Review of 'Shiver' by Maggie Stiefvater

It's no secret that I love YA fiction, and fantasy makes up such a decent amount of the YA fiction I love to read. I saw a few tweets the other day about how YA shouldn't be classed as a genre in itself because it's so diverse, and I really think that's right: there's such a wealth of great young adult fiction out there, and it ought to be respected. 

Anyway, I bought Shiver because the cover was beautiful and it reminded me of a book I'd read as a teen with a similar cover. I'm a sucker for good cover marketing, especially now that I work in publishing and know how much effort and thought can go in to them.

Grace lives in a small American town, which is pretty normal if you ignore the wolves skirting around the edges of it hidden in the forest. When Grace was a child she was dragged into the forest by a pack of wolves and almost killed, but rather than fearing them, she feels a deep affinity to one wolf in particular who saved her. 

Each year she spends her time looking out for 'her' wolf, and spies him watching her back from between the trees. Grace is fully obsessed with the wolves, and she'd do anything to (safely) reach out to them. But when a boy is attacked, and another one goes missing, Grace is forced to face the fact that there might be something more sinister than she ever thought going on with the pack ...

This is the first in a trilogy that I'm determined to make my way through. Although the writing was a little simplistic, I really enjoyed the plot of the book, and I want to see where it goes next. This was such a great read for October when things are getting a little spooky, and I might save the next one in the set until that time this year to fully embrace the season!

This is a great YA read for those interested in fantasy and people that enjoyed the Twilight series.

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Review of 'A River in Darkness' by Masaji Ishikawa

It's rare that I'd suggest that everyone needs to read a particular book, but I'm doing it with this one, because it is just SO important. 

In 2018 I made my reading much more diverse, not only in terms of genre and the age of the book, but also in terms of authors from diverse backgrounds (working class/female/LGBT/non-English nationalities and races, as well as your 'typical' cis-white male author). It's something that I feel very passionately about (you need to put your money where your mouth is to encourage diverse publishing), and that I'm hoping to expand upon in 2019.

A River in Darkness is so important because the author completely put his life at risk by publishing the book, which is his tale of escape from North Korea. Masaji Ishikawa was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Korean father. Growing up in the last 1940s and early 1950s, Ishikawa and his family (his three sisters and parents) were treated as lower class citizens because of their dual race. With an unhappy home life, Masaji's father believes the propaganda being spread by Kim Il-Sun (the leader of North Korea at that time), that returning to (North) Korea would mark a return to paradise.

Having been promised that they will be treated as a higher class of citizen, the family are shocked when they arrive to a muddy, old-fashioned village. Ishikawa's mother is treated as the lowest citizen, and is not allowed to speak Japanese. His father is forced to become a manual labourer, and Ishikawa is bullied at school for his race. Forced to learn Korean rapidly, the family struggle to fit in.

The story goes on to talk of Ishikawa's hardships that lead well into his adulthood in North Korea, and of the extreme state that the country was in at the time. Ultimately he successfully escapes, risking everything in a time of desperation. The book is a cry for help to change the state of the country, and for Masaji to be reunited with his children, and I hope that one day he'll get his wish.

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Review of 'Cranford' by Elizabeth Gaskell

I didn't realise we had another classic coming so soon, but I really went through a ~phase~ in September/October (and yes, I am still this behind on reviews even after cramming so many in over the past week or two!). Elizabeth Gaskell is an author I came across whilst studying at uni and I'm so glad I did because her books are incredible, and Cranford was no different. 

Published in novel form in 1853, the book is set in the fictional village of Cranford. The twist is that it's a matriarchy, poking fun at all the elements of the restrictive patriarchy of Gaskell's contemporary world. The book was initially published in serial form, and it's clear as each chapter is almost a short story of its own within the context of the town.

Marriage is bemoaned, and any woman that wants to marry, or worse, gets married, is left out of the loop of social gatherings. The women of Cranford never want men, or more men, to live within the walls of the town, and feel genuine horror at the thought of a woman being 'lost' to marriage. 

A satire in nature, the book is an incredible insight into what Victorian English society was like, and what some women thought of it. Victorian fiction is absolutely my favourite epoch (the Bronte sisters give me life) and I just loved every refreshing moment of this. If you're a fan of Victorian fiction, or want a humorous look into society at the time, then I'd definitely recommend this!

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Review of 'The Couple Next Door' by Shari Lapena

We're moving away from classics for the moment and on to one of the very few thrillers I read in 2018. I went through a big crime thriller phase a couple of years ago, but I feel as though that's ebbed off a little into the realm of an occasional thriller that never leads me to a full blown obsession. Perhaps 2019 will hold more, but I'm not so sure.

Anyway.

Anne and Marco head to their neighbour's house for dinner one evening. With their babysitter cancelling at the last moment, they have no choice but to leave their six month old daughter back in her crib next door, as their neighbours have made it very clear that it's an 'adults only' affair. The parents head back alternatively every half an hour to make sure Cora's still safely sleeping, and keep a baby monitor on them. But, when they head home just after midnight (with a pretty upset Anne due to the flirting between Marco and the woman next door), they notice the front door is ajar, and all of their worst nightmares come true: their baby is gone.

As the police bring in the cadavar dogs, no one is exempt from suspicion, and no one knows whether Cora is safe or not. With wealthy parents behind Anne, the couple put up a £3 million reward for the safe return of their daughter. The issue is, that either the baby-snatcher was a very lucky opportunist, or he's someone close to the couple who knew their whereabouts. Were the grandparents looking for an opportunity to finally show Anne that lower class Marco isn't to be trusted? Were the neighbours so angry about the new (loud) baby next door that they'd do something unforgiveable? Could Anne and Marco fake their grief and snatch her themselves?

I can 100% understand why this book was as hyped up as it is. I loved every minute of it. The whole premise reminded me a little of the Maddie McCann story, and it was interesting to see how everyone really does come under suspicion, and how invasive the media are.

The book had me suspecting all of the main characters at some point, and a lot of them more than once! The twists in it were epic, but so believable, and I came out of it trusting no one and utterly shocked. I've heard mixed reviews of The Stranger in the House, Lapena's second novel, but even if it's half as good it'll be worth reading!

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Review of 'Hunger' by Knut Hamsen

If ever an author nailed the whole plot of a book in the first sentence, this is it: 'it was during the time I wandered about and starved'. Yes, this isn't the most exciting premise for a book, but the storytelling is incredible, and I can see why it's regarded as a must-read classic European novel. Hamsen is said to have inspired a whole collection of modern authors, including Kafka and James Joyce. Having read books by the three authors now, the influence is clear both in the style and writing of the novels.

Hunger follows the story of a writer living in extreme poverty. We follow him in his wanderings around the city as he becomes more and more starved, and increasingly unhinged. There are times of hope, when food or a potential job is found, but each instance of this is ruined either by circumstance or the writer's own self-destructive ways.

I won't lie, I didn't expect to be too enamoured with this. It looked dry, and sometimes I really struggle to get into classic European novels. However, the writing in this was so emotive and well done that I couldn't not enjoy it. As the book progressed and the protagonist grew more confused, it came across the page, and you almost felt your mind wandering with his. 

The story was one that I do feel is so important, about the ravaging impact of poverty on both your mind and body. It explores the extreme state one gets into when one cannot afford to eat, as well as the vicious cycle of poverty (not having enough resources to secure opportunities around in a loop). 

I would definitely recommend this to anyone studying modern literature, as a pre-cursor to this epoch, as well as those studying the European novel. It's also a fab read for anyone interested in a reading a pretty short classic that will grab you in.

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Review of 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' by George Orwell

Aaand here's the next classic in this little string of ones that I ended up reading all in a row. I'm pretty proud of getting my act together and posting my sixth review in short succession on my big catch up stream. What's Twixtmas for if not to get up to date on everything you've been ignoring for months?

Nineteen Eighty-Four has been on my to-read list since, well, when I started my English lit course and everyone was horrified I hadn't picked it up. 6 years on from then, I finally got around to it, and I'm so glad I didn't put it off any longer. I LOVED this book, and I can finally see why it's a must-read, so basically if you haven't picked it up yet, then go go go.

The story is told by Winston Smith, a citizen living in Britain, which is now part of Oceania, one of three major international powers (the other two being Eastasia and Eurasia). He doesn't remember a great deal of what came before the state of the world that he lives in, only that it wasn't always how it is now. Separated from his parents, Winston as an adult lives alone in a small apartment. He is woken up for work every morning by an oversized TV screen that watches his every move. Orders are barked at him through the screen, and he must always be diligent to avoid being seen as an opposition to Big Brother and the party. 

Big Brother is a person that no one ever sees, but he controls every part of every day. Anyone might be a spy, so one can never speak out against the ruling party. Winston is (somewhat) lucky to not be a member of the proles - the poorer people cast out of the hub of the city and neglected - but he's curious to find out more about the memories he's lost.

You see, Winston's job is to be one of the many people who go back through old media records and update them in accordance to the party's current legislation. If they decide to be at war with Eurasia, then they must always have been at war with Eurasia, and Winston has to amend any newspaper clippings, pamphlets or books that suggest otherwise. This leads him to realise that no one's memory can be relied upon, and that there is no real historical 'truth' in their world. 

Winston manages to keep his budding concerns at bay until he meets Julia. Together they start to question the party, and what's worse, outright defy it. Soon there's no going back for Winston, and everything he's ever held true comes under fire.

This book was so incredible, and yet so terrifying. It's a dystopia that's almost become true. Our electronic devices do listen in on us (have you ever spoken about something out loud only for it to pop up as an AD on Instagram??), and we are manipulated by the media to think what others want us to think. It speaks about the rhetoric we're faced with every day being pushed to the extreme, and it made me consider how scary it is that so many people tune into a show called Big Brother.

Everything about this book was powerful, and so thought-provoking. From the revolutionary 'manual' at the centre, to the writing style, to the absolute shocker of an ending, this is firmly one of my favourite books of the year and one that I know I'll re-read in the future to get even more out of it.

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Review of 'Madame Bovary' by Gustave Flaubert

I've got a little bunch of classics heading your way next - these all seemed to come together for me. As the days got shorter and nights got longer, I felt like delving into something a little more intense (we're caught up to September now - help!). 

The debut novel of Gustave Flaubert, this book was first published in a novel form in 1857, after the author was acquitted from an obscenity trial it caused. Madame Bovary follows the story, at first, of Charles Bovary, a poor teenager who is ridiculed at school and goes on to be a doctor. He marries the man that his mother chooses for him, but falls in love with a local educated girl named Emma. When his wife passes away, he begins to court Emma in earnest, and they marry. 

At this point, the narrative switches to focus on Emma, who is now Madame Bovary. Bored by Charles' dull appearance and habits, and finding motherhood not what she thought, she seeks an affair with a man named Rodolphe. 

The book is a work of literary realism, telling the story of the passions of both man and woman, and the trouble these can create. Although I wouldn't go so far as to say it was an enjoyable read, it was a powerful book. The story-telling seemed almost beyond its time, and it is well worth reading if you want to engage more with classic European novels. 

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