May was a crazy month! Apologies that I
have not posted for a while, things got a bit hectic as my uni semester came to
a close. Now that it’s over, expect lots of new posts.
In saying this, something I found plenty of
time for was reading! I got through 4 books in May that I would love to share
with you all.
I started writing this post and found it
kept getting longer and longer, especially as I want to properly review each book,
so I have decided to split it into two parts. Enjoy!
The Children Act
by Ian McEwan
This was actually the first book of the
book club I have just started attending. I got to choose the first book and I
have been hanging out to read this one so I simply couldn’t look passed it!
This novel simply reiterated why I love Ian
McEwan. Like, can I just say WOW he is a FANTASTIC writer, I can’t help but fan
girl as I write this! So without further ado, here is what the book is about:
Fiona Maye is an incredibly intelligent and
well-respected High Court judge in London who oversees cases in family
court. Her professional success contrasts with her love life. Her husband Jack,
asks her to consider an open marriage and following an argument he decides to
move out. She subsequently decides to
put all her attention into her work, especially into a sensitive case involving
a seventeen-year-old boy. This boy’s parents are not granting permission for
him to have a lifesaving blood transfusion as it goes against their beliefs as
Jehovah’s Witness. Though, as he is a few months shy of turning 18, Fiona must decide
whether he is allowed to refuse the transfusion, or grant the hospital
permission to do all they can to save his life. Battling between her husband and the pressure
to appropriately resolve this case tests Fiona and sparks unprecedented
scenarios that will undoubtedly keep the reader hooked throughout the course of
the novel.
I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed
this book. The story line was unlike anything I have ever read; it was so
powerful, which in my eyes made it a rare read. The ending in particular was
what struck me. I was worried as to where the novel was going to go, as I
couldn’t really see a resolution as I prepared to read the final two pages, but
it finished perfectly! I was blown away
by how it all came together and how it totally caught me off guard! McEwan is
brilliant at finishing novels, so I suppose I shouldn’t have expected any less,
he always leaves me full and content; never questioning or looking for anything
more.
Even though this book is very much so centered
on legal proceedings, of which I do not tend to lean towards when choosing a
novel, I still found it incredibly interesting. I found the complexity of the Jehovah’s
Witness case incredibly gripping as I was intrigued by how she would
appropriately resolve it, taking into consideration the importance of religion
to his family.
This was a truly beautiful novel. McEwan is
fantastically gifted at writing; it is so easy to get swooped up into his
magical way of using words. I often find myself rereading sentences, as I am
just awestruck by his mind-blowing way of perfectly expressing things, whilst managing
to do so with such clarity. I really
recommend everyone to read this novel, it was tragic yet inspiring, and left me
with the pressing question of what I would have done if I were in Fiona’s
position.
Jojo Moyes; is there any reason for me to
continue? I bet you never saw this coming; this book was beautiful. Moyes, I
swear you can do no wrong! I don’t usually tend to read romance novels, but
when it comes to Moyes I simply have to make an exception.
This book is centered on single mother, Jess
Thomas. Her husband has left her and she works as a house cleaner, scrambling
to find enough money to pay the bills and support her mathematically gifted daughter,
Tanzie, and video game addicted stepson, Nicky, who is constantly being bullied
because of his love for eye makeup. When
her daughter is given the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in a math
Olympiad which may win her tuition at the school of the gifted, Jess is
determined to do all she can to ensure a better future for her daughter. The
journey to get Tanzie and her step son from a small town in London to the
competition in Scotland seems like an impossible feat, but right when Jess is
in the worst possible position to be in, Ed Nicholls, an obnoxious millionaire
whom she cleans for shows up causing a whole new journey to unfold.
It is not an overly complex story line, but
I believe where Moyes succeeds is that she has incorporated such a vast amount
of emotion into this story that with each page I couldn’t stop guessing how the
book was actually going to turn out.
The main characters Ed and Jess were just
so lovable. I really admired Jess, despite everything that was thrown at her
she remained optimistic. This added a really relatable aspect to the novel and
helped her come across as a much more ”real” character. Even though Ed came across as an obnoxious tech
head, it was beautiful to see how time and unfortunate circumstances could
change him, causing him to become selfless and dependable. Moyes perfectly intertwined
these two characters. I loved seeing their relationship grow from strong
dislike and annoyance to something passionate and surprising.
The romance aspect was not the main part of
the story, which I really appreciated. It just shows how incredible of a writer
Moyes is, in that she is able to incorporate additional foundational themes of
bullying, school, family, divorce and the challenges of growing up into a
single novel.
You
have made it to the end of this mammoth blog post… CONGRATS! The second part
will be my review on Landline by
Rainbow Rowell and Mr. Mercedes by
Stephen King (in my opinion the second part of this post is waay more
interesting, stay tuned!).
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