Tag: book reviews

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Starting on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Gone Girl tells the story of Nick Dunne and his wife Amy, who has mysteriously disappeared.  It looks suspicious and all the clues point to Nick, but it is not as straightforward as it seems.

I have a real concern that bookshops might unceremoniously shove Gone Girl into the genre of Chick Lit and that would be a real shame.  Chick Lit has a reputation for taking on the fluffy novels of the literary world; romcoms, light comedies, even sometimes just having a female author can relegate a book to this candyfloss world.  Not that there’s nothing wrong with chick lit – after all, who doesn’t like to sometimes be whisked away to a world where the girl marries the man of her dreams and there is always a happy ending?  Gone Girl, however, leaves the fluffy stuff well behind and delves into what happens when the ending is not quite as happy as you thought it would be.

Whilst Gone Girl tells the story of a relationship, it is certainly not a light romcom.  Through Nick’s first-hand accounts and from Amy’s diary entries we learn how they first met and how their seemingly idyllic life started to implode. You are never quite sure who you can trust while reading this book and the twists and turns leave you constantly trying to guess if Nick really is as innocent as he proclaims.  This is Gillian Flynn’s third novel and, having read this, I am definitely going to be seeking out her first two books, Sharp Objects and Dark Places, which both promise to be as dark and thought provoking as Gone Girl.

At its heart, this is a tale of relationships and how even with the best intentions they can implode.  Yes, the characters and the situation are extreme, but I think most people who have been in a failed relationship could find themselves asking the same questions that Nick asks: Who are you?  What have we done to each other?

Crime novel, thriller, chick lit, it is hard to categorise this book, but Flynn’s excellent writing and sharp observations take you down into the murky world of her characters and leave you wondering how well do we ever know the person we lie next to?

Book Review: Kiss the Sky – DC Gallin

Kiss the Sky is the story of three beautiful young women learning to be true to themselves in the drug-infused haze of London in the 90s. Claudia, the heroine of the book, is an impulsive artist determined to carve her own path in life using anything and everything to inspire her painting. She is joined by Paloma and Q and together the three women learn to embrace the London buzz through their creative instincts and sexual freedom.

Gallin’s novel is more of an experience than a bedtime read and with each twist of fate that Claudia faces you are drawn further in. Written in the first person from Claudia’s perspective, there is something very honest and real about the narrative. Kiss the Sky is the perfect insight into the creative mind with no detail spared. We are given everything from beauty regimes to the birthing experience and it is all linked back into her art.

Many reviews have suggested that Gallin has the marvellous ability of transporting people right back to this time of hidden raves and psychedelics, but for a child of the 90s such as myself who has grown up in a very different world, Gallin creates a vision that I can just as easily relate to and be inspired by. The sex is raw and free and yet the consequences are painfully real. It can work as both an inspiration and a lesson learned.

This is a story that goes beyond portraying the wild parties, copious drugs and sex with strangers and Gallin portrays the true conversation of the 90s. Everyone is desperate to make a difference and the dole is ‘today’s patron of the arts’.  This is a novel that is greatly needed in today’s society as it teaches the reader of a world without money, where happiness is still accessible and creativity is more satisfying than a year of one night stands. In the words of Claudia’s father: ‘Why so much luggage for a journey so short?’

The drugs are enlightening, the sex is arousing and the friendships are ever-lasting. I’m really keen to read her next novel, set in India, and that alone is the sign of a good writer.

Get your copy from Amazon at the following link:

 

Book Review: Ghostwriter – Lissa Bryan

*Author Lissa Bryan will be answering questions on October 11, and there will be a giveaway of Ghostwriter for a random commenter. Click the sidebar link on the 11th to take part.*

A good book is about getting caught up in a story and forsaking reality for a few precious moments. With its combination of intrigue, romance and a truly idyllic setting Ghostwriter ticks all the boxes. My first piece of advice would be to avoid reading the blurb and delve right in, without expectations or knowledge of the plot. From the outset Bryan captures the imagination and you’ll quickly find that all awareness of the real world has gone.

Ghostwriter is the story of a work-weary English Graduate, keen to make her mark in the world of journalism. Lumbered with the dull task of ghostwriting a biography for an idiotic politician with minimal information or inspiration, Sara is running out of ideas and funds. Luck, or fate, offers her the chance to live on a quiet island in the cottage of her literary hero. Snapping up the chance she quickly becomes consumed with the history of the cottage and the traumatic circumstances of its owner’s death. She finds herself transported to events in WWI with a troubled ambulance driver as her companion and a deep desire to help heal both of them of their romantic scarring.

Sara is like any graduate and the problems she faces at the start are universal. Perhaps it is this harsh reality that really grounds the reader and helps them follow Sara unquestioningly through her journey of discovery. Any strong sceptics out there might not enjoy this novel for what it is: an escape into the world of writing and romance. It is not realistic, but it doesn’t have to be and wouldn’t work if it was. However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to relate to it. Anyone who came across an unknown novel at a young age and swiftly fell in love with that author and everything they wrote will be able to appreciate Ghostwriter and get lost amongst its pages, just like Sara did.