The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time by Mark Haddon Review
28/05/2011 § 3 Comments
When Christopher, a teenager with Asperger’s Syndrome, finds a dog murdered on his street he decides to seek out the culprit and write a murder mystery along the way. As he narrates his detecting we witness his ardently regulated world fall apart. Haddon has created a challenging character that is extremely well researched and magnificently portrayed. In addition to succeeding in being an intriguing, if unconventional, detective story, this novel reveals the thoughts of a person who is innately difficult to comprehend. Hilarious and humbling, it’s a whirlwind education in the struggles faced by those with Asperger’s. Everyone should read this.
A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks Review
26/04/2011 § 1 Comment
In the week it takes for a politician’s wife to plan a dinner party, the evolving lives of seven controversial characters (ranging from an islamic extremist to a hedge fund manager) intertwine to form a metaphoric evaluation of London circa 2007. Sadly, a lack of character development and intruiging plot lines leave nothing but an uninteresting run through the week of characters who are impossible to relate to. The brash and gaudy references to media phenomenon and industry giants leave a bitter taste of an author with an axe to grind that overcomes the satyrical insightfulness that was surely intended.
Room by Emma Donoghue Review
26/04/2011 § Leave a comment
*As featured on Stylist.co.uk*
Winner: Stylist Culture Critic
Meet Jack; a boy whose perception of the world is limited to the 12ft square Room from which he has never left. Child of his incarcerated ‘Ma’ and her monstrous captor, Jack’s life is dominated by an intense relationship with his mother, and the deceptions that she has woven to keep the miseries of his existence from him. Horrific themes are introduced by cleverly structured omissions to create a novel that is ultimately a glimpse into the private world of a mother and her son, with ever present intimations of the Fritzl case adding an effectively unsettling chill to every word.
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