Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor really is completely fine, and I think herein lies the problem.

This is an interesting enough story. We see Eleanor struggling to get by in life following an incredibly traumatic childhood. She’s socially awkward, odd and standoffish. She has no friends, no family except the omnipotent ‘Mummy’, and tends to live on the fringes of society. Then she meets Raymond, a new coworker, and they bond over helping an elderly chap recover from a broken hip. We see Eleanor learn that it’s ok not to be ok, what is it to feel affection from and for others, and she slowly grows into herself.

However, I just couldn’t warm enough to Eleanor. I found her incredibly irritating and unrealistic. She’s overly critical of pretty much everyone, while seeming to stumble through life in a dead end job that requires minimum mental stimulation. She does herself no favours by being cold towards everyone she meets. Her manner of speaking throughout the novel was over the top, and often at first detracted from the story. She also goes from feigning ignorance over various cultural references (ie SpongeBob Squarepants, Deal or No Deal), to comparing someone to the Unabomber - which didn’t feel realistic. Over time, as we learn her backstory (the blunt way she explains her time with Declan did make me feel for her) I began to warm to her personality, and sometimes she does have some funny moments, but mostly it was too little too late.

One redeeming quality was her blossoming friendship with Raymond. From abject disgust over his smoking and eating habits, this feeling changes overtime to reflect a little bit of a kindred spirit in such an incredibly warm hearted individual. His feelings of horror on learning how Eleanor has been treated by everyone just demonstrated what a lovely, gentle soul he is. To grow up in a loving environment and have a mother who so obviously adores him, it’s interesting to reflect if this is how Eleanor could have been if she were ‘normal’.

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy this - I did, but I’m not enamoured the way others seem to have been. The plot is relatively sedate, and to be honest this feels distinctly more like a character piece rather than story driven. And when you’re not keen on the protagonist that’s always going to be a problem for me. I just can’t get into a book when I don’t enjoy the main character. I’ve read a couple of novels along similar lines lately (Convenience Store Woman and The Kiss Quotient) and I think in both cases, those protagonists were more interesting and better developed than Eleanor. I think that perhaps this novel suffered because of my recent enjoyment of those books, because it became too easy to compare them.

So yes, Eleanor, you really are completely fine.

Book Review: Brutally Honest by Melanie Brown

Mel B, Scary Spice, her of the leopard print catsuit and loud mouth, has certainly had a tough few years. I’d heard a lot of the rumours surrounding her infamous marriage breakdown to then husband Stephen Belafonte, and the rift with her family, but quite honestly I didn’t expect her to be quite so upfront about what really went on behind those closed doors for ten years. This really is brutally honest, and I admire the courage and strength that it must have taken for her to put this all to paper. The emotional abuse she had to deal with (and her children had to deal with) is awful, and you can feel that pain written in every word. At her worst she was a shell of her former self, locked in a battle with drugs and alcohol to try and block out her life.

This is a book primarily about Mel’s relationships with men. If you’re looking for memories of her time with the Spice Girls, this isn’t the book for you (although they are mentioned, and it’s a joy to read when they are). It’s squarely focused on all the men who’ve made an impact on her life, starting with her father, through to Jimmy her first husband, Eddie Murphy (the supposed ‘love of her life’) and, of course, Stephen. She discusses what she feels caused her to pick the worst kind of man imaginable, and also offers up that grain of hope that even if you are stuck in an abhsive relationship there’s always a way out. It might take time - it took Mel an additional three years and the death of her father to finally leave Stephen for good, but it can be done. 

At times I found the writing a little all over the place, and some sentences or paragraphs were repeated several times throughout the book (such as Mel reminiscing about when she bought her parents a house, which she explains no less than three times). There’s also no clear structure or timeline, going from that fateful night before the X Factor show when she tries to commit suicide, back to her childhood, Eddie, Stephen again, back to Jimmy etc. It feels chaotic, and this is a big reflection of Mel B herself who comes across as quite the whirlwind. Some focus would have helped however, as at times I struggled to get to grips with the time frames. 

A raw, sometimes difficult read, that I hope helps Mel deal with a truely traumatic time in her life. I hope she can finally accept herself, and find the peace she certainly deserves.

Book Review: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

What a weird little book.

Convenience Store Woman follows Keiko, a 36 year old Japanese woman who seems to have slipped the social ‘norms’ by working as a part time convenience store clerk for the past 18 years. She has no husband, no desire to change her job, and is shunned by a society who deem her behaviour odd, and at worst, disturbing. She speaks at times as though she’s embodying the convenience store, as though it speaks through her, and often describes herself as only truely feeling like a human being when she was ‘reborn’ a shop worker. Within the shop she feels a certain level of order and security that cannot be found outside. Here she has a manual and rules to follow that make her a valuable team member.

Keiko speaks without any real emotion, as though it’s beyond her capacity to feel empathy or comprehend how to function within the wider society outside of the convenience store. We see her emulate the dress sense of her fellow coworkers, as well as adopting their way of talking in order to ‘fit in’ and seem less of an outsider. This makes it difficult to connect with her, as she often just feels confused when confronted with difficult or awkward situations rather than having any kind of emotional response. Sometimes I felt she was like a giant void of darkness, sucking all the humanity out of herself to the point where any kind of ‘normal’ response from the people around her (such as her sister crying in front of her) begins to seem almost alien to the reader - just like it would to Keiko.

The introduction of Shiraha only furthers this disconnection from the reader, as we see Keiko struggle to understand what exactly their relationship is, and what exactly they can gain from each other. I did feel pity at one point that she couldn’t see that Shiraha was taking advantage, but I felt he wasn’t particularly well developed in the short amount of time devoted to him in the novel to really care. He just came across as mean, and insane.

A weird book that at times almost feels like a love affair to the oddballs of the world, and in particular one woman’s love for a convenience store that becomes the centre of her world.

Book Review: The Wicked King by Holly Black

When I read The Cruel Prince in 2017 I was blown away by the magical world of Fae and political scheming. But that was nothing compared to The Wicked King. Nothing. 

This kicks up everything that was divulged at the end of the previous novel and twists it. Constantly plotting, scheming and internal fighting have left Jude a shadow of her former self. She’s poisoning herself everyday to build up a resistance, but it feels as though the palace itself is doing more damage than the Faerie fruit. As Madoc said, it’s harder to keep power than to obtain it, and Jude is constantly learning that to play with the big leagues is pretty hard to pull off. Especially when you’re mortal.

The chemistry between Cardan and Jude is perfect, and hits the right note between disgust, hatred and desire. When Jude at one point whispers ‘I hate you’, to see the smoulder in Cardan’s eyes. God. I don’t think I’ve met a pairing so equally matched in wits and glorious, unadulterated, sexual tension. This is what I want from my book romances. It’s no romance at all, but feels like it’s destiny. They’re two sides of the same coin, yet also so desperately different. Jude, mortal, vulnerable and yearning for power over a people who destroyed her family. Cardan, deliciously cruel to please others, yet seeking a love he’s wanted all his life. Their sparring of words is glorious. 

The extension of Bomb and Roach’s past together was nice to see and I loved the little snippets of Jude and Bomb together, acting for all the world like normal teenage friends. I like the Bomb, she has an integrity about her that’s rare in these Fae, and has the potential to be a true ally, and friend. Taryn I still dislike, as well as Locke. They seem well suited in their ability to appear friendly while ultimately still playing the game themselves. In fact, all of the supporting characters all well fleshed out and full of life to help build this constant level of tension and pressure around Jude and Cardan. 

The plot is full of twists and surprises that I didn’t see coming, and continued to be fast paced and interesting right up until that deplorable ending. There are plenty of plots and schemes interweaving together in such a clever way that you don’t see what’s coming until the chosen moment when everything comes to a head. Honestly, I’ve not enjoyed a book like this in such a long time, and I cannot wait to see how it will all end. Is it 2020 yet?!

Book Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

3.5 stars. 

I’m surprised by how much I ended up enjoying what is essentially a gender reversed ‘Pretty Woman’ with an autistic female protagonist. I’m not a romance fan. And I’m certainly not a contemporary romance fan. So I went into this with a lot of trepidation but an open mind following some very favourable reviews. And for the most part it was really fun. 

Stella is the main driving force behind why I enjoyed this so much. She comes across as such a genuine individual who’s perhaps not your stereotypical romance character. She’s flawed, seen as a bit ‘odd’, with an obsession for statistics and maths. She struggles with social interactions and hates large social gatherings. Yet she’s also quirky, kind and giving. She’s described as ‘pretty’ by Michael, but more because that’s his type rather than because she’s stunningly beautiful. It’s his growing affection for Stella that drives his lust, rather than it merely being about looks. Their relationship feels open and honest, and very real. Nothing feels forced (rather the opposite, as Michael is very determined to endure Stella never feels pressurised) and is always respectful. Both of them feel so inadequate compared to the other, and I found this incredibly endearing. 

The sex scenes are also really full on, but never felt cringy or smutty (I’m looking at you Maas). Granted, this isn’t something I’d want read aloud to my mother, and reading it while sat in Costa Coffee with my 5 month old baby was an experience (I’m a total book prude, who knew?!). But, it felt necessary to the story. There’s clear boundaries with Stella, and lines that cannot be crossed at first, so it was kind of sexy to see Michael work around them in order to show her what love and sex should be rather than what she’s been subjected to in the past. I wouldn’t say it’s a slow burner by any means, but the romance is there, and it was believable. This was also helped by the plethora of supporting characters from Michael’s family, as they added a degree of warmth and understanding to his character and his personal insecurities that without would have made him feel very unattainable and unrealistic. 

The writing isn’t amazing. Some plot lines seemed a little too convenient or far fetched (ie everything involving Phillip and Aliza) and the ending was a little too contrived for my tastes but I think that’s my main issues with romance novels anyway. There’s not enough ‘grit’ for my personal preferences. But as far as romance novels go, this is the first I’ve really enjoyed for a long time.

Book Review: A Better Me by Gary Barlow

I was always a bit too ‘young’ for Take That the first time round. The band split when I was in primary school, and I was much more interested in making up imaginary games than crying over a boyband. However, when they returned following a documentary in 2005, their music had evolved, I’d grown up, and it was the right side of pop for me to enjoy. 

Gary has always struck me as quite a private person. The driving force behind the original band in terms of musical direction and creativity, but not really someone who enjoys the fame - and indeed this really comes across here. Although we get snippets of deeply harrowing parts of Gary’s life from recent years, such as his obsession with food, his depression following the band’s initial breakdown and the deeply harrowing time in 2012 when he lost his baby Poppy to stillbirth, sometimes I still felt he was holding back. He doesn’t really give anything away that we, the public, don’t already know about and I think this is because he’s become wary over the years of giving too much of himself. Years of ridicule over your weight, your unsuccessful solo career when your band mate has become a global phenomenon, and just generally being seen as a laughing stock in the music industry for a while would be enough to make anyone quite closed off.

I particularly liked the stories about the various tours that Take That have done in recent years (from a personal perspective I went to see the Progress tour and it was nice to get an ‘inside look’ at what went into making such an enormous and enjoyable stadium production), and Gary’s side of the story with regards to mending bridges with Robbie. Again, I felt like a lot of this aspect is heavily edited. Gary mentions that this is just his ‘side’ of the story, but I felt there was a lot more to that little reunion than is mentioned, and Gary remains quite guarded about the subject throughout. 

There is hardly any mention of Take That from the 90’s other than a brief run down of how Gary joined the band, which was a little disappointing. Gary, again, mentions that it’s all be told before - but a part of me felt like this was a bit of a cop out to tell some really interesting stories about what went in back in the original haydays of the band. 

An interesting read if you like Gary and Take That, with some really emotional sections on stillbirth and the hopelessness and despair that brings. But it’s rather heavily edited by Gary himself.

Book Review: Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures by Stephen Fry

When I was a child my favourite movie was Clash of the Titans - the 1981 film with Maggie Smith as Athena and Laurence Olivier as Zeus. Medusa was, and is, the scariest monster I have ever seen on TV and I regularly had to leave my light on when I went to sleep because I thought she was going to come and slither up the stairs and turn me to stone.

Anyway, from a young age I’ve had a healthy obsession with Greek Mythology and I’ve read many, many books on the subject. My favourite story still to this day has always been Perseus and his hunt for Medusa, so I was overjoyed to see that Fry was continuing his jaunt into the Greek myths after Mythos with an account of the golden age of the Heroes. They’re all here - the labours of Heracles, Theseus and the Minotaur and Oedipus among others (including my beloved Perseus), and they’re retold in the easy accessible way Fry has with words. I’ve read these stories so many times, but Fry genuinely manages to make them less convoluted and confusing (which is so easy to do with these tales when there is no single original source and the family trees are a little large and rather incestuous), while still managing to entertain and make me laugh.

None of the richness to the stories is lost, and you can tell that Fry has a genuine passion and knowledge of the subject (the footnotes alone denote a higher level of understanding than most), while giving sources to further reading if one wishes. The conversational tone really lends itself well to these stories, and you can almost image Fry standing in front of you (or sat round a hearth) reciting them. Its been wonderful to dip back into this vast history and I sincerely hope that Fry continues to cover the rise and fall of Troy in another edition to the series (it’s hinted at) to complete this ‘set’ of Greek myths and tales.

Book Review: Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch

A great follow up to The Hanging Tree, Lies Sleeping continues to follow Peter Grant and his search to hunt down and thwart the plans of The Faceless Man and his apprentice while getting himself mixed up in the demi-monde world, which this time involves bells, along the way. 

As I said when reviewing The Hanging Tree, I’ve found these novels to get better and better as they progress as the world is now so well established, and the characters are all charismatic and varied. In particular, this wouldn’t work if Peter himself wasn’t so damn likeable. He’s flawed - always trying to be the ‘do gooder’, likes the sound of his own voice, far too inquisitive to the point of verging on annoying...yet he’s down to earth, the every man of the Folly to counterbalance the extremes that are Nightingale and his associates. It helps that I’m also extremely fond of Beverley too. Goddess, girlfriend, and maybe more? I love all the Rivers, although we seem to see Tyburn and Bev the most, and the introduction of Walbrook here added another layer to their mythology. 

The world building and mythology is convoluted, and the writing style at times can get overly bogged down in descriptions and facts about London/buildings/literally anything. But I’ve come to expect this now of Aaronovitch, and there’s a certain charm in it that I find quite endearing. Yes, it can get complicated trying to decipher who or what various members of the demi-monde are, and what magic is, but we’re seven books in now and I feel like I have a good outline of this world and the creatures who inhabit it. We’re learning along with Peter, and it’s a fun ride. 

This expanded on the plot from The Hanging Tree well, delving deeper into the ultimate plan of The Faceless Man. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of his world and his weird cat creatures and pale ladies and how/why they’re working for him - but this small mystery that remains only adds to his air of menace.

I really hope there isn’t a long wait before the next installment, because the fast pace of this coupled with an exciting ending has just left me wanting more.