Mothtown – Caroline Hardaker

“David is growing up in a world where something is very badly wrong but everyone is protecting David from knowing what it is. People are going missing, bodies are showing up with wings, or bones in nests if you believe the rumours from the kids at school. David doesn’t really know because his parents turn off the news whenever he might get a handle on what is happening around him and his older sister just doesn’t seem interested in sharing.” Publisher website

I was intrigued by the blurb on ‘Mothtown’ – it’s dark and misty and perfect for the end of the year. We’re quickly introduced to our narrator and the book is split into  ‘before’ and ‘after’ sections. In one, we follow a man running from something, towards somewhere – alone and hurt in a forest. In the other, we meet David and his family. His grandfather and he are close, and share a secret language. He’s also very clever, and researching something mysterious which David’s not allowed to know about as he’s too young. With his small family – mum, dad and sister, they live in a house on a street with mysteries. Flowers line the pavements and people come to visit, wearing black. Other people walk along the cul-de-sac carrying rucksacks, on a mission to who knows where. 

As David grows up, his grandfather disappears in mysterious circumstances. Suddenly, and David doesn’t get to say goodbye – he’s convinced he’s not dead, but gone travelling. Trying to find that mysterious place where he’ll finally fit in. Where he’ll be home. 

As we, as the readers, are reliant on David to tell us what’s going on, we can only know what we see through his eyes.  He feels lonely, alone, out of place – especially without his grandad beside him. No-one understands him, his family think he’s weird and he never talks. 

As the book progresses, we learn more about Mothtown, the doors to find it and what David can discover in his research. We also learn more about the modern problem – a kind of malaise affecting people across the city, perhaps the country and maybe even the world. The two are interlinked, in some way, and David finds himself drawn into both. His quest takes him to different places, such as strange houses with photos of missing people on the walls, forests and streams. He encounters different people too, describing them in a unique style which feels like a specific lens. He describes his sister in make up as ghoulish, frightening, which adds another layer of gentle horror. 

There needs to be a trigger warning for part of the plot of this book, as there’re a few mentions of suicide attempts, of depression and some scenes in a mental health hospital. 

“Mothtown” explores the line between mental and physical location in time and space. With David as narrator we can’t be sure that what is being described is what’s happening, is actually what’s happening. Alongside this, there’s  some magical realism which lends another layer of horror – it’s not frightening, there’s no ‘bad guy’, but what David experiences is unsettling. 

It’s no surprise that Hardaker has published a couple of poetry collections, and this is evident in the prose here. It’s lyrical and thoughtful, a deep excavation of the mind and the places it can take you if you don’t have the information you need to understand what’s happening. For me, this is a big part of the ‘message’, if there is one – ignorance is not bliss. It’s dangerous, it can make sad or scary things and illnesses mysterious and unknowable. It can lead someone away from help, towards loneliness and pain. 

This is not an easy read, and it’s also not the story I thought it was going in – I don’t want to be too specific as I don’t want to spoil the narrative reveals – it’s a really insightful and quite beautiful novel. I’m looking forward to seeing what Caroline Hardaker does next. 

Thanks to Angry Robot for the ARC and the opportunity to be on the Blog Tour!

Pet – Catherine Chidgey

Pet, by Catherine Chidgey, is a coming of age thriller which tells the story between 1984 and 2014. Justine is 12 in 1984, coming to terms with the death of her mother, and trying to look after her Dad. 

We meet Justine in 2014, where she’s looking after her Dad in his care home, mistaking her daughter for her and clearly suffering from dementia. A chance meeting in the care home triggers her memories from 1984, and she recalls her time in primary school. 

Her favourite teacher – blonde, glamorous and clever, she’s an aspirational figure for boys and girls alike. And men, as the men in the town flock to fulfil her every need.  

Justine is desperate to be her pet – the chosen one to spend time with Mrs Price after school – looking after the pet, clearing the chalkboards. Only the coolest kids are in this gang, and it’s really clear if you’re in or out. 

As a reader, this is odd behaviour for a teacher, for any adult. The fact that none of the parents pick up on this is strange, but also a testament to the power of Mrs Price, her charisma.  I guess part of that is the era, and also the setting – rural New Zealand in the eighties, where kids were kids and adults were able to rule over them with their own whimsys. The scenes in the classroom were so well written, I felt like I was 12 years old and in trouble for something I didn’t know I’d done.  Mrs Price as a character is great too – compelling and repulsive at the same time. 

Pet could mean so many different things, as well. I have to say, I read it in my head in a Newcastle accent as a term of endearment. Pet as in animal, or stroke, or teacher’s pet. It could refer to any number of characters, too, not only Justine. 

The other interesting point is the unreliable narrator – Justine is not only 12 and therefore not able to understand some of the more subtle or adult themes going on in her life, but she also suffers seizures which cause her to have memory blanks. This means we’re not completely sure on what’s happening at certain points in the story – it’s her word against everyone else’s. 

I read this in a couple of days, mainly because I had to find out what was happening. The pacing is lovely, really even and well plotted. There was enough to keep me interested without feeling manipulated into the ‘what happened next’  cliffhanger. A TV adaptation would work really well, if it was going to be translated. 

I’d be interested in reading something else from Chidgey, she has a number of books written before this one. 

Recommended for readers of nostalgic thrillers, along the lines of Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Europa Editions for the DRC – this is available to buy now. 

History is all you left me – Adam Silvera

In History is all you left me, Griff’s ex boyfriend is dead, and has left him to traverse unknown waters. That might be slightly in poor taste given that Theo drowns, but the front cover is a load of waves so I think it’s in keeping with that level of dark humour. 

Adam Silvera is a booktok famous author who writes LGBQT+ centred YA. He also wrote They both die at the end, which is on my TBR.

While it’s a horrible, sad subject, the story is actually uplifting and sweet. Griff recounts his time with Theo – as best friends and as boyfriends, and beyond. They go to school together, they’re best friends and then one day, Theo tells Griff he loves him. It’s very cute. It feels like Heathers crossed with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, in that the main character has his own journey to make, around New York City. 

In the present day, he explores his feelings around Theo’s current boyfriend, their friends, and the position that leaves him – not really anything, as his ex boyfriend and not quite best friend. They’re still teenagers, and with that they’re dealing with all of the hormones that come with that, but also the transition to adulthood – college, living independently and what they want to do with their lives. The catch is that Theo will never be able to do that, he’s frozen in time at 17 years old – forever with the potential to be an amazing animator, but never able to realise it.  It’s what the title refers to, of course, and it made me think about the impact that has on Griff, and the ramifications on the other people in the circle too. It’s also frustrating because it’s such a stupid accident, and could have been avoided so easily – but that’s what makes it an accident, I guess. 

The relationship with the parents is good too, and they lend a nice adult perspective without being completely judgemental and 2D (while also laying down the law when they need to provide some parental support framework).

I really liked the description of their relationship, Griff and Theo, and genuinely gasped as some secrets were revealed along the way. The other thing about dead people is that they can be nothing but saintly, they never made mistakes and were nothing but lovely – especially as children and young people. This book doesn’t do that, it makes Theo a real person even though he’s dead at the beginning. I’m looking forward to reading some more Silvera, although I’m not sure I’m the intended demographic. 

Recommended for readers interested in grief, in human relationships and exploring our complexities. 

Weirdo – Sara Pascoe

Sara Pascoe has written a few non fiction books for adults, and Weirdo is her first fiction novel. 

Sophie is a thirty something woman in London who is struggling to hold it all together. She’s in a loveless relationship, her sister is marrying her ex-boyfriend and nothing goes right for her. All she needs is that one big thing to go her way, and she’ll be fine. 

Obviously, Sophie is not Sara, although at times it’s difficult to not picture her in the titular role – she was a tour guide and is from Essex, like Sara. I think I pictured her like a younger, less funny Sara, to be honest. 

TW: I need to say upfront that there are references and experiences of abuse and abortion in this – while it’s sympathetic, there are some sensitive events described. 

I really liked the character, and I was rooting for her all the way through – even though she makes bad decisions in basically every chapter. Personally, I struggle with main characters who constantly make the wrong choice – I end up shouting at them like you shout at the person going upstairs in the spooky house: “Don’t do it! Don’t go up there!”.  It’s really easy to sit on your sofa and recognise that the guy Sophie’s in love with is bad news for her, it’s much more difficult to see that when you’re in the situation, and when your heart is involved too.

I really wanted to just sit Sophie down with a cup of hot tea and a hug. Maybe because, as irritating as she is and we’re quite far apart in terms of personality, she reminds me of me. 

There’s a Christmas day in the middle of the book with her mum and sister, and I recognised so much of the awkward tension, the fear of causing an argument, that I sent some of it to my sister. It’s like Sara was in my head, at some points, her writing was so accurate. 

Rather than the romantic relationship, actually, the central one is the sisters as they form their own bond, outside of the tension and competition with the mother. 

For readers who like Fleabag and Sorrow & Bliss  – modern women finding their way and finding that they can lean on each other for support. I love Sara Pascoe’s comedy and her presenting on Great British Sewing Bee – her writing is just as enjoyable. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for the DRC – it’s on sale now in all good bookshops, and Waterstones has a special edition with a couple of extra chapters.

Summer Girls – Judy Blume

Judy Blume is a YA icon, and has narrated a million girls’ teenage years (give or take). Her coming of age books, like Tiger Eyes or Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret, are basically required reading for 13-17 year olds with half an interest in books. 

Summer Sisters is aimed at a more adult audience, published in 1998 and re-releases for the 25th anniversary. 

It’s the story of two friends, Caitlin and Victoria, as they navigate their teenage years and into adulthood. Set in America, with shades of The Great Gatsby (with a narrator outside of the glamorous set) and The Summer I Turned Pretty, with a load of teenagers running around and being dramatic. 

I didn’t think it was dated, and thought it was more set in that time rather than written in the later nineties. 

Some characters do have narration, and it’s this slightly offkilter, nearly 2nd person viewpoint, where it’s describing what they feel like and not from their brains. Like someone’s reading their minds (which I guess is what 2nd person is).

We’re introduced to Vix and Caitlin in a phone call between them, where Caitlin announces her wedding. We’re then rewound back through the decades to the first summer at Martha’s Vineyard. Don’t tell anyone, but I definitely used to think that Martha meant Martha Stewart, and everyone who visited got to hang out with her. 

There’s a discussion between class in the narrative, where Caitlin is comfortable in the way where they don’t need to be flashy – the house is ramshackle and lived in, but clearly worth a small fortune. Vix is in a loving family home with the usual suburban challenges, along with a brother who needs additional care. 

This comparison of their upbringing and home lives is examined, along with the innate sense of competition which seems to come with close female friendships. Like sisters, supportive but also exploratory. I thought it was disappointing that the central argument comes down to a boy, who lies to both of the girls, who are younger than he is and really, too young to maintain a relationship (this is my forty year old self talking, of course). This is where it got dated, actually – contemporary fiction would have included more on this, perhaps around the risks in a serious relationship in your mid teens, especially with an older man. Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it.

While the writing was fine, I was a bit disappointed in the storyline. My favourite stories are the ones with a well paced plot and likeable characters. I’m not a massive fan of the ‘start at the end and go back to the beginning’ narratives, it feels like a bit of a shortcut. I also didn’t like the characters – neither Vix or Caitlin, and that made it difficult to care about their friendship, frankly. 

For fans of Gossip Girl and The Summer I turned Pretty (albeit the vintage version).

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown for the DRC – this is available to buy!

This Other Eden – Ben Elton

 I read Popcorn by Ben Elton when I was in high school (so, in the last two years, clearly) and I remember enjoying it.

I did not enjoy this, unfortunately, and I wonder if I would like Popcorn on a re-read. His style of writing just doesn’t age well. 

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The plot is set in the not too distant future, where humans have messed up the climate to the point where everyone needs to live in biospheres/away from the rays of the sun, or get cancer immediately. There’s a big bad corporation, a greenpeace warrior type rebel alliance, and some greyscale characters in the middle. 

One of those is Max, a vain, rich film star who’s taken advantage of the available cosmetic surgeries, including getting horn implants (among other things). He comes across one of the rebels who happens to be a beautiful young woman, and is smitten from the off.  He finds himself pulled into a race to save the world as he tries to impress Rosalie. 

I found myself distracted by the bad spelling – ‘fawcet’ crops up at one point –  as well as the tenuous grasp on basic mathematics. Max has been a star for 8 years, since he was 20, but we already know he’s 26. Another character, Judy, was bullied at school for the first 16 years of his life but we don’t go to school from the first year, unless it’s drastically different in this world. When you find yourself focussing on those details, it’s a sign for me that it’s not an engaging story. 

Apart from that, it’s also badly written – like a soap narrative but gone bad. It’s aimless, repetitive and doesn’t really seem to go anywhere for a long time, it’s hard to know what’s supposed to be happening. You can almost hear Ben Elton laughing smugly as he types; ‘claustrosphere’, the ironic name for the corporate bio-dome we all live in in the future, hehehe. It read like it was trying to be Terry Pratchett without the wit and good heartedness. 

I don’t recommend this – read Terry Pratchett or any other sci-fi novel if you’re looking for something.

Before Your Memory Fades – Toshikazu Kawaguchi (translated by Geoffrey Trousselot)

This is the third book in the series, following the second instalment “Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from The Cafe”. I reviewed the first one here. Although I haven’t read the second, I don’t think you need to read them in order to enjoy them – some of the references might be missed, but the characters and  their relationships are explained in the book anyway, so it all made sense.

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This cafe is a different one to the first two, and it’s a nice change in location,. Cafe Donna Donna is set on the hillside of Mount Hakodate and run by familiar faces. The premise is still the same, of course, with a special chair which allows you to go back in time – but only while the coffee is warm, only to the cafe and you cannot change the present. 

There are four new tales to tell, interwoven with each other but almost written as standalone stories. I found them quite soothing to read, although sometimes they were quite melancholic, nostalgic for times gone by or grieving for lost loved ones. 

As they can be read standalone, and as it’s a short novel so you can read it in one sitting, the details in them are repeated in each one, which can get slightly irritating. Perhaps they’re better read with some time inbetween, to reflect on the message and the characters within. 

I did enjoy this one less than the first one, but I still recommend it for those who liked the others. The translation works tonally, and it still feels like it’s quintessentially Japanese, despite being in English. The culture, etiquette and social hierarchy are still clear and present, for example. 

For people who like their fiction with some magical realism, hopeful longing and in bite size pieces, the collection would no doubt make a great gift.

Thanks Netgalley and to PanMacmillan, for the proof, as always. This is available to buy now, along with the fourth instalment. 

This Family – Kate Sawyer

This Family is the second novel from Kate Sawyer, following 2021’s The Stranding.  This one is firmly set in the world we know, and is almost entirely located in one house. 

Mary is getting married, and all of her children and family have gathered around her to support her special day. As well as set up the house, which is where the reception’s being held. Other changes are happening too – the house is being sold, babies are being born and the family are moving on. 

The chapters are told from many different points of view, encompassing the four daughters as well as Mary. Generations of women are present, from mother in law to mother to daughter – and on to the next set of cousins. This works well as it builds a rich tapestry of interaction, of bad blood and history, between primarily the three younger women, but also their friends and partners. Every family has history – events fondly remembered and some which mean certain subjects are avoided at Christmas. Or games – like Monopoly, for example. 

Unravelling the relationships is a key plot device, and Sawyer manages this well. It took me a while to really cement who’s who, but the mystery of the connections is part of the fun. Second guessing what happened with who, why those people aren’t talking and ultimately projecting your judgement on the outcome. 

The chapters hop about in time and location, and the gaps are covered gradually as we get closer to the end of the book. This keeps it fresh and exciting to read, albeit slightly complex at times to keep the timelines straight. 

I enjoyed reading this, but I have to say I found it hard to connect with the characters in a deep and meaningful way. It would work well as a play, or a TV series, and reminded me of a fairly standard Joanna Trollope book – maybe Mum & Dad. Recommended for readers who enjoy stories centred around family history and the future we’re walking into. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Staughton for the DRC. 

Good Girls Die Last – Natali Simmonds

Em thought she had her life together, as she nears her 30th birthday. A good job, somewhere okay to live and a trip back home to Spain to celebrate her sister’s wedding. 

Falling Down style, it all unravels pretty quickly as she loses her job, her place to stay and the increasing temperatures in London bring traffic across the city to a standstill. 

She sets out to walk to the airport, hauling her suitcase the whole way. 

Through her journey, she has time to reflect on the past, her regrets and sadness. We learn more about her – why she fled her hometown, her previous relationships and her hopes and dreams which haven’t been realised. She also meets people along the way – most of whom are set to stop her from reaching her destination, and with a couple of guardian angels in there. Oh, and there’s a serial killer in the mix too. 

Literally everything goes wrong for Em, in a series of frustrating and destabilising bad luck mistakes and missteps. She leaves her phone charger in a place she can’t get it, her suitcase starts to break down, she loses and destroys clothes and everything else until she’s unrecognisable as her former self. THis is reflected in her mental health outlook too, where she’s decided, through her own thoughts and the serial killer, that she won’t lie down and take it anymore. She’s tired of hiding, tired of being called the wrong name because people can’t or won’t pronounce her real name. It’s not Em, by the way – that’s the name she gives herself so that it’s something that can be pronounced. 

This is all told through a roughly 24 hour period, and this adds to the tension as it’s relentless. Em doesn’t get a break, a rest, until it’s all over, and we as readers are there with her.

I thought this was a compelling story, and while I got a bit frustrated with Em doing daft things which only hindered her further, I was rooting for her to get to her destination and find what she’s looking for. The abuse she receives from random men on the streets resonated with me, which I think will be sadly true for lots of women who read this. There’s a satisfaction in seeing a comeuppance of sorts in there. Em starts off being unseen and unheard, and ends in a very different place – there’s some triumph in that, and that’s enjoyable to read. 

I’d recommend this for readers who like thrillers with a bit of crime in there too – not my usual genre but an easy to read story. 

Thanks to NetGalley and to Headline for the DRC. 

Yellowface – Rebecca F Kuang

Yellowface is the first non-fantasy novel of RF Kuang, who’s already written brilliant books in the form of Babel and the Poppy Wars series.

Please note: The following mentions early plot points, available in the summary of the novel’s plot on the publisher’s website and others. 

Athena Liu is the star of the literary world, young, sparkling and just the right side of eccentric to be interesting, and not offputting. She only writes in specific notebooks, and uses typewriters to create her novels. June Hayward, her classmate and not quite friend, has published a novel but has not made anywhere near the splash that Athena has. Sidelined, overshadowed and slightly awed by her, she finds herself in Athena’s apartment one night, as they challenge each other to ridiculous and alcohol fuelled dares. It doesn’t end well for Athena. 

With the darling of contemporary fiction out of the way, June is temporarily in the limelight as the person who last saw her alive. Cast as her friend, her experience of the fame Athena knew opens her eyes to the benefits, and she doesn’t want to give that up. 

Kuang writes a tight, well thought out mystery thriller which details out the publishing world and process, sometimes to uncomfortable levels. As June gets sucked into the whirlwind of publishing the next big thing, and the pressure of writing something else which is just as magnetic, we as the readers follow along with her. I raced through this – it’s enjoyable, mainly because all of the characters are just awful human beings.   I wouldn’t want to go drinking with any of them, but I did enjoy reading about their lives. 

It reminded me of The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz, but while that played it reasonably seriously, this is peppered with dark humour which makes it fun to read. As June gets deeper into her new life as Juniper Song, she finds her mental health crumbling. This reminded me of Poe’s The Tell-tale Heart, driven mad by your own thoughts and deeds. 

I found it interesting that, as it’s written from June’s point of view, I was rooting for her to succeed, even though her actions were far from honourable or morally correct. You can almost imagine yourself doing the same thing in her position. Almost. 

Recommended for anyone who likes thrillers and/or the publishing world – this is a must read for 2023 (and I think most people will have read it by now, so time to read it again!)

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the DRC, as always.