As We Fall Through Time - Claire North

Description

'WONDERFUL - A PROFOUND ACCOMPLISHMENT' Max Gladstone
'AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE' Adrian Tchaikovsky
'ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR' Kate Quinn

From the multi-award-winning Claire North comes an extraordinary and epic tale of time travel, betrayal and a love that echoes through the centuries.

In the beginning, the world will end. This is the story of what happens next.

When Cal meets a soldier of the French Revolution, he knows his lover is destined to die. But what is the point of being a time traveller if you can't make a few small tweaks to the course of history? A little paradox here, an alteration there - nothing Cal can't fix, to save the man he loves.

When Fadimatu walks into a museum in 2018, she stumbles upon her own mummified corpse, setting her on the path to a betrayal that has already killed her, and a murder that has not yet come to pass.

And when a sudden rupture in the fabric of history rips through the lives these travellers have built, breaking both past and future, they must reckon with death foretold, love forsaken, and a secret that will shatter time itself.

Fall through history on a thrilling journey of shattered time, broken futures and a love that can never be erased.

'A wonderful book . . .It's a rare treat to read a novel with such scope and depth. A profound accomplishment. I loved it' Max Gladstone, co-author of This is How You Lose the Time War

'Absolutely, impossibly brilliant: at once epic and intimate, emotionally devastating and intellectually dazzling . . . I can't imagine reading a better book this year' H. G. Parry, author of The Magician's Daughter

'Casually brilliant, flippantly funny, deeply philosophical, and achingly tender, As We Fall Through Time is one of the best books of the year' Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network

'An absolute masterpiece of a book: ingenious, touching, sharp-edged. North is one of the imaginative greats' Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time

'Poignant, propulsive and glorious' M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts

'North's talent shines out' Sunday Times

'Claire North goes from strength to strength' Guardian

Review

Although I’m a big fan of time-travel fiction, and I’m always excited to discover a new take on the genre, this novel unfortunately didn’t quite work for me.

There is no denying that it is well written, with some amusing moments and lots of big, bold ideas.  I can appreciate the creativity and ambition that has gone into crafting this story.

Unfortunately, I struggled to keep up with the rapid shifts through time, along with the various parallel storylines. Just when I felt I was getting to grips with what was happening, the narrative would move on again, leaving me feeling a little lost. I found it difficult to stay fully engaged with the characters and their individual journeys when I was spending so much time trying figure out how everything fitted together.

I suspect this is one of those books that will appeal enormously to readers who enjoy complex, thought-provoking stories that challenge their understanding of time, reality and the possibilities that lie beyond our everyday experience. I can certainly appreciate what the author was trying to achieve, and there were moments when the sheer scale of the ideas was impressive. However, for me, the complexity sometimes got in the way of my enjoyment rather than adding to it.

Sadly, despite my love of time-travel fiction and my admiration for the writing and imagination on display, this novel just wasn’t for me. I wanted to love it, but I never quite found myself connecting with the story in the way I had hoped. It’s always disappointing when a book has so much going for it on paper but ultimately leaves you feeling a little underwhelmed. Sorry, this one simply didn’t hit the mark for me!

Life Out Of Order - Audrey Niffenegger

 

Description

Two great loves. A world in chaos. And a life that never lands in order.

'Graceful... Satisfying... It takes on the biggest issues of our times without a flinch' BONNIE GARMUS

'Wonderfully enigmatic' TRACY CHEVALIER

'A marvel... Something I won't stop thinking about' CLAIRE DAVERLEY

Alba DeTamble is a time traveler, slipping unpredictably through decades like her father before her. But the hardest thing she carries isn’t the burden of futures she can’t understand, or pasts she cannot change – it’s a secret: she is in love with two different people.

Each of them offers a different life. Zach lives in the present and can’t follow her when she disappears. Oliver can travel through time, just like she can.

As Alba careens from time to time, moving from the riot-torn Chicago streets of her present to the eerie, timeless Yellow House, and into the digital corridors of the Museum of Lost Souls and a flooded future London, she must face a question she can no longer avoid: how is it possible to love, and live a meaningful life, in an increasingly troubled, fractured world?

Intimate and expansive, Life Out of Order is a kaleidoscopic story of love, resilience and hope when time is running out.

Review

Where do I even begin with this review? Reading this book was a true roller coaster for me: I went from not knowing what was happening, to wanting to give up, to absolutely loving it, and finally landing somewhere in the middle, feeling a bit indifferent.
A lot of this inconsistency came down to the book's pacing. For me, it felt significantly overlong. Because of the jumping timelines, I expected the narrative to be a little jumbled, but it ultimately became too much to keep track of. The sheer number of characters didn't help either; many of them simply dropped into the dialogue with no introduction, making it hard to stay oriented.
However, everything changed when I reached 75% through the book. Oliver’s story completely gripped me, pulling me back in and getting me fully reinvested. I also connected with the AI elements of the plot. While the final stretch redeemed the book for me, the many character introductions and over long length kept it from being 5 star review.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Things We Never Say - Elizabeth Strout

DESCRIPTION

Internationally bestselling and prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout's new novel tells the story of a chance incident in a man's life - a poignant meditation on loneliness, friendship, and free will in a capsizing world.

Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He spends his days teaching history to high schoolers, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades, makes small talk with neighbours, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. He is, by all appearances, present and alive. But inside, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad-at himself and the people around him-and turns a question over and over in his mind- how is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us?

And then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it, he is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear-and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence.

With exquisite prose and profound insight, Elizabeth Strout captures the way grief reverberates through decades, the comfort found in deep friendships and the freedom that comes when we break free of our secrets. The Things We Never Say is a stunning new novel from one of our most acclaimed observers of the human heart.

REVIEW

Elizabeth Strout has this incredible knack for giving you a masterclass in human nature without needing a massive 500-page doorstop to do it. The Things We Never Say at around 300 pages carries more emotional weight than books twice its size.If you’ve read her Lucy Barton or Olive Kitteridge books, you already know she’s the queen of the unspoken.

This time, we're in coastal Massachusetts following Artie Dam, a high school history teacher who is just trying to keep his head above water while dealing with the slow-burn fallout of a massive family secret. What I love about Strout is that she doesn’t do "good guys" and "bad guys." Artie is frustrating, his family is messy, and everyone is carrying around an absolute mountain of unspoken resentment, basically, they feel like a real family.

It’s definitely a quiet book. If you’re looking for plot twists or rapid fire dialogue, this isn't it. It’s simple, beautifully written, and it lingers with you long after you close the book. Strout just proves yet again that you don't need a massive page count to tell a massive story.

Thanks to my local library for lending me this book. I am giving it 5 out of 5 stars.

A Game of Cat and Killer - Jiro Akagawa

 

Description

"Murder mystery fans and cat lovers get ready for an iconic new series" Janice Hallet

"Think Agatha Chrisite with claws" A.J. Finn

"You can absolutely see why Jiro Akagawa is such a staple of Japanese crime fiction" Kristen Perrin

Detective Yoshitaro Katayama is afraid of many things: heights, dark spaces, blood and . . . women.

When a young female student is found murdered, he's given two choices - review the harrowing crime-scene photographs or head to Hagoromo Women's College to investigate - and reluctantly opts for the latter.

But the murders don't stop, and soon Katayama has a different surprise on his hands: a calico cat named Holmes, orphaned her owner falls victim.

Surely that's the last thing Katayama needs. Until Holmes begins to display some uncanny investigative instincts of her own . . .

Introducing one the most iconic investigative duos in crime fiction - a hapless detective and his capable cat - A Game of Cat and Killer is a must for all readers of Japanese cat fiction and classic crime.

Translated from the Japanese by Haydn Trowell

Review

A Game of Cat and Killer

Although A Game of Cat and Killer was originally published in Japan in 1978, and this edition has been translated from the original Japanese, I was surprised by how little it felt dated. There are, of course, some obvious differences from a modern-day crime novel. There are no mobile phones, computers or modern technology to help with the investigation, but I was so caught up in the story that I barely noticed their absence.

The central character, Katayama, is certainly an unusual detective. In fact, he seems an unlikely choice for the job, as he readily admits to being afraid of just about everything. He isn't exactly the stereotypical confident, fearless detective, and this makes him quite an endearing character. He can also be rather easily led, which occasionally made me want to give him a bit of a shake, but I found him likeable enough and enjoyed seeing how he developed as the investigation progressed.

Then there is Holmes. The cat belonging to the murdered man. For me, she completely stole the show. Holmes is no ordinary cat and seems to have an uncanny ability to help Katayama uncover clues and make connections that he might otherwise have missed. She certainly has plenty of personality, and she can even put up quite a fight when necessary! Some of the scenes involving Holmes added a lighter and more unusual element to what is otherwise a murder mystery.

I particularly enjoyed the way the relationship between Katayama and Holmes developed. Katayama seems to discover abilities he didn't know he possessed, both in his professional life and in his personal life, and Holmes appears to play a surprisingly important part in bringing this about.

The mystery itself kept me interested, and I liked the combination of traditional detective work with the slightly quirky and almost whimsical presence of Holmes. It is certainly different from many of the crime novels I usually read, but that is part of its charm.

Overall, A Game of Cat and Killer was an enjoyable and entertaining read. It has the feel of a classic murder mystery, but with a rather unusual twist in the form of a very clever and very feisty cat. Katayama may not be the most conventional detective, but perhaps that is exactly what makes him (and this book) so much fun.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

Under Story - Chloe Benjamin

 

Description

At an isolated research station in Antarctica, biologist Laurel Salter washes dishes for a living ten hours a day, six days a week. She tells no one why she left her career, or why her marriage ended.

But even in this remote outpost, Laurel can't outrun her past. When a strange light appears across the ice and draws a group of physicists to McMurdo, her former husband, Eli, won't be far behind.

Laurel is captivated by the Arc: its surreal glow; the way it seems almost alive. And though Eli is reluctant to test her wildest theory, Laurel is convinced that the Arc leads down a rabbit hole and into a world they can barely imagine. Can she persuade him to risk everything to fix the burden that hangs between them - to turn back the clock and live their story a second time?

And this time, live it differently.

Once read, never forgotten, Under Story is a genre-defying exploration of the promise of this life, what might lie beyond it, and how far we would go for more time with the people we love.

Review

I have a confession to make: I actually started reading this book several months ago, but after getting to around 30%, I just couldn’t get on with it. I found myself struggling to engage with the story and, in the end, I put it aside to read other books. I’m not usually one to abandon a book, so I did wonder whether I would ever go back to it. Eventually, though, I decided to give it another try.

When I picked it up again, I quite quickly reached the second part of the book, and initially things did seem to improve. The story became more interesting and I found myself wanting to see where it was going. Unfortunately, though, some of the issues I had with the first part remained.

At 512 pages, I also felt that the book was simply too long. There were times when the story felt very drawn out, and I found myself wondering when it was going to move on. I think the book could have been considerably shorter without losing the main story or the ideas the author was trying to explore. For me, the length contributed to the feeling that the story was sometimes plodding rather than moving at a pace that kept me interested.

Another issue I had was the amount of science. I appreciate that the scientific elements are important to the story and that the author has clearly put a great deal of thought into the ideas behind it, but there was just far too much of it for my liking. At times I felt that the science took over from the actual story, and I found some of it quite difficult to follow. I also wasn’t convinced that everything being presented was actually possible.

The second half of the book definitely asks you to suspend your disbelief. There is a particular premise introduced that I really struggled to get my head around. I can’t say too much about it without giving away a major part of the story, but I found it difficult to accept, even within the fictional world the author had created. Perhaps other readers will be more willing to go along with it than I was, but for me it made it harder to become fully immersed in the story.

Unfortunately, I didn’t particularly like the two lead characters. I found both of them to be quite selfish and self-centred, and I struggled to sympathise with their decisions or become emotionally invested in what happened to them. When I don't particularly connect with the main characters, I find it much harder to care about their journey, and that was certainly the case here.

Having said all that, I’m glad I went back to the book rather than leaving it unfinished. There were moments when the story grabbed my attention, particularly as it moved further into the second half, and I can appreciate the ambition behind the ideas. There is certainly an interesting concept at the heart of the book, even if it didn’t completely work for me.

Sadly, though, Under Story just wasn’t a book that worked for me. The combination of the length, the drawn out pacing, the amount of science, a premise that I struggled to accept and two main characters I didn’t particularly like made it a difficult read. I’m pleased I gave it a second chance, but ultimately I was left feeling that the book could have been shorter, tighter and more engaging.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Best Of Enemies - Julie Mae Cohen

 

Description

Gwen keeps a list of enemies. Not that she'd ever hurt any of them - she just likes knowing if karma catches up.

So when her childhood bully drowns in sewage, Gwen's quietly satisfied. But then another foe dies. And another. Soon, everyone who's ever crossed Gwen - from sworn enemies to obnoxious strangers - is meeting a bizarre end.

The police think Gwen's involved, but she's terrified. Someone's turning her private grudges into a murder spree, and if Gwen doesn't stop them, her newly rebellious daughter could be next . . .

Review

I think we all have a few people we secretly wish karma would catch up with. Gwen has taken this idea a little further than most of us, though. She keeps a list of people she thinks deserve some bad karma, along with exactly how she thinks it should happen.

So when the people on Gwen’s list begin to die in precisely the ways she had imagined, she is understandably terrified. She never really intended any of them to come to harm, and certainly never expected (or wanted!) them to die. What starts off seeming like a series of coincidences soon becomes much more sinister.

I was intrigued by the mystery of who could possibly be behind the deaths. At first, it really does seem as though the deaths are just unfortunate coincidences, but as more and more people from Gwen’s list turn up dead, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that there isn't something much more deliberate going on.

I have to admit that I struggled with Gwen as a character. I didn't particularly like her, and at times I found it difficult to connect with her, which made the book a little harder to get into. However, I persevered and I'm glad I did because the story became more and more intriguing as it progressed.

And then came the twist! The ending completely caught me by surprise, and I definitely didn't see it coming. 

Overall, although I had some reservations about the main character and found parts of the book a little difficult to get through, the mystery kept me reading and the unexpected and gripping ending made it worthwhile.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

Time Travel for Beginners - Jaclyn Moriarty

Description

On a bustling road in Sydney, between a gelato bar and a chemist, lies an unassuming shopfront known simply as the Time Travel Agency.

Anna – possibly lightly concussed after a chance encounter with a car, possibly thinking clearly for the first time in a long time – quits her miserable job and agrees to work at the unusual business.

Teddy just can't seem to get up since his wife left him for his brother. When he spies an advert promising journeys into your past, he figures he can at least learn what went wrong.

And Jade can't stand the place. Behind the cosy waiting room and the smell of freshly brewed coffee, all the agency has to offer is false hope.

Over the course of one winter, three lives converge around this unusual agency claiming to offer a chance to revisit past choices. But is it a hoax? And if it's real, what is the catch?

Review

I love time-travel books, so I was really looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I found the book rather too long, with a lot of time devoted to one character’s life events, which at times felt like it distracted from what I thought was the most interesting part of the story—the time travel itself.

The idea of a Time Travel Agency was a good one. It’s not a completely new concept, but I liked the way it was developed here. I particularly enjoyed the scenes set inside the Agency and the actual time-travel sequences, although I would have liked there to be much more of them. For me, this was the most intriguing aspect of the book, and I felt the story could have made more of it.

Katya, the owner of the Agency, was by far my favourite character. She was very well written and I found myself much more interested in her and the Agency than in some of the other storylines.

There was also an interesting counselling element to the Agency. The people who travelled back in time didn’t simply revisit events; they were also encouraged to examine their experiences and how their memories of them had been affected. I found the exploration of false memory particularly interesting, and this added a more thoughtful dimension to the story.

The pace picked up considerably towards the end, when the different strands of the story began to come together. There was more action and, thankfully, more time travel, which I enjoyed. However, I had guessed the main twist quite early on, so the eventual reveal didn’t come as much of a surprise.

Overall, there were some really interesting ideas here, and I enjoyed the concept of the Time Travel Agency and the character of Katya. I just wish the book had focused more on those elements and had been a little shorter and faster-paced. As someone who loves time travel, I wanted more of the time travel itself, and that was ultimately what I felt was missing.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.