Hello people. Just thought I'd let you know what I thought of the two books I mentioned in my previous post. Interestingly, both of them are told from a retrospective point of view, which was by coincidence, rather than design.
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton- I enjoyed this book, for the most part. It was a good examination of the American justice system, specifcally the death penalty which still operates in certain states of the US. There are parts of the book that broke this information down into facts and figures, which I felt jarred slightly with the tone of the rest of the book, even though it made interesting reading. Noa herself narrated the story, which she told in retrospect from the discomfort of her prison cell. We see her life from infancy, teenage years and young adulthood, up to and including the events which caused her to be in the terrible situation she finds herself. This back story is interspersed with letters from Noa's victim's mother, who is writing to her dead daughter to try to explain her current actions. Neither of the these two main characters are particularly warm and whilst you feel symapthy for both of them at certain times, you feel the exact opposite at others. There were times when I felt the author could have given the reader the chance to feel more emapthy but perhaps these were missed on purpose. I'd recommend reading it, particulary if you enjoy a different take on the crime genre or films such as The Life of David Gale.
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane- Of the two books, this was probably my favourite. I've read a few Neil Gaiman books recently (having read Good Omens written with Terry Pratchett a number of years ago- but I'm not saying how many!). This evoked memories of the freedom, boredom, mystery, wonder and and overall powerlessness of being a child. It is the story of a boy and his strange experiences with the three women who live in the house at the end of his road. It is a blend of the supernatural with the normal and everyday. At a time when he is feeling alone and abandoned by his family, these three are able to offer him the comfort and safety he desparately needs, albeit in a unsual but wonderful way. Beautiful book, which I recommend to anyone but especially those who enjoy fantasy or rites of passage stories.
I am just starting The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. It is the story of a serial killer who is able to go through time targeting the young girls who will grow up to be women of renown. I'll let you know how it goes. Keep reading everyone, and let us know all about it.
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton- I enjoyed this book, for the most part. It was a good examination of the American justice system, specifcally the death penalty which still operates in certain states of the US. There are parts of the book that broke this information down into facts and figures, which I felt jarred slightly with the tone of the rest of the book, even though it made interesting reading. Noa herself narrated the story, which she told in retrospect from the discomfort of her prison cell. We see her life from infancy, teenage years and young adulthood, up to and including the events which caused her to be in the terrible situation she finds herself. This back story is interspersed with letters from Noa's victim's mother, who is writing to her dead daughter to try to explain her current actions. Neither of the these two main characters are particularly warm and whilst you feel symapthy for both of them at certain times, you feel the exact opposite at others. There were times when I felt the author could have given the reader the chance to feel more emapthy but perhaps these were missed on purpose. I'd recommend reading it, particulary if you enjoy a different take on the crime genre or films such as The Life of David Gale.
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane- Of the two books, this was probably my favourite. I've read a few Neil Gaiman books recently (having read Good Omens written with Terry Pratchett a number of years ago- but I'm not saying how many!). This evoked memories of the freedom, boredom, mystery, wonder and and overall powerlessness of being a child. It is the story of a boy and his strange experiences with the three women who live in the house at the end of his road. It is a blend of the supernatural with the normal and everyday. At a time when he is feeling alone and abandoned by his family, these three are able to offer him the comfort and safety he desparately needs, albeit in a unsual but wonderful way. Beautiful book, which I recommend to anyone but especially those who enjoy fantasy or rites of passage stories.
I am just starting The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. It is the story of a serial killer who is able to go through time targeting the young girls who will grow up to be women of renown. I'll let you know how it goes. Keep reading everyone, and let us know all about it.
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