Category: Publication Date

Five words from the blurb: conventional, life, choices, right, uproar

It is almost impossible to review this book without giving away spoilers; in fact every review I’ve seen so far has mentioned something I’d have preferred to keep secret. As a compromise I’m going to let you know that this is a fantastic book. It deserves to become a word-of-mouth bestseller and if you enjoy entertaining books that don’t shy away from difficult subjects (e.g. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time or Room) then you are bound to love this one. If you don’t mind mild spoilers you are welcome to read on. Major spoilers will be written in white text – just highlight the passage to read it.

Alex Woods is seventeen-years-old. The book begins with a custom’s officer in Dover discovering a large amount of marijuana and an urn full of ashes in his car.

His gaze shifted, his eyes widened. He signalled for me to wait and spoke into his walkie-talkie, rapidly and with obvious agitation. That was the instant I knew for sure. I found out later that my picture had been circulated in every major port from Aberdeen to Plymouth. With that and the TV appeals, I never stood a chance.

The reason for the national manhunt is slowly revealed in a gripping narrative that effortlessly switches from humour to darkness.

I loved the build up and the way snippets of information were skilfully dropped through the text, but I’m afraid the ending wasn’t quite perfect. I felt the reader was subjected to a bit of a rant and whilst I agreed with point of view being made (subject revealed in spoiler below) I think the discussion was one sided. I’d have preferred to see the issues investigated in more depth, with some negative aspects included. This would have shown the full complexity of this difficult subject and the turmoil of emotion faced by the families of those involved. 

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW – highlight to read

This book deals with euthanasia. The relationship between Alex and the elderly gentleman, Mr Peterson, was beautifully drawn. The subject was handled sensitively, but is bound to have a more profound effect on those who disagree that a person has a right to choose when they die.

Alex is a wonderful character and I loved the quirky, unpredictable course of his life. It will be fantastic to discuss this book with everyone and I’m looking forward to seeing it rush up the best seller charts.

Recommended. 

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Five words from the blurb: kid, reckless, heart, beautifully, idea

Lamb is a fast paced, gripping book that questions whether or not it is OK for an adult man to have a friendship with a child. Lamb is fifty-four-years-old when he discovers a girl being bullied. He rescues her and then realises that she is a latch-key kid, ignored by her parents. Feeling sorry for her he takes the girl out for lunch, an act of kindness that sparks their friendship. Over the course of the book Lamb becomes more involved in her life, but at some point he crosses the moral line and his behavior becomes inappropriate. The big debate is which acts are acceptable and when does he go too far? I’m torn and hope to persuade some of my friends to read this book so that we can discuss the issues raised.

The writing style was informal and Lamb continually questioned whether or not he was doing the right thing:

And there was nothing wrong with that, was there? With a guy like him buying a kid like her a nice lunch, spoiling her a little? It was good for her. It was just a little tonic for his poisonous heart. Right? Why shouldn’t he have done that? It was good for them both. And so it was good for everybody – because that is how goodness works

The reader is left to come to their own conclusions, propelled through the story with an increasing sense of dread. I loved the way this book highlighted our society’s problem of assuming all men who want interactions with children are pedophiles. It is a difficult subject, but I thought Nadzam addressed it with a sensitivity that should be admired.

The only problem with the book is that the story is quite simple and I don’t think there is enough depth to sustain a re-read. Luckily the plot is not predictable and the ending is especially good.

Lamb is a compelling, thought provoking read that deserves to be a best seller. Recommended to fans of Room by Emma Donoghue

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The thoughts of other bloggers:

It’s compulsive and urgent and compelling,  but it is also disconcerting and creepy. Reading Matters

Lyrical, brisk and evocative. Learn this Phrase

Lamb is not a horror novel; it is far more than that, for the terror is subtly created  in the reader’s mind rather than being explicit on the page. A Common Reader

Five words from the blurb: funeral home, death, mother, deaf, brother

A Trick I Learned From Dead Men is a short, but interesting book about two brothers – one of whom works at a funeral parlour. The brothers are adjusting to life on their own after the sudden death of their mother. Ned is deaf and his brother, Lee, struggles to look after him once he begins an apprenticeship at the local funeral home. The book beautifully portrays the strained relationship between two brothers and gives some (often gruesome) insights into the procedures that corpses undergo before being buried.

The writing style was chatty, but compelling:

The only times things get hairy is when we’ve got a rush on. No one’s fault, but it can get a bit brisk. I only saw Derek lose his grip once, not the whole gentleman, just the top half. I don’t like it when clients get a knock, especially the head. You feel bad, but it can happen when there’s a rush on.

I read the entire thing in a couple of sittings, but, despite the depressing subject matter, I found that I wasn’t emotionally affected by the story. I think this was because I wasn’t allowed to get inside Lee’s head and his light-hearted banter detracted from the pain of his circumstance. The story was too simple to impress me and lacked the emotional power to move me.

It was an interesting diversion, but it failed to have any real impact on me. Recommended to anyone who’d like to know what really goes on in a funeral home.

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The thoughts of other bloggers:

Kitty has taken a taboo subject and achieved that fine balance, writing engagingly and openly, and with great sensitivity and humour about something most of us just don’t like to think or talk about. Dovegreyreader

There are no real high points, the book sort of ambles along a well written and well plotted plateau. Dog Ear Discs

It’s an accomplished piece of writing. But now I have reached the end I feel that I have met a character, read a simple story, and I wish that there could have been just a little more. Fleur Fisher in her World