Review: The Dinner

Publisher: Hogarth

 

First off, Kudos on the super translation....wasn't a thing I thought was weird or lost in translation....Brills.

 

 

For some of this book I had a feeling I may have read it before...so can someone tell me if either I have, or if it has maybe been made in to a TV series??

 

Anyway, on with the review.

Spiffing read. I loved the pace and how fast it all unfolds. But it unfolds with a certain subtlety and takes so many twists and turns that you don't' expect. You think it's just about something terrible a bunch of kids have done, but it is about so much more. Mental health, familiar relations, trust, violence....it's got layers.....

 

I don't want to say much more as I'm afraid I'll give things away, but this is a really fabulous read that comes from something that is to be honest so simple.

 

READ IT

 

BG

Review: Star of the North

Publisher: Crown Publishing Group

 

Another book that had been in my possession for a while before I read it. And I sorry but it was the fact that it was hardback that delayed my reading.

 

It is however a fascinating fictionalisation of factual events....or as factual as things can be when talking about North Korea. It brought back a lot of memories of reading Escape From Camp 14 which I would also like to offer as a recommendation for people who like reading about North Korea as this is a memoir.....

 

Anyway, this is a story of a girl looking for her kidnapped sister and I was thoroughly impressed by how this book was constructed. The author obviously knows the story this is based on well but has obviously done their research.

 

It's a real page turner from start to finish. It's fast paced and disturbing and distressing in places, but the book needs that edge of emotion that brutality for the reader to really understand the horror of a lot of what is being discussed and talked bout.

 

The only criticism I have is the high drama that really isn't needed. Some of the action scenes seem really unrealistic and detract from the ending of the novel in particular. These were really not required considering how absorbing and alien the book was as a whole.

 

Cheers

 

BG

Review: The loosening skin

Publisher: Unsung Stories

 

I will start by saying sorry to AW, and the fact that I didn't really like her last book....SORRY. And I say sorry because I feel totally different about this one...

 

I wish I knew what to say to be honest. The book totally blew my mind.

 

I think and I know for readers of Unsung's books, I am not clever enough to totally get them and I am sorry about that. But this book I think is about how emotions, love, friendship and all the things that bring big, hard and deep emptions are skin deep, in some ways, but not all are.

 

I kinda think that this book is about how life and people change and how you can have the most amazing experiences with someone for years but life moves on and people change.

 

I think it's about the moment and living it, but also the book tells you to keep what you can and what you want but in a sane and healthy way.



I could be REALLY wrong, but that's what I took from this book and TBH it is one of the best things I've read in a long time.

THANK YOU

BG