Review: Close to Me

Publisher: Wildfire/Headline

 

I saw this book on Twitter being made available to bloggers and I must admit I took a look at the cover and thought - meh, bothered - but then I read the blurb and actually it intrigued me....a lot!

 

Jo has taken a tumble down the stairs and has lost the last year - but what has she lost and what the hell is going on?

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the flips between days after the fall and the days after. The progression of you learning about Jo (admittedly at a faster pace than her) as she learns about Jo is great. You have time to form your own thoughts and theories as she is about her current situation and how she got there and who is or how is the flow of information to aid discovery being fed to her. This construct is great.

 

BUT, I do have to say that some things are rather blindingly obvious from rather early one. There are many of these - but they are necessary, but what is also good are the number of things that also seem bloody obviously but are not and that balances these 'knew thats' and makes you dismiss them pretty much.

 

The characters are fab. They are, if I'm honest normal. They are not inflated egos, or caricatures which is often what books about normal people lean to. They are people who you can recognise and relate to and that is great, it's thoroughly enjoyable.

 

For the ending, I really couldn't see how it could be done - apart from in one way (which I won't mention here as it wasn't the way but I don't want to spoil the book). But the actual conclusion works perfectly.

 

A very satisfying read, good work

 

BG :-)