July : My Month in Covers
July has been another glorious month of sunshine. As with last month I’ve read seven books this month, again, not as many as normal but I’m catching up with reviews and also started to organise my SPFBO books -more about that shortly. Below is a quick round up of the books I’ve read during July – all displayed in covers. My month in review will follow shortly. Hope you’ve read some good books this month.
Little Eve by Catriona Ward
I hardly know how to begin to review Little Eve, especially without giving away elements that could potentially spoil the read for others. This is a gothic story set upon a remote Scottish island that can only be reached at low tide via causeway. Ultimately it’s an unravelling of the events that took place at Castle Altnaharra one stormy night that resulted in the apparent ritual sacrifice of four of the inhabitants.
This was a gripping story and the writing was beautifully hypnotic, almost poetic. I haven’t read Catriona Ward before but on the strength of the writing here would definitely like to read her debut novel. She has a way with words that is breathtakingly evocative. Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself.
The story kicks off with a mysterious and quite chilling opening. The discovery of four dead bodies by a local man delivering goods to the Isle. From there the author takes us back over previous events using alternating chapters narrated by Dinah and Eve to gradually build a story of manipulation and cruelty.
The story is roughly set over a four year period from 1917 to 1921. Times were harsh for many people during that period and this caused a more introspective ‘charity begins at home’ type of feeling amongst many people that resulted in otherwise unusual or unacceptable behaviours remaining unchallenged.
The inhabitants of the castle are predominantly orphan children who have been brought to the seclusion of the isle by a man they know as ‘uncle’. Together they all take part in strange rituals involving visions of a large sea serpent. They all believe Uncle to be the conduit of the God they worship and ultimately their saviour. Basically this is a story of cult worship. The children love uncle and vie for his attention and favour, quite jealously, even to the point of tattle-tailing on each other. Whilst he remains well fed and clothed they are almost starved, small for their age, permanently tired and cold and desperate for affection. And yet Uncle is the only family they’ve known and they believe in him with a desperate fervour that refuses to waiver.
As time creeps on however the Isle and it’s inhabitants come to the attention of a wily police officer who makes it is business to check on what really goes on in the castle. Persistent and like a dog with a bone he is determined to find out more about ‘uncle’ and his persistent worrying eventually provokes events to spiral out of control.
This is a little bit of an unsettling read to be honest and yet at the same time it’s a story that propels you forward relentlessly. I wouldn’t particularly say that I liked any of the characters whilst I was reading. Eve is a bit unnerving, Uncle is bloody awful and manipulative, and Dinah, well, actually, I suppose I quite liked Dinah and just wished she could break free, especially since she had the barest sliver of a chance at happiness.
This is a story that is narrated by an unreliable character – you just need to figure out who is telling the truth and it’s this need to know what actually happened that drives you onwards.
I can’t really say too much about the rest of the plot because it would definitely involve spoilers. I would however like to highlight that there are some unsavoury elements to this story – which, whilst they’re not overly dwelled upon, there’s no gratuity here and in fact with some events you’re given a hint of things and left to come up with your own conclusions and yet in spite of that these events and the way the children are treated is undeniably cruel and shocking.
Like I said, this is a somewhat unsettling read. It’s a book that is creepy and yet at the same time unnervingly addictive. A perfect read for a stormy night when you can hear the wind buffeting the house and the rain lashing the windows whilst feeling safe and secure within your own little castle.
A murder mystery with a difference, a twist that I simply didn’t envisage and a period setting that is bleak with war. Definitely an author that I would like to read again – this might not have been a ‘fun’ read, there’s no witty banter and I think you definitely need to be in the right frame of mind, but, the writing is very impressive and it’s undoubtedly the type of read that once you’ve started you’re in it until the end – bitter or not.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Weekly Wrap Up : 29 July 2018
Hi everyone. Hope you’ve all had a good week with lots of lovely books and other activities. I’ve been trying to catch up with things and actually managed to focus quite a bit this week. I’ve read two books from those I picked out in last week’s weekly wrap up and caught up with some reviews too. So, here’s what I read this week:
- Hunted by GX Todd
- You Die When You Die by Angus Watson
Next Week’s Reads: (I’m going with three again to try and encourage myself – although, let’s just be honest, it’s highly unlikely):
- Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller
- The Tower of Living and Dying by Anna Smith Spark
- Temper by Nicky Drayden
Upcoming reviews: –
- Starborn by Lucy Hounsom
- Envy of Angels by Matt Wallace
- Noir by Christopher Moore
- The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse
- Wrath of Gods by Dyrk Ashton
- Hunted by GX Todd
- You Die When You Die by Angus Watson
I’d love to know what you’re reading this week.
One of Us by Craig DiLouie
They call it the plague
A generation of children born with extreme genetic mutations.
They call it a home
But it’s a place of neglect and forced labour.
They call him a Freak
But Dog is just a boy who wants to be treated as normal.
They call them dangerous
They might be right.
One of Us is a powerful story with an important and relevant message that is every bit as relevant to today’s society as it was in the era in which the book is set. Oftentimes uncomfortable to read it’s something of an emotional roller coaster that delivers a shock filled sucker punch. Make no mistake this is not a book that you will enjoy, don’t be deceived by the casual stance of the character on the cover, this isn’t fun. What it is is a compelling read that takes you quite firmly in it’s grip and doesn’t relent until the final page. It’s impossible to put this one down, you simply have to know what is going to happen and it delivers that tension and feeling of dread that keeps you racing to the conclusion.
Before I go further I will mention that this book may contain triggers for some readers so be aware of that before you make the decision to pick it up. I certainly wouldn’t call any of the content gratuitous, but it can be upsetting and difficult to read.
So, the world here is a parallel world – a world of ‘what ifs’. Go back to the late 60s and the sexual revolution leads to a genetic virus, or maybe it’s a coincidence, regardless, many pregnant women give birth to a generation of babies with mutations. Known as ‘plague children’ these mutations vary wildly from a boy with a dog’s features to a child with a face that is upside down. The immediate knee jerk reaction was to take all these children and place them within care facilities – out of sight out of mind. Now jump forward to the early 80s and these children are of an age where they’re beginning to understand how different their lives are and how differently they’re treated, just as they’re also beginning to realise that their mutations, in most cases, also lend them certain additional powers, such as the ability to know what somebody is going to say before they say it, great intelligence, or extreme strength to name but a few. At the same time, the local teenage contingent are of an age where they are also starting to question the treatment meted out to the inhabitants of their own local home. Some are ambivalent but others don’t like the way the plague children are treated and think there should be change.
Fundamentally this is a coming of age story with a difference that examines prejudice and shows that sometimes the real ‘monsters’ are not those unfairly labelled as such but are the people who blend seamlessly into society, their real natures masked by their normality.
I’m not going to go further into the plot or add too much more in terms of the characters or world building. For me, this story is more about the message and the thought provoking themes that help to make that message jump from the page in the most dramatic way.
I don’t want to make this sound ‘preachy’ because I didn’t find that to be the case at all. There is a clear storyline here but for me it played second fiddle to the emotions that were provoked during the read and that left me with so much to think about with it’s conclusion.
To be honest, this wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I thought I was picking up an x-men type book with young children coming into their own, developing special powers, maybe having some fun banter along the way before developing into a kick ass team of super characters. What I actually got was an unflinching story about a whole bunch of children, stashed out of sight, treated unfairly, raised without love and used as unpaid labour until they eventually rebelled.
Maybe not the most fun I’ve had reading a book but to be honest with the message this delivers it shouldn’t be ‘fun’. I certainly have no regrets reading this even though it wasn’t what I was anticipating. A well written, thought provoking tale and a demonstration of action and consequence that in spite of the violence and horror also contains an element of hope and an open ending that keeps that hope alive.
I received a copy, through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Friday Face Off : “I saw huge buildings rise up faint and fair, and pass like dreams.”
27 July 2018
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Steampunk covers
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book, compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future week’s themes are listed below – the list has been updated to help out those of you who like to plan ahead – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. This week’s theme:
“I saw huge buildings rise up faint and fair, and pass like dreams.” – a cover that is steampunk
I like this theme and did have a few covers in mind but I decided to go with : The Mechanical (The Alchemy Wars #1) by Ian Tregillis – I loved this book but do need to catch up with No.2.
My covers:
I’m really torn between the first two covers. I really like the depth of the first cover and the mechanical heart in the second is so intricate and detailed. My favourite this week is:
Which is your favourite?
Next week – a cover featuring a starry sky
Future themes: (if you’re struggling with any of these themes then use a ‘freebie’ of one of your favourite covers)
3rd August – “Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars.” – a cover featuring a starry sky
10th August – ‘…Christine, who have torn off my mask and who therefore can never leave me again! – A cover with a mask
17th August – ‘Knock, knock… ‘who’s there?’ – A cover featuring a door ajar or closed
24th August – ‘To be a legend, you’ve either got to be dead, or excessively old!’ – A cover with a title featuring the word ‘legend’
31st August – ‘“Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy’ – A cover featuring a goblin or dwarves
7th September – ‘Mirror, Mirror on the wall – A cover featuring a queen
14th September – “He had killed man, the noblest game of all, and he had killed in the face of the law of club and fang.” – A cover featuring a wolf or wolves
21st September – ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ – a cover featuring clouds
28th September – Eyes wide shut – a cover featuring eyes
5th October – “He sounded like a man who had slept well and didn’t owe too much money.” – A cover that is ‘noir’
12th October – “The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.” – A cover for a mystery novel
19th October -“If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!” – A horror cover
26th October – Trick or treat – A halloween inspired cover
2nd November – ‘Remember, remember the fifth of November,’ – A cover inspired by Bonfire Night
9th November – ‘All right! They’re spiders from Mars! You happy?’ – A cover feturing a critter of the eight legged variety
16th November – There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.’ – A scary cover
23rd November – ‘The child is in love with a human. And not just any human. A prince!’ – A cover featuring a mermaid/man
30th November – “..the children of the night. What music they make!” – a cover with a vampire
7th December – ‘I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will.’ – A cover featuring a hero
14th December -“Heavy is the head that wears the crown” – A cover featuring a crown
21st December – ‘ho, ho, ho’ – A seasonal cover
28th December – A freebie – choose one of your favourite titles and compare the covers
2019
4th January – A cover that is fresh – New beginnings for a New Year
11th January – ‘I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king’ – A cover that depicts a novel set in the Tudor period
18th January – A cover featuring an Amulet – either in the cover or title
25th January – ‘Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.’ – A cover featuring a monk/priest/person of the cloth
1st February – A comedy cover
8th February – ‘Hi little cub. Oh no, don’t be ssscared.’ – A cover with snakes
15th February – A heart – for Valentine’s day past
22nd February – “Woe, destruction, ruin, and decay; the worst is death and death will have his day.” – A cover with abandoned building/s
1st March – ‘who will buy this wonderful morning’ – A cover featuring a shop or market
8th March – ‘Two little fishes and a momma fishy too’ – A cover featuring a fish/fishes or other sea creatures
15th March – ‘Beware the moon, lads.’ – A cover with a shapeshifter
22nd March – ‘A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse’ – A cover featuring a king
29th March – “I thought unicorns were more . . . Fluffy.” – A cover featuring a unicorn
5th April – ‘nomad is an island’ – A cover featuring a desert landscape
12th April – ‘Odin, Odin, send the wind to turn the tide – A cover featuring a longboat
19th april – ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – A cover featuring a school
Books and travelling with Lynn 