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Book review: The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Title: The Guest List
Author: Lucy Foley
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication date: 2nd June 2020
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Summary:
“On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.
And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?”
My review:
Julia and Will are hoping to stun the guests at their exclusive wedding due to take place on a remote island. The couple’s guest list includes a mix of old school friends and close family members and their differences in background and upbringing are highlighted as the day progresses. Several strange and awkward encounters lead to a murder at the limelight of the book.
The Guest List is written through various narratives and involves several time jumps, a mechanism that works to its advantage and encourages the reader to keep guessing. The murder is revealed at the beginning and is explored through the eyes of five characters as an added layer of mystery and suspense. I was surprised to see that the groomsman, Will, was not one of the main POVs and this immediately made me suspicious of his intentions. It was also curious how the author decided to focus on Aoife, the wedding planner, as it seemed an unusual choice but ultimately added a fresh outsider perspective on the wedding which was necessary to understand the event as a whole.
Although I enjoyed experiencing the wedding through various perspectives, none of the characters were especially likable and I was not invested in any of them throughout the entire book. Several hard-hitting topics such as depression and suicide are explored through some of the characters’ POV but there was not enough opportunity to fully delve into these emotions and hardships as the plot focused mostly on the murder. Unfortunately this didn’t allow for character development as too many characters were introduced.
The remote island setting contributed to many dark and chilling moments and the author made great use of the scenery to create a disturbing yet realistic backdrop. I could picture some of the events taking place in the secluded setting and could feel the characters’ fear, largely due to the descriptive surroundings. However, some of the later scenes seemed too unrealistic and impractical to take place on the island without any of the other guests taking notice.
The exciting storyline and atmospheric setting established a strong base for a successful thriller. Although I understood the author’s reasons for creating dual timelines and multiple character POVs I didn’t feel that it was executed as well as it could have been with fewer characters. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this thriller as an addictive and quick read.
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Books to ease your wanderlust during lockdown
I always associate summer, in particular August, with exploring new places and travelling to see family and friends. However, many of us are currently stuck at home or at least obliged to stay close to home. Books have the powerful ability to immerse the reader in new worlds and beautiful settings and I would like to share some of my favourite books for travel enthusiasts.
The Italian Villa – Daniela Sacerdoti
Beautiful landscapes and summer sensations are at the forefront of this book. I adored the small town Italian scenery and the long descriptions. This book is perfect for anyone wishing to escape the busy city life and enter a world of serenity and sunshine.
City of Girls – Elizabeth Gilbert
I recently finished this book and am in awe of the storytelling and characters. The 1940s New York setting is alluring and perfect for fans of Historical Fiction who also wish to explore a complex backdrop.
The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is an expert at developing an authentic and brilliant setting and this book is no exception. The harshness of the Alaskan wilderness is perhaps not the most obvious choice for a summer read however may be a suitable option for anyone wishing to escape the heatwave.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles – Hiro Arikawa
One of my favourite books of 2018 was The Travelling Cat Chronicles. Aside from the beautiful storyline, this book also spans city life and village life in Japan and is perfect for anyone looking to read something different.
The Beekeper’s Promise – Fiona Valpy
Set in France and switching between dual timelines, The Beekeeper’s Promise is the perfect summer read. The chateau is a key location in this book and quickly became a place I could imagine spending the summer in.
Question time
Have you recently read any books which transported you to a different setting?
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Book review: Normal People by Sally Rooney
Title: Normal People
Author: Sally Rooney
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Publication date: 28th August 2018
My rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Summary:
“Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in rural Ireland. The similarities end there; they are from very different worlds. When they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, a connection that has grown between them lasts long into the following years.
This is an exquisite love story about how a person can change another person’s life – a simple yet profound realisation that unfolds beautifully over the course of the novel. It tells us how difficult it is to talk about how we feel and it tells us – blazingly – about cycles of domination, legitimacy and privilege. Alternating menace with overwhelming tenderness, Sally Rooney’s second novel breathes fiction with new life.”
My review:
Normal People is a coming of age story exploring human emotions and connections and the difficult moments in life. It aims to promote these themes through the voices of the two main characters, Marianne and Connell, and their differences in upbringing.
The writing style consists of everyday informal speech and lack of quotation marks which puzzled me at first. I struggled to understand why the author chose such an unusual way to write this book but I assume it was implemented to embody real life and represent breaks and silences in dialogue and the human struggle to formulate thoughts and emotions. Although I opposed this writing style at first, I gradually eased into it and by the end found it to be a powerful writing mechanism and one of the main strengths of the book.
The story line in Normal People sometimes feels disjointed due to several flashbacks and time jumps. They added an element of mystery however also disrupted the flow and I don’t believe were the smartest choice for plot continuity. As much as I tried to interpret the plot and guess which direction it was heading in, I felt a little disappointed each time I moved onto a new chapter as there was no depth in the plot and it felt as if the writing was moving aimlessly from one milestone in the characters’ lives to another and by the end it seemed like nothing had transpired between the two main characters which was frustrating.
My main issue with this book was the lack of depth and connection between Marianne and Connell. The author tried almost too hard to convey a deep emotional and physical connection and several moments felt too forced. The dialogue was awkward and stilted and I continuously struggled to understand their reasons to stay together as it appeared that they didn’t have anything in common. The break ups and reconciliations which followed were mostly due to a lack of communication which was exhausting and frustrating to follow. I tried hard to connect with them but ultimately could not understand their intentions or empathise with some of their struggles. Unfortunately the secondary characters were even more bland and one dimensional. They were introduced with the purpose of bringing insight into Marianne and Connell’s background, such as Marianne’s abusive brother and apathetic mother, but were presented without much depth and in a bad light rather than as complex and multidimensional characters.
I struggled to understand the hype surrounding this book after finishing it. Although I appreciate the difficult themes it advocates, I felt that the characters were too unlikable and the execution weak at times. At first I believed that perhaps I was missing something but upon reflection I feel that it is a book that could be interpreted in different ways depending on the reader’s emotional state and current events in their life. I understand why it may have had a significant impact on some readers however for me it left a lot to be desired.
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Book review: Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
Title: Red at the Bone
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publication date: 17th September 2019
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Summary:
“It’s 2001, the evening of sixteen-year-old Melody’s coming of age ceremony in her grandparents’ Brooklyn brownstone. Watched lovingly by her relatives and friends, making her entrance to the music of Prince, she wears a special custom-made dress. But the event is not without poignancy. Sixteen years earlier, that very dress was measured and sewn for a different wearer, Melody’s mother, for her own ceremony – a celebration that ultimately never took place. Unfurling the history of Melody’s parents and grandparents to show how they all arrived at this moment, Woodson considers not just their ambitions and successes but also the costs, the tolls they’ve paid for striving to overcome expectations and escape the pull of history. As it explores sexual desire and identity, ambition, gentrification, education, class and status, and the life-altering facts of parenthood, Red at the Bone most strikingly looks at the ways in which young people must so often make long-lasting decisions about their lives – even before they have begun to figure out who they are and what they want to be. “
My review:
Red at the Bone illustrates the struggles of an African American family through reflections of sixteen year old Melody and other members of her family. As Melody is about to walk down the stairs at her coming of age ceremony, she contemplates the events that have led up to this day, giving way to a deeper look into her family’s history. The alternating POVs in the following chapters, each focusing on a particular family member, analyses the difficulties the family faced and highlights many important controversies.
Jacqueline Woodson is a master at telling a powerful and compelling story and this book was no exception. The language is vivid and fierce without being too flowery or overbearing. I could have easily highlighted half the book with quotes to look back on as the writing felt fresh and different. This positively influenced the dynamic change in voices in each chapter as each character had their own way of communicating and it was refreshing to see their own version of the events.
Some of the most critical themes in this book were further empowered by the splendid characterisation of Melody’s mother, father, grandmother and grandfather. Her mother, Iris, had Melody at only sixteen years old, mirroring yet also differentiating between both characters’s paths beautifully. We learn more about how the family dealt with the news or Iris’ pregnancy through their POVs where themes such as race, religion and class are explored with an unusual level of intimacy and harshness which I really admired.
Red at the Bone has the ability to prompt many emotions through the combination of impressive storytelling and realistic and fleshed out characters. I would have preferred to see a deeper look into some of the character’s feelings and decisions but nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will be reading many more of Jacqueline Woodson’s books.
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Book review: Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
Title: Sometimes I Lie
Author: Alice Feeney
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: HQ
Publication date: 23rd March 2017
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Summary:
“My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it’s the truth? “
My review:
Sometimes I Lie tests the boundaries of what is real and what isn’t through the powerful voice of Amber, a victim who recently woke up from a coma but cannot communicate. Stuck in limbo without being able to speak, Amber tries to trace her steps and understand whose fault it is that she is in a coma. It had me questioning if Amber was really the victim and if some of the parts were segments of her imagination or did happen. Although I am not usually a fan of the unreliable female main character trope, the author developed this so skillfully that I found myself enjoying the uncertainty and trying to understand her intentions.
As the plot progresses several other characters are introduced, all part of Amber’s life and therefore possibly capable of harming her and putting her into a coma. None of the characters were portrayed as likable or reliable, another aspect which I usually would not like but worked well in this book, and I questioned their purpose several times. The relationship she has with both her husband and sister is complex and a lot of the interactions were either in diary format or happened in the hospital room through Amber’s point of view, encouraging the reader to take a neutral position and treat each character as a possible suspect.
The plot was filled with twists and turns and never stopped to give the reader a break. Some of the twists I had already guessed but there were several which shocked me and made me see the characters in a different light only to deliver another mind blowing twist soon after. I could already see a big twist coming several chapters before the end but was left confused, almost as if I had missed a huge piece of the puzzle. Needless to say, the ending leaves a lot to interpretation and I would have preferred a neat closed ending with all lose ends tied as I think it suits the story more.
If you are seeking a rollercoaster of a read, Sometimes I Lie may be just the book for you. The exciting plot and dark premise of the main character’s situation were enough to hold my attention. Although the ending left me feeling a little disappointed, the preceding twists were sharp and had me turning the pages. I would recommend this book to all Thriller fans and am already looking forward to reading more by this author.