses of ourselves be shown to people far and wide. We share our lives and others allow us to have a glimpse of their own. But we do it out of our own free will, we are responsible and ought to be aware of the traps that are spread in the vastness of the Web. So what happens when we're watched against our choice? Or eerily enough, when we are brainwashed to accept this as a virtue, a holy obligation, a twisted notion of belonging, of service to the welfare of the global community? What happens when everyone's lives become transparent and everyone can interfere to a citizen's life and choices in the four corners of the world?

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Circle, the Orwellian future that isn't so distant anymore....

“All That Happens Must Be Known”

Mae is an aspiring graduate who has just found the job of her dreams. She is required to reply to people's questions in an efficient but personal manner. She's constantly evaluated and watched by fellow workers and by supervisors alike. Soon, she finds out that her participation in social media is mandatory. She HAS to attend parties, activities, she HAS to have friends, followers, likes. She HAS to post photos, comments. Nothing should remain hidden, because this is a service to the global community. Mae falls victim to brainwashing and succumbs. The thought that she plays a significant role to the alteration of the world is firmly rooted in her brain. And from then on, an avalanche follows....

“To Heal We Must Know. To Know We Must Share”

In our society, few things are sacred anymore. One of those things that are truly our own is medical record. In Mae's world though, there is no such thing. Every health issue, past and present, must be known. Every ailment of theirs and their family members' must be shared, because how is an illness going to be defeated if there is no information available? In this nightmare, pain becomes a spectacle, discrimination over health condition is tangible.

“Privacy Is Theft”

Why keep everything private if you have nothing to hide? For the Circle, privacy means lies. It signifies that you have a tendency for isolation and depression. It means that you have the potential to become a criminal. And society must persuade you to join in by every means possible. You're not allowed to keep secrets, you need to become everyone's friend whether you like it or not.

As you can see, this novel is terrifying. It offers so much to think on in relation to our present and future societies. I admit I felt uncomfortable while reading it, noticing that much of what it describes can be traced in our daily lives. First of all, Eggers knows how to create anticipation. From the very start, despite the happy, humane, welcoming atmosphere, you can feel that something's amiss. The mellow voices of Mae's supervisors cannot hide the patronizing tone, the smooth way in which they offer threats covered with honey to attract the naive victim. There are obviously traces of Orwell's 1984 in the story. The creation of new words (TruYu, SeeChange), Eamon's political references, the tiny cameras located everywhere, the workers that cheer and clap in unison as if hypnotized.

Having said that, I feel that this was the major disadvantage of the book. I think that Eggers tried too hard to create a 1984 version for the new millennium so the effort was too obvious and the result of lower quality since it cannot be compared to Orwell's masterpiece. The similarities seemed forced because after all, Eggers may be a talented author but Orwell he is not.

The writing itself is quite good, but the dialogue is a really weak point. In my opinion, the language used by the Circle members is almost soulless, cold. Perhaps in the particular environment it is to be expected, but there were conversations between Mae and her parents or her friends that were cringe worthy. The second half of the book quickly becomes redundant, repetitive. The chapters towards the end, however, are harrowing. The mob's lust for blood, Mae's naivety that turns into malice create a kind of darkness worthy of a true dystopian universe.

The characters won't be up for any awards. Mae receives a lot of hatred and at first, I was thinking that she may be naive and frustrating but perhaps we judge her too harshly. We all want to satisfy our employers, especially in a new job and whoever claims the opposite is a big liar. At least, she seems kind and caring. These were my initial thoughts. But during the second half of the story, her behavior reached a whole new level of stupidity. I just couldn't stomach how blind and dumb she was. Frankly, it seemed implausible. Her parents, Mercer, Frances and Kalden were equally flat and annoying. Anne had some potential but for me, the most fascinating character was Bailey. He almost persuaded me, you know...That is how you create an effective villain.

The debate over the presence of cameras in every street all over the world after the 9/11 attacks, Security Vs Privacy is an ongoing debate, discussed again and again with the two sides having equally strong arguments. How we are brainwashed to think that a number of “frowns” and “smiles” would influence the actions of a democratically elected government, not to mention a regime...It's what I call (and it may sound too harsh and cynical) “The Keyboard Rebels”.

So this would be a 4-star read, but the similarity to 1984 made it less original and influential, in my opinion. And naturally, the writing -although mostly satisfying- lacked power and magnetism. However, I urge you to read it and think. Think where our world is heading. Think why it seems as if we're all aboard a train that moves in an incredible speed without brakes....

“You're either with the Donnellys or you're not, and if you're not, then you might as well be against them.”

Oh, the Donnellys...a weird bunch of people. Exasperating, opinionated, stubborn, and perhaps, a tiny bit slow-witted. They are in dire need to talk to each other and solve the multitude of problems that are hidden in their troubled household. In other words, a psychiatrist would have an awful lot of work dealing with the three women of the family. Usually, people like these make for very interesting stories and this is what we have here. A beautiful story -with not so beautiful characters- inside the pages of a book with an outstanding cover.

When death strikes, Jude, her daughter Sissy and her mother-in-law Anne are influenced in a way that changes their lives dramatically. They experience pain and loss to the point where strife begins and it seems that death brought to surface problems and wounds that were already there, waiting for the opportunity to appear. P. K. Lynch does a wonderful job in showing how loss can alter people rapidly. Jude becomes even more docile, Anne finds the chance to let her domineering, tyrannical self come forth and Sissy takes the cue to escape, to discover herself.

The writing in this book is superb. Simplistic and poetic with vivid, modern dialogue that are extremely well-written. There is an aura of dark poetry in the way the transitions from one character and theme to another are composed. Sissy, in particular, is given a couple of near-monologues that are moving raw in their honesty.

I found that loss, Catholicism and the influence of the city were the main themes in focus. We have people unable to fortify their lives and themselves from loss and misfortune, unable to stop the deterioration of the family relationships which seem to be devoid of love and compassion. This is where Catholicism comes into focus. Anne is a devout to the extreme Catholic who wishes to dictate every single aspect in the life on the Donnelly family according to her strict beliefs. This is something that easily happens in a household where the mother lacks the required strength of will to protect her child. London and Glasgow become the two poles of the story. Glasgow is the refuge, but it is a bleak and oppressive place in the eyes of Sissy. London becomes the metropolis, but its atmosphere is gritty, full of debauchery that becomes a false escape from despair and loneliness.

The characters of the novel is a troubling case. Anne is the one I loathed. A tyrannical figure who wants to control everyone, with her religious misconceptions and a twisted notion of matriarchy. She is a weirdly misogynist woman, cruel and manipulative, a true oppressor. No matter her story, she was insufferable and bossy. Nothing gave her the right to manipulate the family and impose her own medieval beliefs about sins and children in need of “salvation”. She complains she's never been loved. Well, no kidding...At a point, it became too much because it reminded me of my father's mother and her vile behaviour towards my mum. But that's another story. My point is that I hated Anne from the very depth of my soul and I didn't give a fig about her “personal drama”...

“All her life people had told her what to do. Why had she let them? Why had it taken all this time to realise she was her own boss? That she owed no one anything?”

Sissy is a wonderful character. She is determined to create her own life and prove she's worthy of some peace and safety. Clever, courageous, compassionate, enthusiastic even about the dullest of jobs. And what does she get in return? Cruelty and hypocrisy. (Bottom line, never be too kind with people. They seldom appreciate it...)Yes, she lives the wild, ill-thinking life for a while, but it helps her understand herself even better. She has no choice but to rebel against the tyranny of the past and she matures and flourishes in the process. Losing her father meant losing her emotional support and she's a teenager left with a woman who isn't really much of a mother at this point and a grandmother who's more of a psychopath. Sissy is a fighter and a learner and unafraid to admit her mistakes and correct them. And I far prefer fighters than hypocrites and pseudo-religious do-gooders.

Jude is a doormat, Danny is doormat number 2 with an extra dose of pathetic .Cam and Risk's presence is a complex case, I admit. I could never decide whether they were insufferable, whether I simply disliked them because of their behaviour towards Sissy or if they were the voices of wisdom in her life. The only other character with a few scraps of common sense in her head is Susan.

So no sympathetic characters in this one, with the exception of Sissy. But it doesn't matter because the strength of the book lies in the story and the writing. I almost read it in one sitting, something I haven't done in ages. In my opinion, this is definitely one of the finest books I've read this year.

Many thanks to Legend Times Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

“From that day to this, the headless ghost of Blackbeard has haunted Teach's Hole. Whenever the wind blows inland, you can still hear Blackbeard's ghost tramping up and down. It carries a lantern through the moonless night, roaring, ‘Where's my head?!' Whenever folks see a strange light coming from the shore on the Pamlico Sound side of Ocracoke Island, they call it Teach's light''

This lovely book contains folk tales from the fascinating, saulty and mysterious area of the South of the United States.It is divided into two parts. The first focuses on stories of ghosts, haunting houses and fields and the second is dedicated to witches, vampires, werewolves and other menacing creatures of the dark.

Some of my favourite stories are:
“The Cut-Off” from Louisiana : Atmospheric Mississippi foggy nights
“The Army of the Dead” from Charleston, South Carolina: A tale about the tragic warriors of the Civil War.
''The Death Watch” from West Virginia: A tale about a haunted coal mine.
“Blackbeard's Ghost” from Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina: Come on, it's Edward Teach!
‘'The Handshake” from Goldsboro, North Carolina: A tragic story of a young bride and a horrible man.
“Jack-o'-Lantern” from Alabama. A lovely version of poor Jack's ordeal.
“The Lady” from Richmond, Virginia: An eerie, dark tale of madness.
“The Bell Witch” from Adams, Tennessee: Who doesn't know this folktale?

The collection becomes even more beautiful and atmospheric by the black and white illustrations, drawn in a very attractive style, absolutely fitting to each story. The writing is simple but very effective and captures the distinctive Southern speech and the haunting feeling of the region. I enjoyed every page of this book and I look forward to try my luck with as many volumes of the series as I can find.

“And sometimes,” he continued, looking at me, “you can see Blackbeard's headless ghost floating on the surface of the water, or swimming around and around and around Teach's Hole, glowing just underneath the water, searching for his head. For Blackbeard is as proud in death as he was in life, and he doesn't want to meet the devil or his crewmates in hell without a head on his shoulders.”

I have a friend who is an avid Mercedes Lackey reader. Ever since we were young students in university, she's been trying to persuade me to try one of her books. “No, thank you”, I always said, looking at the cheesy, pseudo - medieval covers. Definitely not my cup of tea. Then, one day, I saw her holding this novel. The name “Gwenhwyfar” brought my beloved The Mists of Avalon to mind. “You won't like it”, she said. Okay, so challenge accepted. The female Eowyn-like warrior image definitely picked my interest and I started reading it. Despite certain problems with the characters and the story, I can say that my overall impression was positive.

I don't want to say much about the plot, because this is the greatest surprise, in my opinion. Lackey has taken a few of the numerous versions of Arthur's legend and combined them to create her own vision. Is it successful? For the most part, I'd say it is. We have a young woman, whose life we witness from an early age, trying to balance her position as a noble daughter with all the duties and obligations, and as the first and foremost warrior of her father and leader of his army. Seeing her struggle and her wish for independence unfolding was exciting.

The writing has many moments of beauty and a clear vision conveyed. There is attention to detail regarding the setting. There is a successful balance of political and strategic issues and the depictions of the daily life during the Dark Ages. The image of Gwenhwyfar as the White Spirit is haunting and quite original. For me, the part where Lackey really excels has to do with the references to Religion. Naturally, there is the duality of the Old Religion and the New, but not in a fight against each other. It's rather an attempt to have them co-exist and understand the differences and the unavoidable similarities. Gwenhwyfar respects both choices and finds the positive elements of each system of beliefs and I think this was refreshing. Even in “ Mists of Avalon” the polemic against one side turns out a bit too much, becoming almost a propaganda. Here, Lackey creates a balanced narrative. I'm not aware of her personal beliefs but as a reader, I consider her approach mature and professional.

Gwenhwyfar is a brilliant character. She is mature, bright, confident and brave with a deep sense of loyalty for her lineage and an unshaken belief in her abilities. She is able to understand her duty as a royal daughter and is far from obnoxious or petulant. I couldn't find a single dark spot in her character and I consider her one of the most well-written heroines in Historical Fantasy Fiction. The problem is that all the other characters- with the exception of her mother- are one-dimensional and completely uninteresting. Her sisters, her father, even the main antagonist and her love interest are flat and not particularly developed. Arthur is, perhaps, the worst of all. He comes across as a man completely unfit to be an absolute ruler. I couldn't see why he'd be so readily obeyed by all.

Along with the poor characterization, there are certain parts of the story that make it slow and confusing. I didn't see the point in having so many women named “Gwenhwyfar”. The focus on our heroine's training slows the narration down and the inclusion of a magical, river race makes it a bit silly and childish. And not in a positive way.

Perhaps I was prepared to hate it, my expectations were lower than low and this is why I ended up enjoying it. I was impressed by the faithful depiction of the Dark Ages, the haunting atmosphere and the vivid, inspired dialogue. Don't expect the myth of Arthur and his knights, don't expect Guinevere and Lancelot or Morgan and Mordred. At least, not in the ways they have become known. This is an entirely version. Whether it is successful or not is obviously subjective but I'd suggest you give it a try. It's not “The Mists of Avalon”, but it is entertaining and has one of the finest heroines you'll ever meet in the pages of a book.

This book came highly recommended by dear Goodreads friends and the front cover was more than inviting. So, the time finally came for me to start reading during a week-long seaside vacation. It seemed to be the perfect spot for reading a literary thriller. Almost two weeks later, I'm writing this review. It took me so long to gather my thoughts, because I'm in the unpleasant position to say that this was a book I liked. Just that. And if I take all of my expectations into consideration, then simply “liking” it isn't enough. I wanted to be blown away, to emerge myself to an experience that would feel similar to The Thirteenth Tale which I consider the finest bookish mystery. Instead, I found a book that was good. Sometimes, “good' makes me feel so disappointed....

The story starts with a bang, when something terrible happens inside a bookstore. From then on, Lydia -the main character- tries to find the answers to Joey's quest and to break free from a nightmare that butchered her childhood and her relationship with her father. One could say that we have quite a lot to focus on as readers. A suicide, a family massacre, a young man's struggle to break free from his tyrannical family, a troubled man estranged from his only child. Perhaps, it was a bit too much for the writer to handle.

For the most part, the writing was enganging. At times, it was almost poetic. Denver is so beautifully described that I felt I was there as I was reading. I think the writer succeeded in creating the atmosphere of the wintry city during the night with its bright lights and the dark corners. The bookstore also came to life so the setting was tangible and familiar. The dark scenes were also vividly depicted and I confess that I did look over my shoulder and out of the window once or twice. So what went wrong?

In my opinion, there was something in the interactions that left me utterly cold. I understand that it's a thriller, a situation we cannot fully relate to, so I wasn't particularly bothered by that. However, the dialogue was full of issues, in my opinion. I found it wooden, uninspired and, at times, unrealistic. Often, I found it awkward, silly, like a B- police film. It didn't take over the whole book but it was problematic for me. A book needs to succeed in all levels to feel satisfying and the interactions here were far from ideal.

My major problem is much better described in Adina's brilliant review. I felt that the “bookish” theme wasn't as present as I'd wanted it to be. Yes, there is a bookstore, a number of books become the instruments of discovery and Lydia is a major bookworm, but other than these instances, there was nothing substantial. I expected references to books, authors and literary characters, something that would trigger Lydia's thinking. A few quotes, at the very least, but there was no sign of any of these. Therefore, I'd venture to say that the whole setting was more of a gimmicky to appeal to dedicated readers like us. It may sound harsh, but this is how I felt.

The solution of the crime itself was well-written. To a degree. I was convinced I'd discovered the culprit early on but the revelation came out of nowhere and the built-up was really good. It was clever to combine problematic relationships with family problems and a deep feeling of isolation for most of the characters in a way that wasn't melodramatic or mundane. However- I hate this word- the motive felt underwelming. Less than original. The Epilogue was cheesy, all this paranorms- buffoonery was completely unnecessary, the closure and the aftermath felt rushed and too convenient. Also, Lydia's behaviour in the end made no sense to me. It was the horrible Epilogue that made me consider this book a lost chance and a major disappointment.

Now these writing issues cannot but influence the characters of the story. I fully agree with James. Lydia was a very sympathetic heroine, strong and clever and sensitive at times, but she didn't make a lasting impression on me and the way she deals with her personal relationships was quite questionable. I can't say that the cast was anything special overall. Raj was indifferent and Thomas was someone that troubled me at first, but in the end fell flat on the floor of the narrative. Joey was the heart of the story and the only character that created feelings in me. Anger, sadness and a deep sense of actions that are always in vain. He is the most complex person in the book, the one who is remotely interesting.

I don't know...I suppose I may sound a bit all over the place, but I feel frustrated. Yes, the novel is interesting and I do recommend reading it. There were certain moments of darkness and bright ideas beautifully orchestrated, but upon turning the last page, I felt underwhelmed. Perhaps my expectations were once again too high. I feel that the author wanted to tackle many issues and tropes, but somewhere along the way, the momentum was lost. It seemed to me like a poorly organized attack in basketball. When the rhythm is good and then, a mediocre, inexperienced player decides to throw the ball to the stands. While I am glad I read it, I didn't find it exceptional or memorable. It was nothing I haven't seen before, and to be honest, there are other mysteries out there that are truly and honestly “bookish” without trying to pretend and trick us. So, three stars given with a heavy heart....

“....into this just-right night of Los Angeles in....? Let's just say it was May in the first decade of the hardly promising twenty -first century...”

For those of us who love short stories and Literary Fiction, starting a new collection is always a risk. The short stories don't really allow you to truly know a character, to fully connect with the situations depicted. The writing is dense and the underlying themes require the readers' full attention. This is why I love short stories so much and the reason I tend to be quite picky. In this marvellous collection by Christine Schutt, there are characters that open their hearts to us readers, there are themes that concern us on a daily basis, there is poetry and pain. So, it's not an easy read. If you're looking for a collection to spend some quality time, then “Pure Hollywood” is there for you. If you don't feel like investing time and thought, then I'm not sure you'll enjoy it.

I always associate Hollywood with vanity. Vanity and the hypocrisy of appearance and decorum are central in the stories. The characters are trapped by choices that are influenced by the terror of growing old, unwanted and unloved. Families come apart either by their own fault or by Death and the pain feels like heavy shackles. There is no “pure” narrator in those stories. The only thing that is “pure” is the desire to change what cannot be changed.

“At this hour, the road is not much travelled; its residents living far apart and withdrawn into their woods and behind their fences, are abed.”

Isolation is almost tangible in these stories. Even the couples are only technically together. In terms of emotion and connection they couldn't be further apart. No one opens heart and soul, no one dares to give voice to feelings. They are isolated from each other and from themselves. However, they speak to the reader, their cry for help, their cry of regret is loud and clear.

“Death: will it be sudden and will we be smiling? Will we know ourselves and the life we have lived?”

This collection has Death as one of its central themes. Physical and emotional death, the loss of a loved one, the loss of innocence, the loss of all meaning. Flowery images and garden sceneries become a metaphor for the need of preservation, the need to have something alive and beautiful that will eventually go to waste because we never open ourselves to anyone.

I don't have much to say about Schutt's writing. In my opinion, it is exquisite in all levels. Poetic, literary, dark, balanced. In a few pages, there are so many themes and questions. The characters are mysterious, each one could very well live inside their own book. There is very little dialogue, but many inner monologues that are almost theatrical in nature. There are traces of Groff, of Watkins and Offill, of Fitzgerald and Woolf.


All the stories of this collection are very, very good, but there are some that really stood out for me:
“Pure Hollywood”: A complex relationship between a sister and a brother and the complications of a marriage of convenience.
“The Hedges”: A tragic tale about motherhood and the demanding nature of parenthood.
“Species of Special Concern”: An elderly gardener in love with his brother's dying wife. There are some beautiful images of life, love and death told through the use of flowers.
“A Happy Rural Seat of Various View: Lucinda's Garden”: Striking title, isn't it? There are elements of Fitzgerald in this story. A newly married couple is in charge of a famous garden which becomes a metaphor for their marriage.
“The Duchess of Albany”: A recently widowed woman struggles to cope with loss, thinking that drinking and writing poetry are the means to escape.
“Where You Live, When You Need Me”: One of the most enigmatic stories about a mysterious, imposing woman who has a deep love for children.
“Burst Ponds, Gone-By, Tangled Aster”: A mother who struggles with loss and a son who's good for nothing. A story about acceptance, tolerance and the severe lack of both in today's society.
“Oh, the Obvious”: An elderly woman, dissatisfied with her life and her appearance, is on vacation in the countryside. A story that focuses on the merciless passing of Time with underlying sexual themes.
“The Lady From Connecticut” : This story reminded me of Virginia Woolf's “Mrs Dalloway” from the first paragraph.

These short stories are among the best I've read. However, I hesitate to recommend “Pure Hollywood” without reservations because I am aware that some of the themes incorporated in it may seem depressing and disturbing to the most sensitive of readers. But if you desire to invest in poetic, cryptic writing and contemplate on questions that shape our choices and lives, then you should definitely try your luck with this book whose content is as beautiful as its cover.

Many thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Why at the beginning of things is there always light?”

My head is full of a plethora of thoughts that, somehow, need to find their way into a text? Or do they? Probably not. This must be one of the most difficult reviews I have chosen to write and this is not a cliche. It's reality. Difficult because how can one possibly describe the horrors brought about by monsters in one of the darkest eras of History that, sadly seems not too far away or lost in time? Difficult because love and pain and lose are feelings that cannot be easily turned into paragraphs or measured by phrases “this is good”, “this is bad”. Difficult because no matter how hard I tried, no matter how mesmerizing the writing was at times, this book will not enter my favourites. We failed to form any kind of connection.

Dorrigo Evans is a surgeon in the Australian Army during the nightmare of the Second World War. He and his regiment are now prisoners of war in a Japanese camp in Burma and the plague is quickly descending. So he is needed by friends and enemies alike, because there is a bridge that needs to be built and it won't wait. Dorrigo struggles to keep his men alive, physically and psychologically, and most of all, he tries to preserve his own will to live and not give up. Because he started feeling dead long before he became a POW. His mind travels back in time, to his younger days, and to the event that defined him and defeated him more than any other battle he had ever given. His relationship with Amy, a young woman, his uncle's wife.

“A happy man has no past, while an unhappy man has nothing else.”

Dorrigo is the most complex, interesting character in those pages. He is a kind human being, considerate and brave. He loves with all his heart, he fights to keep his men with him, but he is never happy. He cannot find happiness, he feels that every joy is a fleeting moment for which he is somehow unworthy. There were parts when I felt that Dorrigo had actually fallen victim to a weird notion of self-depreciation, of self-pity. He was broken beyond repair. But why? For whom? For Amy? For himself?

“My disgraceful, wicked heart”, thought Amy, “ is braver than the world.”

It seemed to me that Amy was the driving force of the story. She is definitely a controversial character, but she provides life. When I was reading Amy's POV, I was thinking that Flanagan had reserved the most beautiful language in this novel for her. There is a calmness and a tenderness, a childish spirit that suits Amy, although we somehow feel that the storm is about to break, on many levels. That the underlying terrors will soon become reality. And even though, many may call her “wicked”, “selfish” or “manipulative”, for me she is the breath of life in the book.

Flanagan provides many points of view. Too many, in my opinion. He divides the stories of the Australian and the Japanese characters almost equally and I found that this made the story significantly slower. I appreciated the Haiku references and the fact that he didn't omit the enemy's voice, creating a highly balanced narration. What I felt as a reader was that these characters weren't interesting enough to turn my mind away from Dorrigo and Amy's fate. As simple as that. They obviously served the purpose of the writer (and I don't dare to presume as to what it was) but they made me lose much of my initial connection to the story. I admit I skimmed quite a few pages of the Japanese chapters. I couldn't bring myself to care for them. In addition, the part of the book set after the end of the war felt slow, flat and melodramatic.

There were two things I deeply appreciated in the novel. First, Flanagan's use of the question of morality was exceptional. What is considered “moral”? What of the feelings that are experienced by all of us and may come in utter contrast with issues like fidelity or bravery or mercy? Especially in times of war when these things cease to matter. The second was the way the horrors of the camp were depicted. I found the chapters harrowing, haunting, raw, but not in any way disgusting or written for the sake of shock value. In fact, a minor issue I had was that there were times when I thought he played it safe, choosing the “easier” road. Sometimes, the situation called for language with more punch, more tension. There have been films and books about the subject that are more nightmarish, more realistic even.

The writing was at times exceptionally poignant and darkly poetic. Other times, I found it verbose, tiresome, melodramatic. Apart from the interactions in the camp, I felt that the dialogue resembled the old 40s films. Now, perhaps my stone -hearted self has taken over (once again...), but in my opinion, dialogue such as this is a bit unrealistic and inconsistent with the powerful themes dealt with in the rest of the novel. Keith and Ella's characters seemed copied out of cliches and I couldn't abide with this.

My journey with this Booker Prize winner started in anticipation and excitement, but somehow, my way fell flat. Yes, this is a special book, beautiful in a disturbing way. However, when I skipped too many pages, when I felt nothing, no connection throughout the story, when I compare it to other war novels, I cannot bring myself to rate it more than 3 stars. Will I recommend it to a friend? Certainly. Do I consider it memorable? Yes. But I do not think this is the best war novel ever written and certainly not one of the best books ever written. It gave me nothing I hadn't read before....

“It was a death that began it all and another death that led us on.”

In 2004, I watched a beautiful film starring Willem Dafoe and Vincent Cassel, among others, titled “The Reckoning”. Since then, I was trying to find the book that inspired the movie. It wasn't until 2015 that my search finally ended and two years later, I can say that Unsworth created a very memorable and darkly beautiful novel.

Nickolas is a young priest that has broken his vows of chastity. Running away from his diocese, he comes across a company of traveling players who carry a macabre burden. They decide to stay in the nearest village and perform a play out of their usual repertoire which includes Biblical stories. However, a crime that has caused quite an upheaval in the community becomes the inspiration for a new play. And this is when the implications begin.

“....no one fears players....”

The book is a treasure for those of us interested in the tradition of Morality plays or Mysteries, as they are also called. Through pantomime and verse and with complex -for the time-special effects, the actors used to perform religious themes that would be well- known to the audience, peasants and nobles alike. Depicting local incidents and contemporary events was unheard of and would remain so for quite some time. Here, Martin, the leader of the company, decides to break the rule and perform the murder of a young boy. To do so, the company must investigate the disappearence and murder of young Thomas.

Nickolas and Martin are the main characters. In many ways, they're very similar. They are clever and brave but their morality is dubious. They understand one has to depart from the righteous path in order to eat and to defend those in need during harsh times. The rest of the company are people with interesting background stories, like Stephen and Margaret, but the book is too short and there is very little character development.

The writing is beautiful and powerful. The marvelous, haunting wintry atmosphere is very important to the feeling of the story and I could feel as if I was walking in the medieval market as the snow was falling silently upon the grey tower and the huts. There are many issues addressed in the novel. The Plague carries victims in its passing, but death doesn't come from illness exclusively. Humans are the worst, most ruthless murderers. Poverty makes people obey and bend the knee to every Lord that oppresses them in every level without question. Nickolas' thoughts and his interactions with Martin and the King's Justice provide much food thought on psychological and social issues. The freedom of choice, the notion of duty, the hypocrisy and violence. The crime and the punishment.

As I said, the only negative element is the small length of the novel. I wanted to see and understand more of the characters. I wanted to see a rounded closure to the stories of the players, to the fortune of the village and the justice performed. Apart from that, this is an excellent book that I can't place in one genre. Mystery, thriller, Historical Fiction, psychological study and the list goes on. It is fast - paced, memorable and full of vivid images. However, on my opinion, this is a rare case of the film being more completed and well-rounded than the book. The two complement each other in a perfect way.

“San Francisco never stopped astonishing Lawrence - wild raccoons and possums wondered the streets, especially at night, and their shiny fur and long tails looked just like stray cats, unless you look twice. Skunks nested under people's houses.”

Is there any magic left in the world? Magic to heal and provide hope. Has it been completely upstaged by technology, fallen into a meaningless oblivion? How far can technology go? Where does its contribution to society stop and the potential dangers begin? Let's try to find the answers in beautiful San Francisco through the eyes of our protagonists, Patricia, a witch, and Lawrence, a tech genius.

To begin with, I need to say that I am really, really tired of the latest trend of parents being horrible. I am actually positively fed up seeing fathers and mothers being cruel and heartless because they don't understand how special their children are. I don't like the message communicated through novels and I don't believe that this is a way to create a better or more believable story, turning parents into great obstacles the lead characters have to surpass or defeat in order to succeed. I am sorry for the rant but I see this more and more in Contemporary Literature and it's beginning to disturb me.

Having said that, I could feel those cute five stars approaching before I reach 50% of the book.

In a not so distant future, Science and Magic choose to fight against each other in a foolish attempt to restore balance to a world that is slowly dying. Patricia and Lawrence have been struggling for years to come to terms with their unique abilities, fighting against hopelessness, against their unsupportive families, and many times, against themselves. This is the premise around which this wonderful story is constructed.

This novel had been waiting in my TBR for quite a long time. I had read some positive reviews, some rather dishearteningly negative ones, but stubborn as I am, I wanted to see what the fuss was about and I grasped the chance to start it for a group reading. I didn't expect to love it so much. I confess I am not so fond of the first (short) part of the story where we see our couple as children and teenagers, but once they reach adulthood the story really comes alive. I wouldn't classify it as YA (again, I don't have much experience in the genre), but for me, the writing, the characters, the story are mature, well-composed and very, very exciting.

The writer has created a world where technology has taken the reins, where robots and humans are of equal importance, but in truth, machines of all sorts and kinds are slowly acquiring precedence. So we're in dire need of some magic here. And magic happens in a story that could have very easily become too cold and distant, too sci-fi and gadgety. There are beautiful urban descriptions of San Francisco, atmospheric and vivid, there are talking birds- many owls, people! There's even a Twin Peaks reference. There is life and beauty and love. Some descriptions are raw and sharp, however, like a knife in the heart. The bleak, perilous environment of the big city. The darkness and isolation. And then, the chaos that breaks out and brings disaster to the world. Floods, shortage in even the most common medicines, diseases, famine, violence, death.

Don't think this is a dark, depressing read. Well, it is at times, but there is also a distinct element of humour centered on our stubborn protagonists. Elegant and smart, faithful to every day speech. On the other hand, the writing completely changes tone in the most terrifying, harrowing moments, when we're close to witness the world's end. It becomes dark, ominous, raw and perfect. I was impressed by the function of the Caddy in the story. It's a gadget that aims to help people form a “better” life, one that would be “compatible” with their choices and preferences. They customize their profiles and it customizes their lives, an ideal example of how technology rules over society in the novel. Although, I admit that Patricia and Lawrence should have listened to their Caddies more carefully....

Ah, Patricia and Lawrence...You'll love these two. Patricia is a witch who uses magic to bring whatever kind of happiness she can, to save and soothe. She punishes the ones whose acts require punishment. She is a Healer that talks to animals and they provide company and help. But sometimes, it is too late...Lawrence is a tech- genius who aspires to make the world better without ignoring that it is ill-used technology that will bring disaster. I loved their relationship. It's tender and loyal and awkward, something we would expect from two people whose absolute priority is their talent. In fact, forget all the previous. To put it clearly and shout it for the world to hear, Lawrence and Patricia are one of the most beautiful, wonderful, well-matched and every positive adjective you can imagine couples we'll ever meet in a book.

You may find this novel boring if you aren't all that interested in the cyber - world and technology in general. You may find it too perplexing and confusing. Give it a chance, nonetheless. As far as I'm concerned, I believe it is a book that depicts the concerns and fears of today's world successfully. Is the human race threatened by the hungry greed that almost always comes with progress and power? I'd say that any book that makes you think and search for whatever answers may exist has completed its job and more. And we shouldn't forget that even the darkest times were washed away when people acted in unison, free of any prejudices and retained hope against all odds. Perhaps, we should remember this from time to time....

And just out of curiosity, what would you be? A Trickster or a Healer?

Also, Kit Harington for Lawrence's part (if the book ever becomes a film) because of reasons.

Disclaimer Any kind of political or religious comments will be deleted at once. If you want to create trouble, go to political forums. Or bloody Facebook.

“Hundreds of beacons from burning dummies flickered in front of houses and hovels, like watchtowers flaring in the night. High up the mountainsides they were but faint twinkles, shrinking embers of the past, burning to ash to make room for the future, an annual rite of renewal, an assertion of hope that things had to be better this year, especially if the past one could be incinerated. Lingering troubles and misfortunes were dispatched in fires that lit up walls and doorways.”

We are in Peru, this beautiful country in western South America and the year is 1985. The people live in extremely turbulent times. They face the daily tug-of-war between the government which uses the army to terrify the villagers into submission and the rebels submission of the Shining Path who use violence to impose their own beliefs. None of these two oppressors -who are so much more alike than they think - understand that the people want to be left in peace. The two sides of the same coin are thirsty for more power, more blood and the results of this battle are experienced by innocent bystanders in a horrendous way. In the midst of this nightmare, we meet Cori, a young Peruvian teacher and Steven, a young American priest, who want to use love as a weapon against oppression and injustice. The love towards the communities they've chosen to serve and the love between each other. But we all know who's the winner in such battles...

Undoubtedly, the most striking feature of the story is the foreboding presence of the Pistaco legend. This is a nightly demon that feeds off people's fat instead of blood. The villagers use this folk tale to justify the health deterioration of the population, the army to terrify and threaten into submission, the rebels to accuse the “white man” of prospering by exploiting the people of the country. In the story, it is very clear that the last two are the worst kind of monsters....

There are much to praise in this book. I have done a little research and I learnt that it is based on true events that took place in Ayacucho and as far as I can tell, the writer stayed close to the actual facts. Of course, interpretation is subjective and it's not up to me to pass judgment on this issue. The beauty of the Andes, the exciting customs of the country, the history, the various aspects of religion, the human relationships are communicated in a beautiful way, through vivid writing and bold imagery. Throughout the course of the action, many questions were raised in my mind, though I'm not sure of the answers seemingly provided by the author.

“They are afraid of the souls of their murdered relatives. They heard the cries of the dead last night.”

The greatest strength of the novel is the haunting atmosphere. There is a tense feeling of mystery, a foreboding cloud of menace and danger, and if we know a few things about Peru and the particular region of South America, we will experience this almost claustrophobic feeling from the first pages of the book. The chapters are short, the action is fast-paced and the two main characters are beautiful human beings, interesting and extremely sympathetic. However, I found them too “perfect”, too “proper”, almost unrealistic. I thought the end was a little anticlimactic, the closure a bit too convenient and rushed, hence the four stars.

Be warned. This beautiful novel will seriously tear your heart apart. Isn't it fascinating, my fellow readers, that after so many books we have read, so many characters we have “met”, we still pause and try to brace ourselves when we suspect that something awful is about to happen?

“We didn't come here to talk. We came here to kill.”

Because “humans” have always wanted to murder what they don't accept as true, what they don't believe how in, what they fail to understand, what prevents them from harvesting more wealth and power for themselves....It has always been thus and it goes on....

“You can never tell who listens in the dark. Only know this: Evil wanders this land at night.”

...if only evil only walked at night, though.....

Many thanks to In Extenso Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Picture it: the lamplighter's figure moving along a London street in the gloaming and one by one the street lamps coming out like stars.”

Let residents from every corner of London take you on a stroll around one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Writers, film and theatre directors, actors, teachers, poets are our guides to a wonderful, exciting trip. I don't need to say anything more and spoil the magic. One of the finest books on London you'll ever read....

“Above the new theatre's entrance is displayed a huge portrait of Shakespeare, in tribute to his legacy. His plays express for us the range of the human condition. He took the twigs and branches of language and storyline and made these flower as no one had done before, or has done since.”

There are writers that choose to build their own work on stories that have existed for an eternity and create their own vision of them, because they know they have the skills to do so.

There are books that you can see they are glorious 5- star material before you even reach page 50. Colm Toibin is one of those writers and House of Names is one of those books.

“I have been acquainted with the smell of death.”

Don't tell me I need spoiler alerts...I shall be very disappointed...

Death is always the main character in the Atreides saga. Agamemnon took the throne of Mycenae through death, he sailed to Troy after sacrificing Iphigenia and was killed by Clytemnestra upon his return to the homeland. Orestes and Electra killed their mother to avenge their father. It's a mythical family where blood and death rule. Blood, death and murder....

Colm Toibin makes excellent use of the tragedies and fills the gap between Iphigenia's death and Agamemnon's return, as well as the time between the king's murder and Orestes' matricide, in a superbly crafted way. He treats the characters and the source material with utter respect (which is more than can be said for ridiculous filmmakers and films, e.g.”Troy”....) and breathes new life in this timeless story of a cursed family. The manner in which he presents the characters and sheds light on their motives of their actions is exquisite.

Toibin narrates the story in a literary detached manner, as is fitting to the material. These are myths known to all, undying, unchanged. There's no need for the “personal voice” of the author, no need for melodrama. We cannot view a novel based on these characters in the same light as any other common book. Able writers know how to make a well-known story without projecting their voice loudly. It's very interesting to note that while Clytemnestra and Electra's chapters are told in First-Person narration, Orestes' chapters are written in the Third- Person technique. Perhaps to further isolate him from all the conniving of his mother and his sister. Orestes' rendition of Iphigenia's sacrifice is hair-raising and one of the most powerful written pieces I've read. There is also a beautiful reference to the myth of Helen's birth and the death of her brothers, Kastor and Polydeuces, the Dioskouroi as they're forever known.

I am praying to no gods.”

There are no gods ruling the fate of our Atreides now. There are only insufficient oracles and prophecies, elders that are unable to make a desicion. Each character obeys to their own personal principles, to their own notion of justice and revenge. What is alive, then? The souls of the slain that linger in dark corridors and shady gardens trying to find their way to the world of men. So here, there is no excuse that the gods dictated them. Each one is responsible for their actions. And the consequences....

The greatest success of this novel is that it preserves the spirit of the myth. The beauty of the characters in Ancient Greek Tragedy is that there is no black and white. Even the ones considered “villains” have their own alibies to justify their deeds. How forward were the ancient dramatists looking...What masterpieces they created and handed down to the generations until the end of time....And Toibin respects and listens as our heroes and heroines speak...

Clytemnestra believes she exacts revenge for the unimaginable terror of losing one of her children. I confess I've always been hesitant to blame her, but she falls victim to her rage and to Aegisthus' cruelty and ambition as he finds the chance to revenge Agamemnon's crimes towards his family. Electra and Orestes are the victims, along with Iphigenia, while Electra has an idealized image of a father who's been a monster of greed and ambition. And she's more like her mother than she'd be willing to admit. ...Orestes struggles to find his way to a world that was taken from him and he becomes a murderer in the process.

Characters like Clytemnestra, Electra, Agamemnon and Orestes cannot be “reviewed”. It's almost blasphemy. They are larger than life. It is more than possible that they never existed and yet, they are immortal, eternal. To say Clytemnestra “is bad”, Electra “is mad”, Orestes “is boring” is -in my opinion- foolish and immature. And pointless. Colm Toibin writes them as three-dimensional characters, sometimes powerful, other times full of doubt, full of love and malice and ambition. But above all, they are human beings, complex and fascinating.

The writer chose a difficult subject that can burn any less skilled author bound to fail in the attempt. He created a novel of exquisite beauty. Not boring or cold or dragging, but respectful, vivid, poetic, raw and dark. It's not an easy read. It wouldn't have the Atreides as its protagonists if it were. It wouldn't have murder as its main theme. As a Greek who has grown up with these myths that run in our blood, I can only say that Toibin made me proud to discover how alive our legendary ancestors still are. I'm not interested in trivial technicalities. For me, this is a book that touched perfection.....

“Ghosts come from bad thoughts.”

Out of pure coincidence, I found myself reading two books that were similar in inspiration and themes, but with quite a different outcome and casts of characters. The Flicker of Old Dreams by Susan Henderson and Among the Lesser Gods by Margo Carts. I enjoyed both, but while Henderson's is depressing and full of malicious people, this one is a source of joy. Yes, there are difficult situations, crimes and loss but there is also hope and warmth and characters that I came to love and care about, Elena being the best of them. A complex young woman with fears and insecurities. Like all of us. The common theme that links the two books is the haunting past and I certainly prefer Catts' take on the subject.

We're in 1978, in a rural town in Colorado. Elena returns to the land to help her and a family that numbers three people. A boy, Kevin, a girl, Sarah, and Paul, their widowed father whose work demands of him to be absent from his household. In the course of the story, secrets come to light, loose ends demand attention and the characters are forced to mature and face their fears and the wounds that are still open.

“My ghosts were different. They weren't made from fear. They were real and they deserved to be. I owed it to them, in fact, to think about them every day, to let them follow me and watch me and take some meager satisfaction in my failures.”

Elena was only a child when her life was traumatized by a tragic accident. She has carried this burden every since and believes that she deserves nothing, that she is incapable to do good. When she decides to take care of Paul's children, she starts flourishing. She is a wonderful character, very realistic and her story is very well-structured. I could definitely understand and relate to her in some extent. She's one of those characters with whom you'd like to share a warm may of coffee and tell them everything's going to be fine.

“We're all misfits.”

The book has a beautiful cast of characters. They're people who have experienced pain and loss and have survived. But instead of becoming bitter and malicious, they're kind and understanding. They form a cocoon around Elena and help her realise her abilities. Tuah, Poppy, Mindy, Leo are characters you'd want for friends and confidantes. Paul was a little difficult to deal with. He struggles to keep a balance but could use a little work on being a better father. Still, he tries and this is, ultimately, the whole point of the story. We need to try and cope against adversity and do our best.

The writing was beautiful, as well. The dialogue could have been a bit more natural, but perhaps it was a faithful depiction of the 70s colloquialisms. The descriptions of Colorado were immensely vivid and I enjoyed the references to the pop culture of the era. There is a Hawaii Five- 0 reference (naturally, I'm talking about the original TV series, not today's remake that should vanish from the face of the Earth). I mean, Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett rules and yes, I am a deeply superficial person. My favourite moments were the ones when Elena and Sarah were reading a book of Ancient Greek myths. She used it to teach them how to deal with people, how to be careful, what to avoid.

The children are at the heart of the story, present in the past and the current events. The mystery was well-written but I'd want to see more. There was much potential there, although I understand that this wasn't the focus of the novel and in any case, the end was very satisfying.

This is a debut and it is a very, very good one. I really enjoy the direction of the rural Contemporary American genre and with writers such as Catts, the future can only be bright and exciting.

A fancy title doesn't guarantee a good book. Not even if the setting is New York. I don't think I've ever felt disgusted by a novel before, but I suppose we live and learn, right? I can't begin to tell you how much I wanted to love this work, I was already positively pre-occupied with it. It had an interesting blurb, a striking cover, a Londoner deciding to live in New York. What could go wrong? Well, as far as I am concerned, everything went wrong...

First of all, what's wrong with Billy bookcases? Does the writer know how many beautifully, wonderfully clattered readers have found their lives' solution in pretty Billy? Get off your high horse, please, and yes, that was rude!

So, the story is that Kate, a London girl, decides to stay in the Big Apple temporarily, leaving George, her boyfriend, behind. In New York, she meets Bill and his daughter, Inez. And if you haven't guessed already, the book continues to show how each one's life is changed by these magnanimous encounters. Yes, it is a story that places human relationships in its centre and tries to develop itself around the issue of living in a culture that is quite different form your own. This would make for a great read. Except it quickly turns into something else. What I felt- and this is my strictly personal opinion, mind you- was that I was reading an excuse for porn and swearing. And it goes without saying that I don't read this kind of ‘'books'', sorry.

Where to begin? The characters were so bad I feel I'm lacking all the proper adjectives to describe them. Kate is as interesting as an undecorated white wall and then some. She is meek, docile. I mean, picture this: she supposedly has the courage to start a life in a new country, but not the determination to interact with people, acting like a frightened mouse and finding solace in smoking. And Skype. She tries out a new hair-cut as a revolutionary act, except it's a hairstyle previously demanded by her controlling boyfriend.

Bill wasn't a person, but a cardboard figure. Gross and indifferent. His daughter, the nineteen year old Inez, was a much different case. Yes, she had potential, I'll grant you that. I am all for expressing yourself and I'd like to believe that I am open-minded, but her ‘'look at me, I'm a bad girl'' attitude doesn't make for an interesting character without some skill. She is drug-crazed and sex-crazed, and excuse me, by my personal standards, this is not literature.

Mediocre writing, mediocre prose, horrible dialogue, indifferent descriptions. It's the first time I read a book set in New York and I didn't feel transported to the city. The writer failed to do that, in my opinion. I found that some effort has been made with elements taken from other urban contemporary novels but they weren't used well. There was too much unnecessary emphasis on sex, too much swearing. I don't understand what was the point of it, it made the novel utterly tasteless, almost pornographic in nature. If you want to shock- although this is very difficult in our times, because we have read and done everything- if you want to break the system, you need to have the chops as a writer to make it work. I am sorry, but in this case, I didn't see that.

There's so much good material in the Contemporary genre, so many excellent efforts and debuts that books like this one make me think that they have nothing to offer. Yes, my standards are high, my tastes particular and I am used to a different quality of language and themes. There were too many times when I seriously thought I should abandon it. It's supposed to be a novel about immigration, running free from what keeps you chained on the ground and finding yourself. I failed to notice whether any of these happened throughout the course of the story. What I did find were miserable, empty people and a kind of language I'd usually hear in a basketball derby between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos (If you are a basketball fan, like yours truly, you'll know what I'm talking about.) I'm far from a prude, nor do I shy away from controversial material. This isn't controversial, though. I doubt whether it's even a ‘'material''. Don't try to pass mediocre writing and constant swearing and porn as innovative or daring. It has been done before with dubious results.

I am never one to say ‘'oh, there's one star, I'll never read this book.'' I don't like this behaviour. It is hypocritical and presumptuous. I urge you to give every book a try, even the ones that I considered a disaster because your chances may be better. In this case, however, and honest to God, I have difficulty to do so now. I don't think that vulgarity without any purpose is a token of a book that wants to be taken seriously. Possibly the worst book I've managed to finish this year...And if there was any underlying deep piece of wisdom about life, I failed to notice.

Many thanks to Catapult and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always, Renée's books are a delight to read. They prompt you into thinking, perhaps understanding past and current choices and principles that have accompanied us all our lives. In this book, she deals with difficult issues that make home in our unconscious like pride, desire, suffering, betrayal.

I could definitely relate to the chapter about desire and I plead guilty to the crime of anticipation over Christmas gifts and the brief feeling of sadness when everything is opened (and perhaps, accounted for? :) ) However, I do not consider this a negative feeling, there are certain things that will always make us feel like children and I think this is as it should be. If we were adults in all aspects of our lives, we would make for very boring company. Another issue I could recognise and feel familiar with is the notion of driftness once work stops, either because we are on well-deserved vacations or because the time has come for us to retire.I am on holidays right now and I already feel bored and somehow disorientated. It happens every year and the heat doesn't make me feel rested. It makes me more irritated than usual and trust me, I get irritated every so often rather easily.

The chapter that had me thinking a lot was the one dedicated to opinions.I agree with Renée on certain parts. I always try to include the phrase ‘'in my opinion'' in my reviews and in my daily interactions in my social circle and my job. Even in my class, even with my parents with whom I feel 100% free and relaxed. This is my habit, I don't want to impose and enforce my views on anyone, even though I know that I am right (sometimes:) ) I've always been shy, so I seldom offer my opinion unless I am specifically asked. I see it as a way to avoid unnecessary conflicts, because I get easily angry and I am able to utter words I will later regret. It has happened many times, and to tell you the truth, most of the conflicts we are involved in and don't concern us are a waste of time. Other times, I see it as my way to protect my personal space. Still, when I am really disturbed by an issue or a case of injustice that's taking place in front of my eyes, I will speak up. And all Hell breaks loose then.

I think that out of the 3 books by Renée that I had the pleasure to read, Louder than a Whisper contains the most controversial issues. It's not for everyone. There were a few moments when I lifted my eyes from the page and thought ‘'wait a minute, I've never thought of it this way'' or I found myself disagreeing. The latter doesn't matter, she provides the food for thought. The way I see it, major revelations and discoveries start with doubts. Doubting principles we've always retained or disagreeing is perfectly healthy and even desirable in our day and age. It's thinking that always lead somewhere. In my opinion....

Many thanks to Renée for giving me the opportunity to read her work.

‘'This town wants you to be as it's always been and do as it's always done'', he says, ‘'but what if that's not what makes you happy?''

In this small community, which seems to have been stuck in time, being happy isn't important. It's not even desirable. Being ‘'proper'' is all that matters. ‘'Proper'' according to the wishes of the people who inhabit the god-forsaken town and who seem to have been created without something vital for any human being. Heart and soul.

Prepare for major distributions of anger on my part. Not because I didn't like the novel. Obviously, I did. I loved it and more so because it created strong feelings in me. The most powerful of all being anger. But more on that later:) Petroleum is a depressing town that discriminates everyone and everything. Mary works as an embalmer in her father's funeral parlour and many call her ‘'freak'' because of her profession. Robert returns years after a tragic accident to look after his dying mother and the people behave as if he's got the plague. Mary and Robert are two souls who struggle to stand for themselves in the midst of hatred, prejudice and hypocrisy.

One could say that there's not much ‘'action'' in the course of the story, that not many ‘'things'' happen. I don't believe that ‘'action'' is always necessary for a novel to be interesting. I'm sure that daily life offers many secrets worthy of a story. For me, the most important thing while reading is feelings, the way the story and the characters make me react and this is where I return to my initial thoughts in this review. I felt a lot of anger. Anger towards a community that has no tolerance for what they cannot understand or forgive. Anger towards a father who cares nothing for his daughter's happiness and plays the ‘'righteous'' part while he's pretty dishonest and cold-hearted. Anger towards Mary because she was a coward and in need of a shock to put some sense into her mind, since she was unable to do so herself.

Henderson structures the story around two themes, relationships and the sins of the past. The conflicts that lurk in the relationship between a parent and a child, between members of a community, between two people who love each other but people's enmity keeps them apart. The writer successfully develops the issue of being unable to fully escape the past, a theme that is a favorite in Contemporary American Literature, and stresses the ‘'holier-than-thou' attitude of the residents, the selfishness of a parent who fears loneliness and the bravery of the young generation to stand up for what is right. Robert has this strength, Mary has to find it.

The characters- whether we like them or not- are interesting and well-written for the purpose each one of them serves. I liked Robert, I found him courageous, down to earth, considerate to those who mattered and rather calm as a person. He coped with hostility in an assuring, albeit a bit too meek, way. Mary gave me quite a trouble, I confess. I did like her, but I wanted more. You're thirty years old, why do you let everyone treat you as if you are a naive child? She has retained some rather distorted notions of familial and social obligations in her head. Her father was a man I deeply loathed. Am I too harsh? Possibly. I wanted him to vanish, to get the Hell out of Mary's life in some way. I haven't been so furious with a character in a while. The real jewel character, though, is Doris. The mysterious woman in the window...

I loved Henderson's writing. It is direct and beautiful, the chapters are short, the narration is quick and never loses momentum. There was a certain kind of tenderness in the language, but no trace of melodrama and the dialogue was natural. It was hard for me to stop reading, I wanted to know how the story ended, how could Mary escape the suffocating environment in a place whose beauty was wasted in worthless, medieval notions of right and wrong.

I found this novel to be a more realistic depiction of the narrow-minded small communities than the quaint little towns with the quirky characters we've come to see lately. Don't get me wrong, I love those stories, but here we have the raw, unforgiving story of highly unforgiving people....

Many thanks to Harper Perennial and Edelweiss for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“It was the dark of the year now, the time of small, drab days and endless freezing nights, the time for sitting by the fire, mending and making and telling the old tales.”If you follow my reviews, you'd have realized that myths, folk legend and magical realism are very close to my heart. Throw a haunting story in the mix and you have possibly created my perfect read. Unfortunately, I found Sealskin to be a rather average effort.The myth of the Selkie, the seal that turns into a young woman during the night and is captured by a young sailorman, is the centre of the story which is set in the Hebrides in an unspecified time. I'd say late 19th century, judging from the descriptions. We follow Donald, a young fisherman, his mother named Birdie who aids women during the time of birth, and Mairhi, the Selkie who finds herself in the harsh and often inhospitable world of the humans. We witness the change she brings to the community. And that's about it. Does it sound a bit soulless? If it does, it is because this is the impression I had formed upon reading the last page. This is how this novel made me feel.Although the story starts strongly, with a vile action -clearly inspired by the Ancient Greek tales with the similar theme of the captivity of a nymph or a minor goddess (think the myth of Persephone and Hades)- and then there is a certain amount of anxiety over the way Mairhi is going to be treated by the villagers, the novel quickly becomes predictable. Naturally, we all know the conclusion of the myth, but even the end seemed to me anticlimactic and, frankly, absolutely inconsistent with the way Mairhi's character had been developed up to that point. Not to mention, that there is a certain, very important change of the original myth...The writing was flat, in my opinion. I wanted more. I wanted beautiful language, haunting descriptions of the landscape. We're talking about the Hebrides, one of the most unique places on Earth! You're a writer, make me “see” them in my mind, don't give me endless paragraphs on clothes, kitchens and boats. I want images worthy of dark legends and dark deeds. What I seemed to get was a community drama that felt juvenile, more like a YA read. Apart from a few pretty sentences here and there that seemed suspiciously familiar, there was no poetry in the language used. The dialogue felt awkward, simplistic in a negative way, and many times overly melodramatic, especially in Donald's case. The chapters were short, which was a blessing, but the plot somehow managed to become so repetitive that after a point, I just wanted the book to end. And this is never a good sign.The characters were nothing special or memorable. Donald was boring for the most part, Birdie seemed to “carry” the narration but she sounded like a mediocre film script, and the rest of the characters made absolutely no impression to me. Mairhi was the only one I was interested in, but I felt that she wasn't as developed as I would like her to be. In the hands of an able writer, she would have thrived.Too much lost potential in this one, I'm afraid. I cannot bring myself to give it three stars, because the myth of the Selkie should make me “feel” the story, travel to the haunting Hebrides, ponder over the fate of the poor creature. I experienced none of these while I was reading. It may be a debut, but I have read so many stellar first efforts this year that I simply cannot take this as an excuse. In the book is mentioned that Bristow's writing is “a combination of Angela Carter and Eowyn Ivey.” I think not...Not even close...One of the major disappointments of the year...*If you want to read a beautiful story about the myth of the Selkie, try [b:The Four Marys: A Quartet of Contemporary Folk Tales 23107337 The Four Marys A Quartet of Contemporary Folk Tales Jean Rafferty https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431432399s/23107337.jpg 42655193] by Jean Rafferty, a collection of four novellas. You'll find the kind of writing I'm talking about.*If you find scenes of abuse towards women disturbing, you should proceed with caution with Sealskin. There are a few that seemed quite out of place to me, just to provide unnecessary tension which the writer wasn't able to create in a different way....

“London, City of the Dead”...Are you excited by the title? You must be. I fell victim to it and wasted hours of my life reading this book. I try to read everything I can find about London and the cover of the book was calling to me. Yes, well, I should have sealed my ears with wax like Odysseus on his ship...How can someone choose to write about one of the most intriguing, haunting cities of the Earth in connection to Death, monuments, cemeteries, strange cases of mortality, ghosts, murder and mayhem and turn it all into an endless feast of snooze and boredom? I don't know, this must be a true achievement.....

This book reminded me of the textbooks we used in university. The writing was uninspired, blant, awful. There were typos, paragraphs where they shouldn't have been and my overall feeling was that it was in desperate need of an editor. I couldn't bring myself to read the last three chapters, I've had enough. Reading about places I have visited and seeing them treated in such a distant, cold way made me furious.

If you enjoy dry, cold writing, give it a try. However, there are many books on the subject
that are much more interesting and written with spirit and panache. This one, though...Even Wikipedia articles are more exciting....Even the dead have more life in them...

''In the quiet days of power,Seven ravens in the tower.When you clip the raven's wing,Then the bird begins to sing.”

What is Memory? Let us think on its importance for a moment. Can we even begin to imagine a life without it? Our mind a blank sheet and unable to store and retrieve the moments of our lives.Where would we be without Memory? When we don't remember we lack the means to be reminded of our mistakes.When we don't remember our mistakes,we end up repeating them. Now,I think we agree our world is quite bad as it is. Imagine it in the context of History, Politics, Society in general. If we had no memory of Nazism, of the Holocaust,of the Soviet occupations and all the horrors of the past,where would we be? How infinitely worse would our planet suffer?

The regime in Orwell's 1984 aimed in changing the language and rewriting History according to weekly -or even daily- whims. In Smaill's novel,the regime enters the people's minds and erases the memories. So, automatically, they know no family, no friends and loved ones.They don't have a complex job.They just drift. And thus, they are fully controlled by the Order.The time they acquired control is called the Allbreaking.

In this outstanding novel, our point of view is Simon, a young man who arrives in London after his mother's death.There he meets Lucien and Clare, young people who live in hiding and struggle to lead the resistance against the Order. As we witness Simon's life moving back and forth in time,we realise that he has the ability to keep his memories alive in the form of objects and has the gift to actually “see” the memories of others. And this is as far in the plot as I will take you.

“London Bridge is falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair Lady.”

Remember the legend? The kingdom will fall, all peace will be lost once the ravens abandon the Tower.This is why their wings are clipped, to keep them forever and retain the stability of the land. Here, we have a different version...

“Before Chimes, the ravens flew all over the world together. Free to fly and haunt and free to look and understand what they saw. But however far they travelled, they would always return home. Muninn often the last of all, they say, because memory has the furthest distance to travel.Then one day they didn't come back. Muninn was lost.”

What do we see now? Muninn and Huginn, Memory and Thought. Odin's faithful companions and his means to the knowledge of the human's deeds. Ravens are important in a large number of mythologies and traditions and especially to the Norse and the Celts. Remember Morrigan, the sacred Celtic goddess, whose symbol was the raven flying over the battlefields. Ravens stand for Memory and for Death and in the land there is none of the first and plenty of the latter after the Allbreaking.

Smaill is also a musician and the way she uses Music to develop the story is exceptional.Music is supposed to be one of the most beautiful creations of mankind. It is there to make us happy, to accompany us in good and bad moments.Yet,in this world, Music has become the instrument of oppression and death.When the chimes strike, memories are lost. Ravensguild is the network that fights for freedom to return and end the reign of the Order. They seek the Lady, a mysterious notion and the key to liberation.

“I hate the day coming again and again and never changing and nothing to hold on to. Because I hate waking into it with nothing there.”

The sense of time is vague.The setting is strange.We know we are in “contemporary” London, but it seems that the Order has caused the city to acquire a Medieval feeling. Since memories are absent, there is no complexity, therefore no progress. As I was reading, I was “picturing” images of Medieval markets and dark alleys.The novel I'd enriched with references to iconic classic composers like Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn. She also uses folk myths and legends and,naturally, she often refers to Shakespeare.The tragedy that takes central role is Macbeth.

“Thereafter, I think. A backwards looking word for time that is still to come. In itself a blasphony. Before Chimes, a voice says in my head, there would have been time for such a word. A tripleton rhythm driving upward in my mind. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.”

Why Macbeth? Shakespeare's Macbeth thought that his reign would change the kingdom. And it did, but in a nightmarish way.The Shakespearean Macbeth becomes a tyrant, extinguishes formerly beloved friends, causes the death of his wife,orders the massacre of a family. He establishes a totalitarian regime in its most vicious form.Smaill also brings to mind thoughts on the institution of Religion and how it has been used as an excuse for oppression and violence by men in power who address frightened and desperate people and have nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus.

Vocabulary has also changed.”Yesterday” has become “yesternoch”, Diversity is Discord.Solfege has become a sign language.I strongly disagree with some reviewers who claimed that the language is confusing.We have been to school,I believe. I think most of us have been taught Music, most of us know what “presto” or “Lento” means and if we don't, well, there's always good old Google to enlighten us...

I feel that this is a book that I can't review in the usual structured way. I feel that anything I write will not be able to do justice to its beauty.The writing is impeccable, Simon is a character that will touch you deeply, Lucien is one you'll fall in love with at once.This is a dystopian novel of the finest kind.

“When the Chimes fill up the sky,Then the ravens start to fly.Gwillum, Huginn, Cedric, Thor,Odin, Hardy, nevermore.”

I'm not an avid reader of contemporary thrillers, I tend to be quite picky with them. This one won me over, though, when I read the blurb. When I was younger, about 13-14 years old, I wanted to become a surgeon and perform transplants. For a number of reasons I decided upon a different career but my interest in the field remains strong. There is a plethora of articles and theories about recipients whose personality was altered after the operation to a significant degree. Some of them were said to acquire traits of their donors. I don't know whether I believe this to be true, but this was a good reason for me to be interested in the novel.

This premise is taken to a whole different degree here and it is very difficult to say anything about the story. However, I think that in order to pay attention to it, we must suspend all disbelief, because there are certain points and issues that are quite problematic, in my opinion. Casey starts being troubled by insomnia and horrific nightmares after her surgery and her personality as a whole has been altered. At least, this is what everyone around her claim throughout the book. In all honesty, this was tiresome. I saw no problem with her at all. To my poor mind, it is obvious that anyone who suffers from problematic sleep or lack of it is bound to be irritable and troubled. You should try to disagree with me after a bad night. I mean, the dragon is awaken. For some strange reason, this seems to elude the doctor's fine judgment. Their answer is that Casey is a psychopath...

Casey is just about the only thing the writer got right in terms of the cast. She is a young woman who is certain and confident in her abilities and her judgment and perfectly aware of her troubles. She is determined to solve everything, despite everyone trying to convince her to “have some rest”. And by “rest” they actually mean “let's lock you up in a clinic, feed you with a spoon while you're a breathing vegetable in order for us to appear as if we're actually good parents. Which we are not.” This was my major annoyance with the book. Perhaps I have been raised in a babble, I don't know, but Casey's parents seemed to me highly unrealistic. Either that or the writer's intention was to make them utterly stupid. Those people couldn't see beyond their bloody noses! Especially Eddie. What mother would behave like that? It's a wonder that Casey managed to keep her wits with parents like those people. Lionel, her grandfather, was the second decent character, although for a man who had served so many years in the police, he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and Scott was merely passable, but sympathetic. The villains were indifferent and clichéd, the psychiatrist was an absolute bore and perhaps a bit untrained? I doubt that a capable scientist would make the mistakes she did. Perhaps, the naive characters was the writer's way to emphasize Casey's isolation but the result was rather implausible for me.

The writing lacked spirit and punch to support the story and I could see the solution of the mystery before I reached the 50% mark of the book. How many times can someone gulp and glare in a chapter? The descriptions were repetitive, the dialogue were Hollywood clichés and the overall situation appeared hysteric. Everyone was shouting or crying or staring coldly at someone. You don't create tension and atmosphere in this way. Not when you deal with a story that had some potential....

I know I'm not the right reader for the book since my experience in thrillers isn't extensive, but I recognize a thing or two about good and bad writing. So, while the story was interesting and the pace was adequate, the execution wasn't satisfying at all. Perhaps I am spoiled by the Nordic writers but The Recipient didn't meet my demands. Give it a try and see whether it meets yours.

Many thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“In February,when the snow comes down hard, little globes of light are left along Route 110, on the side of the road that slopes off when a driver least expects it. The lights are candles set inside paper bags, surrounded by sand, and they burn past midnight. They shouldn't last for that amount of time, but that's part of the miracle.”

There's a heat wave all over Greece at the moment I'm writing this review. I don't like summer and heat, I want to live in a place of eternal winter. Also, bright sun changes my mood and character completely and in this review, you'll probably see me obsessively describing my incoherent thoughts on how easily and readily I gave my heart to this book. It is one of the rarest of cases when I couldn't stop myself from reading the last chapter when I reached about 80% mark. I just wanted to know. This is how deeply I feel in love with Hoffman's novel.

After a horrific car accident, Shelby's life changes dramatically. She gives up on her dreams, she punishes herself in all ways imaginable and chooses to escape to New York. Not to start anew. She cannot do that yet, because she doesn't believe she is able or even worthy of a good life. She believes she's a nobody, a nothing, a monster. She practically begs for other people to see her this way. But they don't. Because some of us have faith.

The title is extremely poignant and well-chosen. “Faithful” to whom? To what? My answer is to everything. This is the reply I got from the book. To people, to a higher power, but most of all, to ourselves. It is the amount of faith in our abilities and value we gain through the children's love, through the animals' trust. Here, Shelby starts finding her way out of the darkness the moment people start trusting her. They have faith in her and she begins to look at herself under a different light. After trust comes faith and then love follows closely.

Love lies at the centre of the novel, along with faith. Love between a mother and a daughter. Love between a couple (beautifully depicted in Shelby and James). Love between friends, between animals and humans. Love that is firmly rooted in the past or the kind of love that comes out of nowhere, sweeps you off your feet and helps you find yourself a little sooner than you'd think possible.

“As evening falls, the wet street glows as if sprinkled with diamonds...There are bats in the tower of a church overlooking a small park. There's a sprinkling of gold -trigged stars in the sky.

What is it with stories and New York? What is it about this city that makes everything so poetic and special? Why does it turn me into a romantic? I don't know...I fell in love with Hoffman's descriptions of the city. They're marvellous, especially the ones about the evening streets. You'll also find a few but extremely poetic images of the Hudson.

There are certain well-placed hints of magical realism, with the postcards of an angel and Helena's supposed healing abilities. I think they're there to remind us that sometimes magic sometimes and beauty lies within our daily routine, within difficult choices, within the past. The narration is written in the present tense which is probably my favourite technique and it fits the story perfectly. And if by now you haven't been convinced that the writing is impeccable, I don't think I can trust you...

I read that it took Hoffman ten years to write Faithful and this definitely shows in the way the story is tightly put together, in the characters that are fully developed, in the interactions that are realistic and vivid. Dogs have a very prominent role in the action and Hoffman even manages to include references to Poe's Nevermore and to Gaiman's Neverwhere. I mean, come on...This is perfection.

Shelby is one of the most beautiful, most memorable characters out of all the books I've ever read in my life. You'll support her, get frustrated by her, cheer for her to succeed, cry and laugh. You will embark on an exciting journey. Call me superficial but James was...if he doesn't make your heart melt, if you don't fall in love with him as soon as you meet him on the page, then I believe you're heartless beyond repair. (Also, if the book is ever made into a film, I want Jonathan Tucker for the role. I don't know why but I pictured him as I was reading.) Ben, on the other hand, is irritating, a crying self-absorbed infant, competing with Shelby's father for the award of the most annoying character in the novel. To be fair, he has a few redeeming qualities, but I don't want to be fair today, I want to be emotional. See what this book did to me?

None of us wants to make even the tiniest mistakes, but this is impossible. We're human beings. Even gods make mistakes and quite big ones. We're made to make mistakes and to learn in the process. Life isn't the silky cocoon our parents struggled to provide for us. Whatever few ugly experiences I've had taught me to think differently, taught me that there are people you need to discard without a second thought and people you need at all costs. In those moments, everyone need to have faith and trust in someone. In my opinion, this “someone” must be our self. And the rest will follow...

“Together they fight demons in New York City, of which there is an endless supply. Each time another one is defeated, the Misfit comes closer to forgiveness, a state of grace he never can quite reach.”