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Book review: The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal
Title: The Doll Factory
Author: Elizabeth Macneal
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Picador
Publication date: 2nd May 2019
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Summary:
“London. 1850. The Great Exhibition is being erected in Hyde Park and among the crowd watching the spectacle two people meet. For Iris, an aspiring artist, it is the encounter of a moment – forgotten seconds later, but for Silas, a collector entranced by the strange and beautiful, that meeting marks a new beginning.
When Iris is asked to model for pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint. Suddenly her world begins to expand, to become a place of art and love.
But Silas has only thought of one thing since their meeting, and his obsession is darkening . . .”
My review:
The Doll Factory takes place in 1850s London and narrates the touching story of Iris and Rose, two sisters stuck in a never ending cycle of misery. Written with flair and confidence, the beginning of the story sucked me in immediately and I was transported to a London so different to the one I know and eager to immerse myself in the dark and gothic setting.
Iris hopes for more than the shabby setting and poor working conditions of painting dolls and dreams of a faraway life filled with opportunities. The possibility of escape surfaces when she is asked to model for pre-Raphaelite painter Louis Foster who she bargains to model for in exchange for art lessons. This engrossing beginning outlined an array of possibilities for Iris who soon found herself detached from her sister and entered a world completely different to the one she knew. I found her journey through London while getting to know Louis a marvellous adventure and truly connected with her character.
Unfortunately towards the halfway mark certain events linked to Silas, a taxidermist infatuated with Iris, were enough to put me off and I skimmed through a large chunk of the book. Although the writing was sharp and articulate, the descriptions involving killing and stuffing animals were too distasteful and not to my liking. The connection between Silas and Iris was also too constrained and not a story arc I appreciated.
I loved the gothic and mysterious setting but was not expecting such a dark and twisted turn of events. The characterisation was powerful and the pace seemed right but by skipping through several parts I lost the momentum and this ultimately shaped the book to be an average read for me despite the strong start. The Doll Factory has the potential to charm many readers with its setting and storytelling and I would recommend it to fans of period features and lots of drama but it could be a difficult read for readers who don’t digest gory details well.
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Book review: Recursion by Blake Crouch
Title: Recursion
Author: Blake Crouch
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Macmillan
Publication date: 13th June 2019
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Summary:
“What if someone could rewrite your entire life?
‘My son has been erased.’
Those are the last words the woman tells Barry Sutton before she leaps from the Manhattan rooftop.
Deeply unnerved, Barry begins to investigate her death only to learn that this wasn’t an isolated case. All across the country, people are waking up to lives different from the ones they fell asleep to. Are they suffering from False Memory Syndrome, a mysterious, new disease that afflicts people with vivid memories of a life they never lived? Or is something far more sinister behind the fracturing of reality all around him?
Miles away, neuroscientist Helena Smith is developing a technology that allows us to preserve our most intense memories and relive them. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss or the birth of a child.
Barry’s search for the truth leads him on an impossible, astonishing journey as he discovers that Helena’s work has yielded a terrifying gift . . .”
My review:
“If memory is unreliable, if the past and the present can simply change without warning, then fact and truth will cease to exist. How do we live in a world like that?”
Reading Recursion for me felt like a profound investigation of what it really means to be human and alive and living in the here and now. It posed some of the most ambitious questions that surround humanity and the consequences of our actions. After finishing the first few chapters I was already convinced that I would soon be immersed in an exciting tale of deception and turbulence and could not wait for the exciting journey ahead.
The premise of Recursion is simple enough to captivate the reader right from the start. Imagine a world where your memories never existed and suddenly you are hit with the reality that you are not who you are and you have never met the people you most love. This stark beginning was enough to hold my attention and leave me wanting more. The phenomenon was described as False Memory Syndrome, a rapidly spreading condition which NYPD detective Barry Sutton is investigating. I thoroughly enjoyed following Barry in his quest to expose the secrets which powerful forces behind the syndrome are hiding. Through an unusual set of circumstances Barry meets with Helena Smith, a neuroscientist who invented the device behind the phenomenon. What follows is an extraordinary set of events as Barry and Helena attempt to stop the evil powers who are trying to use the device to bring out the worst in humanity.
The dual timelines worked extremely well at the beginning and supported the plot effectively. In particular, Helena’s POV was pivotal in understanding both why and how she developed the chair which can be used to retrace, delete and alter memories. Several minor characters are introduced and each played an important role in developing the chair and challenging its function as a machine that could change perceptions of time and space. Unfortunately, I became lost in the alternating timelines towards the middle and there were several chapters where I wasn’t sure which storyline I was following and had to read back which detracted from the reading experience. Nevertheless, I was incredibly impressed with the author’s ability to build tension and create multiple worlds through the various timelines.
Ultimately what made Recursion an exceptional read was the moral aspect which the author introduced at the start. I was left wondering what would happen if the chair existed in this world and fell into the wrong hands, as it did in the book, as well as the endless possibilities of rewriting memories and how that would affect humanity. This was my first book by Blake Crouch but my fascination with his ability to build a world so similar yet different to ours has encouraged me to order his previous book, Dark Matter, and if it is anything like Recursion then I am sure that I have discovered a new favourite author.
“We think we’re perceiving the world directly and immediately, but everything we experience is this carefully edited, tape-delayed reconstruction.”
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Book review: The Water Keeper by Charles Martin
Title: The Water Keeper
Author: Charles Martin
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication date: 5th May 2020
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Summary:
“Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds for a church with no parishioners, and he’s dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes.
When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, Murph’s mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end of the world takes a dangerous turn. Drawn to Summer, and desperate to find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery.
With help from some unexpected new friends, including a faithful Labrador he plucks from the ocean and an ex-convict named Clay, Murph must race against the clock to locate the girl before he is consumed by the secrets of his past—and the ghosts who tried to bury them.”
My review:
I didn’t know what to expect when I requested The Water Keeper on Netgalley. I thought that it would be a steady paced and easy read however I was surprised to find a stimulating and complex plot with plenty of action and rollercoaster moments. It suited both the character development and story line well and never left me bored.
The characters in The Water Keeper are extraordinary. Murph at first appears to be a normal man with a love of boats but that doesn’t even cover the surface of the complexity of his character. His passion for justice is reflected in the risky work he undertakes each time he saves a girl from sex traffickers. His integrity and dedication is ignited when he meets Angel, a young girl who soon becomes the target of a dangerous group of sex traffickers. I found myself warming to Murph with every decision he took to save her life and he soon became my favourite character. Secondary characters are often more difficult to connect with but that wasn’t the case in The Water Keeper as each character had a place and was beautifully developed. They included an unlikely mix of a convict, a dog, a young girl who is still trying to discover who she really is and a worried mother hoping to be reunited with her daughter.
At the forefront of The Water Keeper is the beautiful and calm scenery which perfectly challenges the turbulent plot filled with violence. I found the boat related descriptions too repetitive but I realise that it is closely connected to Murph’s love of boats and the sea and complements his passion well. The remaining imagery was delightful and superbly described. It takes the reader on a journey through both tranquil and dangerous waters as Murph and the team get closer to Angel and I thoroughly enjoyed following them on their journey.
The Water Keeper kept me guessing until the very end and there were several troubling moments where I wasn’t sure if it would end in disaster or not. However, I was satisfied with the ending which ties up all lose ends and also answers all the questions from Murph’s private life and why he chose to follow such a dangerous career. Filled with wonderful storytelling, a set of interesting characters and vivid scenery, The Water Keeper is a must read for anyone who is willing to be surprised and taken on an exciting adventure.
The Water Keeper is out to buy today!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a free advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.
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Book review: Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce
Title: Blood Orange
Author: Harriet Tyce
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Wildfire
Publication date: 26th December 2019
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Summary:
“Alison has it all. A doting husband, adorable daughter, and a career on the rise – she’s just been given her first murder case to defend. But all is never as it seems…
Just one more night. Then I’ll end it.
Alison drinks too much. She’s neglecting her family. And she’s having an affair with a colleague whose taste for pushing boundaries may be more than she can handle.
I did it. I killed him. I should be locked up.
Alison’s client doesn’t deny that she stabbed her husband – she wants to plead guilty. And yet something about her story is deeply amiss. Saving this woman may be the first step to Alison saving herself.
I’m watching you. I know what you’re doing.
But someone knows Alison’s secrets. Someone who wants to make her pay for what she’s done, and who won’t stop until she’s lost everything….”
My review:
Even though she tries her best to hide it, Alison is a mess. At work she may appear to be a successful and levelheaded barrister but she struggles to spend enough time at home with her family and she abuses alcohol to the extreme. That coupled with her frustrating affair which she doesn’t seem to be able to end as much as she tries makes her out to be a realist and relatable character. I liked the fact that she desperately tried to improve her relationship with her family and I was silently encouraging her to do so until the end.
As the plot unraveled I found Alison more irritating as she took one bad decision after another. For a smart woman she appeared to be unable to tackle her problems head on and refused to stand up to the torment she was facing from both her husband Carl and her lover Patrick. I was eagerly waiting for the moment where she would finally take control and challenge both of them but this never happened except in a few situations towards the end where a fragment of her rationality surfaces. I was left disappointed and felt that as an intelligent main character she could have achieved much more.
At the background of Blood Orange is what appears to be an easy murder case which soon turns out to be much more twisted than Alison imagined. Her new client confesses to stabbing her husband multiple times yet Alison knows that she is hiding something and is keen to unearth her secrets. I found the legal side of the thriller intriguing and liked the connections formed between the trial and Alison’s personal life. The story line gained momentum towards the middle of the book when more hints were dropped and I was increasingly interested in solving the murder case.
The mounting tension in the final chapters leads to a twist which I unfortunately saw coming and was not as surprised as I should have been. Nevertheless, this didn’t diminish the rest of the book and I feel that the steady pace and tension filled plot created an engaging thriller and a quick read. I would have preferred more depth to the characters and to see an end to the self-destruction in Alison’s life but after reaching the conclusion I partly understood the decision to keep her character as chaotic as she started out. Although I wasn’t left stunned by this book, it held my attention until the end and I am sure that many readers would enjoy this legal thriller.
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Book review: After the End by Clare Mackintosh
Title: After the End
Author: Clare Mackintosh
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Sphere
Publication date: 25th June 2019
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Summary:
“Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They’re best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can’t agree. They each want a different future for their son.
What if they could have both?
A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning. “
My review:
I could tell from the blurb that reading After the End would be difficult but nothing could have prepared me for the myriad of emotions I felt while turning the pages. It tells the painful and frightening story of Max and Pip, parents who are forced to make a decision no parent should ever have to make when their son Dylan falls ill. Presented with the opportunity to continue Dylan’s treatment but with no certainty of success, they weigh up the options and disagree on the best care for their terminally ill son. Are they ready to put him through months hospital visits and medical care in the hope that it is successful and he gets better even though doctors don’t believe it will? Or is the most humane option to listen to the doctor’s advice even though it is not something they ever want to hear? The struggles these characters faced were told through their eyes with a beautiful mixture of anguish, longing and tenderness. I was blown away by how well the author produced these emotions and the sensitivity with which she presented both sides of the argument.
As the story line moves from hospital to courtroom and a difficult decision is made, the author explores a what-if scenario with a great effort to analyse both sides with compassion and fairness. I appreciate what she created through the use of the split timelines and was surprised and rattled at some of the consequences. Despite the outcome of the courtroom battle, ultimately both decisions have a set of consequences which both characters struggle with years to come.
This book explores the grey areas in life with a conscientious effort to honour both characters and their choices. Max and Pip both love their son and want the best for him but cannot agree on what the best course of action entails. I empathised and connected with both characters and was torn when it came to difficult decision they had to make. I had to put this book down several times and wonder what I would do in such a situation but the enormity of it was too much to handle.
A tough subject matter presented with understanding and compassion as well as a set of real characters made this book a gem that I cherished from beginning to end. I would recommend it to anyone willing to explore the meaning of life told from a young family’s perspective although I would encourage any readers to have tissues ready for the emotions they will most likely experience.