Half a World Away - Cath Staincliff

We were planning a trip to the country and came upon this one when I was looking for books based on China. I had never read Staincliffe and was glad to find her at my local library.

The premise sounded interesting, a mother letting her daughter go on gap year only to realise her worst nightmare had come true.

Gist:

Lori Maddox has just finished her university and wants to go travelling. Her separated parents Jo and Tom drop her off at the airport and go back to their lives. Jo now has a new partner Nick and two young sons. In the beginning Lori keeps on updating them on her life through her blog, "Lori in the Orient" but then the updates stop coming. Jo and Tom begin to worry and then start calling for help.

Lori had moved to China to take up a English tutor job before she disappeared. Unable to find out anything 5000 miles away, Jo and Tom travel to Chengdu in the Sichuan province to track their daughter down. They get in touch with her life and try to find out what happened even as they realise that with each day of her disappearance, their chances of finding her is getting dim...

What works:

The opening scene of dropping their daughter off at the airport, the tension between the exes is captured well.

The characters are well etched. Nick, Tom, Lori and Jo sound like people we know. Easy to relate characters. Loved the way she establishes their personalities.

The way she describes China from a tourist point of view is endearing. I almost felt that I was travelling with Lori when she writes about her experiences. Also love the way Staincliff captured a gap year student's voice.

Staincliff is great with showing relationships. Loved the way the shift in relationships occur due to this life changing incident.

What doesn't:

The momentum sags a bit in the second half as the story reaches its high point - the reveal. Although it backs on track towards the end, the neat tying up of loose ends.

Overall, a good read. If only the reveal was handled properly, it would have been a great read, but nonetheless a good read. I enjoyed reading a story set in China. Read it for that novelty alone.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton

photo courtesy: waterstones.com

My first read of the year and what a way to kick off the reading challenge.

I just finished this book and simply had to do this review. I had heard about this book on readingthepast book blog and was keen to get my hands on it. With a title like this, can you blame me?

For a while I was going through a reading slump. Nothing really interested me, I was unable to stick to something till the end. But thankfully this one has put an end to it.

The story with its bizarre premise, is intriguing but it had a big task ahead - To convince the reader to enter that weird world, be invested in the characters and stay interested.

The book does that and more.

Gist:

Blackheath is hosting a grand party at the big house. Guests have been invited to stay and servants working hard, preparing for a ball.

But at the heart of it is a murder. Of Evelyn Hardcastle and it will happen again and again. Aidan can stop it and save her but he needs to get to the killer. But the trouble is every time the day begins again, Aidan finds himself in the body of a different guest. And someone doesn't want him solving the murder.

What works:

• The premise is so weird - time travel, body hopping? but Turton makes it interesting. I was worried that the complicated nature of the premise will weigh down the plot but it doesnt. The superb first chapter that starts off as a very straightforward thriller like scene - takes the reader by hand, slowly taking her to the depths of the plot.

• What I loved about the chapter is that like the narrator, it could well be the reader, finding themselves at Blackheath with no clue of why they are there. The reader gets pulled in immediately as she along with the narrator try to figure out what was happening there.

• The style. What makes any reading experience great is the writing style. It was a joy to look for phrases and imagery that make the story telling a compelling read and an enjoyable experience. It made me take out my notebook to jot down the phrases to admire their beauty.

There's instinctive pause for my rejoinder, the rhythm of the moment collapsing under the weight of its absence.

or the description of how  the mansion Blackheath transformed at nightfall.....

The world's shrivelling beyond the windows, darkening at the edges and blackening at the centre. 

or lines so articulate that is a nod to the writer's skill...

• Nothing like a mask to reveal somebody's true nature.

The stories are spun from one mouth to another and by the time they reach me, they're rich details and patterns, strong enough to be carried out of here and into society.

Death's rolled his dice and Evelyn's paid her debt. All that was of value has been taken.

Some of the imagery that made me chuckle:

Working within the confines of Derby's intellect is like stirring croutons into a thick soup.

I could go on and on but this is testimony to the writer's skill at not only narrating a story that is weird but believable but also add to the reading experience with its rich imagery and superb turn of phrase.

But finally hats off to the writer for building this fantasy world where nothing is as it seems  - at once concrete and abstract.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience to say the least.

What doesn't:

It feels like a fairground ride, thrilling till the end and then a feeling that all is known. But in this case because the device used is so brilliantly handled, it will be exciting to re read it again to find out how
the writer pulled out a stunt like that. There is definitely more than one reading to this book and that is where it scores.

A very well crafted story. Highly recommended.

The Woman in the Window - A.J. Finn

photo courtesy:amazon.in

A creepy thriller that is reminiscent of Hitchcock

I was surprised to see this book compared to Rear Window. Having read the book now I can see why. The hype around a book is a sureshot way of heading for disappointment, I believe. However, this is a new writer and sounded very promising from his interviews .

Gist:
Anna is holed up in her house - she is agoraphoic. She loves looking out of her windows into her neighbours - and one day she ends up seeing something bad happen to one of them.
She is on medication, alcoholic and cannot step out of her house.
Will anyone believe her?

What works:

• The writer is writing for today's audience. Crisp sentences, narrative that completely pulls you in are its hallmark traits.

• Anna, the flawed heroine is so reminiscent of today's heroines whether it was Girl on the Train or Before I go to Sleep. It is perfect in line with a characterisation where the protagonist is grappling with her own issues before she can go out there and stop the perpetrator.

• The writing is so tight that it doesn't let you off the hook at all. I found myself tied to it. A great way of smashing that reader's block that I was struggling with.

• Full of action, I can already visualise it as a movie.

What doesn't:

• Although the ride was good, once the suspense is over you feel like you are done with it all. I do not think I will go back to it for a re-read.

Uncommon Type - Tom Hanks

photo courtesy: amazon.co.uk

Too much hype, too little delivered.

I love Tom Hanks as an actor. I have watched You've Got Mail hundreds of times and enjoyed it every time. The story, plot and the Hanks and Ryan combination is amazing. I loved his boyish charm and his ability to get into the skin of the character. I loved him as Dr. Langdon although the subsequent ones were not as good as the first two, I admired his acting capabilities as Walt Disney in an all out battle with Emma Thompson in Saving Mr Banks.

So, getting my hands on this book felt great. Here was a person I admire who had written something. Believing that a written work reveals a lot about the author, I picked it up. hoping to understand the multi-faceted talent a bit more.

Gist:

A set of short stories from different walks of life.

What works:

• They are average stories.

• Interesting as a first time read.

What doesn't:

• I am not sure, I would have stuck with it if it had not been this famous name.

• Very few stories stand out in my head and even then not for their writing style.

I suppose there was too much hype about it. Hanks is a talent, there is no doubt about that. But perhaps in this case, the hype had more value than the content.

Skip this one. There are better short story collections out there.