Author: Sharon

Somebody’s Voice, Ramsay Campbell
Ouch might be a good one-word summation of this book without cursing; there’s a sting on almost every page, and in most sentences, especially the dialogue. It’s an uneasy read, but then it’s surely supposed to be. SHOULD be. I can understand if it’s polarising, especially with the trans part of the plot. Yet, I can also see why the Carla/Carl points aid Alex’s ambiguity with his memories, helping to splinter his personality, even his sanity with his increasing confusion. This isn’t the type of book I’m used to from this author. I’m used to the horror of unlit basements, of parallel worlds seeking to overlap our own, and dark entities that creep along in shadows. Rituals. Demons.

This — a book where the core is one of abuse — comes disturbingly grounded in reality. In genuine horror and actual monsters. Alex’s seemingly wild thoughts, as he loses his mind, his sense of himself, and of the truth, can make the reader’s head hurt. No doubt in a similar way to how Alex’s brain hurts as the book gathers momentum. There’s so much going on here. So many biases. So many agendas. Ugly falsehoods, assumptions, and repulsive truths, all combustible fodder for a world too eager to jump on, rely on, and believe social media. All of it was painful. A trap, which Alex falls into where his personal relationships are concerned. So I can’t say I enjoyed this book — it’s not that kind of novel. That doesn’t stop it from being an impressive piece of work that could (possibly) have been improved, but I was never, as some people have said they were, confused. And I would never want to improve Ramsay Campbell’s work, a writer whose name should be a household name.

The read was heavy going in places and I sometimes backtracked a little to work out who said what, so a few more dialogue tags may have helped there, but I can’t help wondering whether the author wanted the reader a little lost because this, too, helped me connect with Alex. No writer can please everyone, or delight fans with every book, and it’s unrealistic to expect them too, but I will say, if you’ve not read Campbell before, don’t start with this. Read half a dozen others first, because if something in here puts you off, you could well be missing out.

The Darkest Evening of the Year, Dean Koontz
A solid supernatural mystery thriller with an ending some may view cynically. I like to view it as a source of hope, in whatever form speaks to the reader. Some of the character backgrounds may be a little unnecessary but are used well and make it more difficult for the reader to guess the outcome. Take note: this is a tough read for anyone who has loved a dog, but only in the most heartfelt, bittersweet way.

Wildcat Tower, G.Christopher Davies
Essentially, the story of how four boys spend their summer in the north of the UK. I’m clearly not the intended audience be this a story of fishing, hunting, and questionable cruelty and compassion towards animals with a backdrop of a (possible) ghost in the place they’re staying — a grand ‘old peel’ built to protect Northumbrians. I can’t say I exactly enjoyed this, which was a little disappointing be it as I picked this book up during a visit to Hay on Wye, partly because I had started reading it while browsing, but mostly because I was surprised to stumble across so old a book in good condition complete with a handwritten inscription dated Aug 23rd 1890, the book being published in 1889. A book one-hundred and thirty-six years old, covered in spots of age, but complete with all its spectacular illustrations. The book was worth it for the illustrations alone, which, were one able to destroy a book that has survived for so long, would be perfect for framing. I am tempted to scan the odd one to frame, which would be as good, as they are a delight — intricate drawings of the wildlife and countryside of Northumberland — the like of which we seldom see in books now. I couldn’t help doing a little research. The G stands for George, who was a prolific writer and photographer who died in 1922. I wonder what he would have thought, knowing that original copies of his books are still in circulation.

Dead Funny (Horror Stories by Comedians), Edited by Robin Ince and Johnny Mains
When I picked up this book, I must have expected a surprising blend of humour and horror, but many of the stories turned out to be surprisingly dark. I disliked the first immensely — it’s an extremely difficult balance to introduce animals in any horror story, as one hurt creature can lose an audience. But others made me smile with the right twisted humour even when I found the writing a little disjointed. Overall, an eclectic mix with some I found enjoyable.

Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam (audio), M.C.Beaton, Read by Penelope Keith
Murder once again follows Agatha around, this time during a break in Norfolk. Where Agatha hopes to find the right path in life, or the right man, she only seems to find strange people and stranger situations. Penelope Keith reading these is the best thing about them, though how Agatha keeps stumbling across dead bodies is always good for a chuckle.

The Whisper Man, Alex North
Not as scary as purported, but with a few deliciously creepy touches blending a thriller with the possibility of the supernatural, I found this book to be entirely enjoyable. This is the first novel I’ve read by this author (his debut), but I’d be open to reading more of his growing backlist.

Descent (The Walking Dead), Jan Bonnasinga
I felt the first four of the series worth reading because the stories added to the background of a character viewers already know (that of the Governor). The second set of four books seems to focus on the events surrounding Lily Caul’s life in charge of a small group of survivors. The storyline here wasn’t so interesting, or surprising but there were enough ‘it’s not fair’ (But when is life, especially after the dead rise ,ever fair?), and enough moments leading from the light just to find more shadows to make this entertaining enough. For me, the best character was the boy, Tommy. I’ve the rest waiting to be read, so I’ll try to find the time to speed through them, but I no longer feel taken with the series.

Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee
I was surprised this took one hundred pages to take off for me — I couldn’t help thinking this is no Mockingbird — but once it did [take off], it’s like a bullet between the eyes. Watchman feels uneven in places, but I understand this was possibly originally an earlier draft for Mockingbird set at a different time — this being the first book handed in to a publisher, and with encouragement became Mockingbird. In Watchman, set twenty years after Mockingbird, we see Scout take a major step in her development. Her waking up to the real world, at the conclusion of some ripping (thought-provoking) arguments, and opening her eyes to a world where even the most clear-cut disagreements have flaws. Flawed people, flawed applications, flawed victories. Winning an argument isn’t always the end but a beginning. Answering one question, even if it’s the right way, can throw up others, leading to more questions and necessary action…. And people needed to take that action. Change takes time, patience, and most importantly the right people, of which Scout is one… something those around her are eager for her to see for herself.

Sadly, there’s been much controversy over both books, but I prefer to remember a legacy of great literature delivered in such a short body of work as an achievement most writers can only dream of. If I could keep only one of these books, it would have to be To Kill a Mockingbird, not because this book is shoddy, but it is vastly different, though with purpose. This is not only about winning, but bending to win, and so, so much more. It’s complicated and addresses how life can be complicated. I can still think ‘wow’ without loving this, without viewing it with the same affection as I do Mockingbird. But a word of warning — I can also see how this book may sully that affection somewhat. Yet even that teasing edge of disquiet where one book abrades the other… I can see where that’s something the author may have set out to do.

Agatha Raisin and The Witch of Wyckhadden (audio), M.C.Beaton, (read by Penelope Keith)
Agatha stumbles across murder in her indomitable way, but suffers a more personal injury involving unrequited love, and various suitors.

I read all three of Jack Flint trilogy (The Redthorn Sword, the Spellbinder’s Curse, The Dark Ways), by Joe Donnelly but am reviewing them as one because I’d say the same for them all, even though my favourite was The Dark Ways. Note: the books seem also to be available under different titles.

I came across Joe Donnally’s adult books and enjoyed the first read so much I bought his other books. I got this children’s trilogy with it in mind to donate to the local library after I read them, which needs such books. This series definitely shows imagination. I would have loved Jack’s adventures when I was a child, and I would have hated the parts where the horses get hurt. Filled with strange people and beasts, portals to other universes, giants, trees that come to life in different forms, magic, and threat, along with bravery, loyalty, and love. Jack, Kerry, and Corriwen form an excellent trio for this trilogy, with weaknesses and strengths that balance them out well. They’re listed as children’s books, but the amount of violence and killing may therefore surprise some, even though it’s presented lightly. Jack seems to be the only one who feels deeply sorry, and they all seem to handle the trauma too easily for 15-year-olds. It’s a difficult balance in a book to master and is unlikely to please everyone. Still, I was reading much darker books by the time I was a similar age (Herbert, King, and I’d read books like Oliver Twist when I was 8), so for a modern audience such details are likely tame now.

The Changing Man, Tomi Oyemakinde

I’m uncertain what to say about this book, except I’m clearly not its intended audience. I picked it randomly from my to-be-read mountain, not knowing it was Young Adult. Overlooking the rather awkward way the teens interact, for the first half I felt as though I was settling into a cosy horror of the urban legend variety. Is that how teenagers talk these days? I’m at a loss. Even so, the dialogue and action seemed erratic age-wise, so sometimes I struggled to keep in mind how old these teens were reportedly supposed to be. Usually, the age of the protagonist goes a long way to show the age of the intended reader, but to me these ‘children’ seemed alternately older, or younger, and finding time to giggle in a moment of crisis made their behaviour odd and childish. The pacing fluctuates almost as much, though it’s an easy read. The big reveal… well, admittedly, I did not see that coming. It’s so bizarre it’s definitely surprising. At that point, I almost decided not to finish, but curiosity won out. Not creepy or scary, and in the end pages as it was wrapping up, I’m sorry to say I was laughing. It’s not a terrible book, and will find a readership, but I’m guessing that target audience will be as varied as the plot. I even checked to see whether this was self-published, but no, it’s from a well-known publisher. I’m surprised this made a splash in the market, though I can see potential in the author.

Not a lot of reading this month owing to being busy and time away.

What You Are Looking if Is in the Library (audio), Michiko Aoyama, read by various
A charming pleasant listen with some life advice told by various characters who all visit a library, given guidance by the enigmatic librarian. Not sure what I was expecting, and I wouldn’t usually have chosen this, but some elements resonated and had me nodding. It’s too easy to get wrapped up in the worst occurrences when things go wrong, and these stories give us that much-needed poke to remember there’s more than one way to look at many situations.

The House That Horror Built, Christina Henry
I liked a lot about this book, though I guessed the way it was going, and even though it seemed to take a couple of twists, I predicted the ending. The style strikes me as YA and if that’s the intended market, then the book is excellent, though there’s enough light entertainment here for adults. I’ve another book by this author to get to.

Old Country, Matt Query & Harrison Query
I enjoyed this much more than I expected to as I often dislike books told in first person in two or multiple points of view, but this worked well in this book even though third person POV remains the best. The parts I disliked were more to do with the realities of living in the wilderness, farm life, and having to hunt. There were also moments when I was silently screaming in worry for the dog, the best character in the book. I cared much more about what happened to any animal than any of the humans. Much about Harry actually irritated me, and I cared least about him… until late in the book. This novel is the perfect example of why flawed characters are not only interesting but necessary. The plot wouldn’t have worked without the juxtaposition of Harry and Sasha’s relationship. People do things without thinking or with the best intentions that affect the lives of others, and sometimes, this applies to Harry. The ending is satisfying although I feel it has a slight plot hole if one wants to be pedantic, but I can’t say why without giving everything away. Delightfully creepy in expected places, scenes that would make a decent film.