What the Editors Read in February

AMELIA

‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’ by Gail Honeyman

Genre/category: Adult Fiction 

Page count (including epilogue + acknowledgments): 393 

Synopsis: The story centres on Eleanor Oliphant, a social misfit with a traumatic past who becomes enamoured with a singer, whom she believes she is destined to be with. The novel deals with themes of isolation and loneliness, and depicts Eleanor’s transformational journey towards a fuller understanding of self and life. – Wikipedia 

Personal rating of content: 4.5/5 

Pros

• Eleanor Oliphant is a thoroughly complex and realistic character. Then novel puts the reader in a position of conflict in regards to its protagonist – she is unlikeable, but her reasoning is very understandable.
• Honeyman’s representation of negligence and trauma was clearly researched in depth, and was handled with respect and care. 
• The plot is slow but also gripping. It’s difficult to put down, because you just want to learn more about her. The novel leaves you wanting to fill in the gaps yourself.  
• Eleanor experiences very satisfying character progression. 
• Comical in all the right places. Serious in all the right places. The story isn’t one big depressing drama scene, and the comical aspects do not diminish the weight of Eleanor’s trauma.
• Honeyman has an incredible understanding of perspective. Whilst the novel is from Eleanor’s perspective, whom of which tries desperately to make you believe that she is ordinary and those around her aren’t, the reader knows this isn’t true. There is no bias despite the perspective. You can clearly see Eleanor for who she is.

Cons

• I wasn’t the biggest fan of the plot twist (of which I obviously will not divulge). It made a potentially very satisfying ending less-so. 
• The pacing of the book seemed to change very quickly towards the end. Whilst the majority of the story was slow and steady, the last thirty pages (approx) reveals a LOT of information quickly. The ending felt as though it was in somewhat of a rush. 

Personal rating of cover: 4/5

The cover of the copy I had can be accessed here: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/35900387

I personally loved it! I found the simplicity of it beautiful. However, I very slightly prefer the cover of this edition: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eleanor-Oliphant-Completely-Fine-Honeyman/dp/0735220689

Favourite quote:

“I woke again. I had not closed the curtains and light was coming in, moonlight. The word connotes romance. I took one of my hands in the other, tried to imagine what it would feel like if it was another person’s hand holding mine. There have been times where I felt that I might die of loneliness.” – page 269

Would I recommend?: Absolutely! I would even urge readers who typically read different genres to give this a go. It’s an insightful, emotional read. 

I only recommend this book for individuals 18+ due to regular references to sexual assault, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child neglect, and murder. 

LUCIANA

“Carrie Soto is Back” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genre/category: Literary fiction

Page count (including epilogue and acknowledgments): 384

Synopsis: Carrie Soto is the greatest player the world has ever seen. But six years after her last match, she watches a young British tennis player steal her world record – and Carrie knows she has to go back and reclaim her rightful place at the top. Even if the world doesn’t believe in her. Even if it almost breaks her.

This is a story about the cost of greatness and the burden of fame.

The fight for a place in history is about to begin . . . (Penguin Random House)

Personal rating of content: 4.75/5

Pros:

This novel feels like nothing I’ve read before, and I adored it. 

The book is told, in first-person POV, from the perspective of Carrie Soto, the best tennis player in history. We see the beginning of her passion since she was a little girl, reinforced by her father, and how she truly believes (and knows) that she is destined for greatness. Carrie is an extremely complex character, who the readers will either love or hate. There is no middle ground. She doesn’t mind being rude or hated as long as she gets what she wants. She’s ruthless and powerful, and she knows it. She has truly admirable qualities, such as her dedication and her unstoppable perseverance that forces her to keep going and not stop until she is the very best. In the beginning of the book I related to her, in the middle I hated her, and in the end I loved her and was rooting for her as if she was my own bestie who I owed my life to. It’s safe to say that she goes through a necessary character arc.

The form of narrative that the author chose seemed very ingenious to me, because it’s almost as if she’s purposely telling instead of showing, because that’s how Carrie is. She is driven by facts and logic rather than imagination.

The book grows with her, and almost feels like an autobiography of a real person, every couple pages I wanted to look her up online and watch videos of her matches.

The other characters are very lovable. We have Javier Soto, Carrie’s father, who’s been coaching her whole life, always pushing her to be her very best and beyond. He does it with so much love and he is clearly Carrie’s number one fan since the beginning. Then there’s Bowe Huntley, Carrie’s (slow-burn) love interest, but before that, another tennis legend in the male competition. The amount of patience and love he has for Carrie, even when she suppresses her feelings, is truly admirable.

To read this book you don’t have to be a tennis fan, I think it’s one that anyone would enjoy because even though the sport is the main theme, there are very important sub-themes such as motivation and moving forward despite adversity. I have to say, though, that Taylor Jenkins Reid does an incredible job with the descriptive details and intricacies of tennis. The most important message that can be rescued is that whatever your passion is, you must put at least 200% effort into it.

Cons:

I don’t have a lot of cons in regard to the book, the only two things I didn’t love were that the pacing of the novel felt just a tad slow in the middle, with some events that felt a bit repetitive, and the ending to me was almost disappointing. No spoilers, though.

Personal rating of the cover: 5/10

There’s nothing exciting about the cover, and I don’t love it but also don’t hate it. Its style matches the theme of the other books by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and I did like that.

Favourite quote: This is one of the quotes that really stuck with me: 

“We live in a world where exceptional women have to sit around waiting for mediocre men.”

Would I recommend?: 100% I would. Whether you like tennis or have never even thought about it, this is a must-read.

ANNA

‘The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break’ by Steven Sherrill

Genre: Adult fiction

Page count: 312

Synopsis: This is a story about the Minotaur, first established in Greek mythology, although now he is living in modern day as a line chef in a steak house restaurant. Having been alive for thousands of years, he has come to terms with being an ‘outcast’, yet he is still learning about human nature. He lives in a run-down trailer park and tries to build new relationships, maintain his job, and lead a fairly normal and satisfying life.

Personal rating of content: 3/5

This book has a very unique and interesting plot, which is what I admire about it greatly. It is surrealism blended in with the most mundane moments in life. Depressing at times, the Minotaur comes to terms with his loneliness – he struggles to communicate with humans, and is often mocked for the way he looks. I suppose this is a commentary on people who feel like they don’t fit in, and it that aspect it was very raw, intimate, and often emotional at times. Even small details such as the Minotaur being worried about breaking his car windows with his horns, thus having to sit extremely straight whenever he was in the vehicle, made me feel tender. In addition, the idea that he is stuck in a cycle of both limbo and eternity, and his loss of status from a once feared monster to a loner trying to get by, was heart wrenching at times.

I personally love media that is set in a restaurant kitchen environment. With TV, you have shows like Boiling Point (which I find extremely entertaining), The Bear, and numerous books written by the likes of Anthony Bourdain which follow the same nature. Anthony Bourdain’s review of The Minotaur Takes A Cigarette Break is actually on the cover, which is what attracted me to the book as well as the title. There is something I enjoy reading so much about kitchens, as on the surface, restaurants often appear so calm and professional; but if you take one step in the kitchen it is a completely different world full of characters and mismatched people with huge personalities and back stories that make for very intriguing story settings. Edward Chisolm’s recently published book, A Waiter In Paris, an autobiographical collection of his experiences working as a waiter in Paris (surprise) follows a very similar and intimate storyline of an outsider trying to fit in with the hustle and chaos and hierarchy of kitchen life.

The reason why I knock two stars from The Minotaur is because of its sometimes slow, eventless pacing, which was interesting and crucial at times, but in various other places made the book lose momentum, as I would have rather had more description of him in the kitchen for reasons previously mentioned. Additionally, there is often explicit sexualisation of women; women characters seize to have any other character traits other than for wearing low cut tops, having skin on show, descriptions of their breasts, etc. Again, this might be crucial to the story to signify the Minotaur’s loss of touch with communication, but the male characterisation is more fleshed out and it made me think the Minotaur was unfortunately just a bit of a perv, really. But, what more could I expect from a creature that originally hunted and devoured innocent maidens and children in its never-ending labyrinth.

Personal rating of cover: 7/10

Favourite quote:

“There are few things that he knows, these among them: that it is inevitable, even necessary, for a creature half man and half bull to walk the face of the earth, that in the numbing span of eternity even the most monstrous among us needs love”

Would I recommend?:

For fans of restaurant drama and Greek mythology, this book is the perfect niche for you.

ELLIOTT

‘I Love You, Call Me Back” by Sabrina Banaim

Genre/category: Poetry

Page count: 133

Synopsis: This is a poetry collection in which the speaker is dealing with a world in lockdown and the ending of a relationship over the space of a month, meanwhile her mum also gets diagnosed with a brain tumour but she can’t visit her because of covid restrictions, it deals with her emotional state and the loneliness she feels. It is an exploration of solitude and the depression that comes with it, while also being a marker for the human condition and finding oneself in the darkest of moments.

Personal rating of content: 4/5

Pros:

It’s an intimate look at a very relatable emotional state and the readers feels like they are on a journey with the speaker.

The pacing was excellent and it really treads the line well between being too mundane and too heavy given the subject matter.

The emotional punches are impactful in all the best ways and the reader is made to feel the weight of the situation the speaker is in.

The poetry is accessible and like every good collection you find yourself being able to dip in and out while following the narrative.

There is a balance between light and dark that is welcome in the poetry because it wouldn’t have worked if it leaned too heavily one way or the other.

Cons:

Given the subject matter, it does make it difficult to read a lot in a single sitting. I found myself needing to take multiple breaks just to give myself time to recover from certain points in the narrative.

While it is good that the poetry is accessible and easy to read, as a fan of experimenting in my own poetry I would have liked to have seen more of that throughout the collection.

Personal rating of cover: 5/5

Despite the notes of depression and loneliness throughout the collection, I feel the colour scheme of the cover gives a hopeful note that is weaved throughout the collection. The outline is of a figure crying with the bright colours perfectly foreshadowing the journey of the speaker.

Would I recommend?:

Absolutely I would, though I would advise to take caution. There is a lot of emotional and relatable content that I found tough to read at some points so be warned that you may cry at some point throughout this. If that’s the poetry you’re into then this is a collection for you.

JESS

‘Penance’ by Eliza Clark

Genre/ category: mystery/ thriller

Page count: 336

Synopsis: 

It’s been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson rocked Crow-on-Sea, and the events of that terrible night are now being published for the first time.

That story is Penance, a dizzying feat of masterful storytelling, where Eliza Clark manoeuvres us through accounts from the inhabitants of this small seaside town. Placing us in the capable hands of journalist Alec Z. Carelli, Clark allows him to construct what he claims is the ‘definitive account’ of the murder – and what led up to it. Built on hours of interviews with witnesses and family members, painstaking historical research, and most notably, correspondence with the killers themselves, the result is a riveting snapshot of lives rocked by tragedy, and a town left in turmoil.

The only question is: how much of it is true? (Goodreads)

Personal rating of content: 5/5

Pros:

• Written from the point of view of an unreliable narrator who aims to report every detail of Joan’s horrific murder. 
• Incorporates various forms of storytelling including: interviews with the killers and their families, podcasts, Tumblr posts, historical reports, eye-witness accounts and fictionalised conversations based upon what happened.
• The weird small-town seaside town matches the unsettling atmosphere of the whole novel. 
• A thought- provoking and addictive novel questioning the ethics of our true- crime obsessed society, and what this does to the victims’ families. 
• Takes a deep-dive into the dark side of social media platforms and cyber- bullying.
• I thought this was EVEN BETTER than Clark’s previous novel, Boy Parts, which was already a five star read for me. 

Cons:

• Although this book is amazing, I had to be in a certain mindset to read it. The themes it deals with are extremely heavy and disturbing in some areas which stayed with me for a long time. 

Personal rating of the cover: 1.5/5 

The front cover falls really flat for me, I just think it looks super plain and if I saw this in a bookshop with no previous knowledge of the book, it wouldn’t stand out to me. I just don’t think it fits the mystery vibe. However what I will say is that I like how the girls are styled in clothes/ hairstyles reminiscent of the early 2000s from when this story is set. 

Favourite Quote? 

‘There’s a bit of you that’s always a teenager, isn’t there? It’s the most traumatic time of loads of people’s lives, and … even the most mentally healthy and put-together adults are still … there.’

Would I recommend?

Without a doubt, this book is fast-paced, chilling and gruesome in the most gripping way possible. For anyone who enjoys Netflix true-crime documentaries- you will love this!!