The Shadow Hour by Kate Riordan

DESCRIPTION:

Nineteen twenty-two. Grace has been sent to the stately and crumbling Fenix House to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps as a governess. But when she meets the house’s inhabitants, people who she had only previously heard of in stories, the cracks in her grandmother’s tale begin to show. Secrets appear to live in the house’s very walls and everybody is resolutely protecting their own.

Why has she been sent here? Why did her grandmother leave after just one summer? And as the past collides with the present, can Grace unravel these secrets and discover who her grandmother, and who she, really is?

REVIEW:

This novel has been sitting on my TBR pile for a lot of months now. For some reason every time I felt the urge to pick it up an read it, something else came up and made me leave it where it was. I remember the moment I decided to order it. It was the slightly Gothic feel to it, the family secrets, that unsettling feeling of a story that will change you. At least I hoped so…

This is a good story and well written, but it does get a bit slow at times, to the point that about 100 pages of the book could have been cut and the story wouldn’t have been changed much. Lately, I notice that this is the problem of most books – I don’t know if it’s me that has become impatient, or authors have become to fond of words that they refuse to get to the point fast enough.

Telling the story in two time-frames was indeed a very intriguing  choice of plot device, but it came across a bit gimmicky at times. Believe me when I say this is rich and atmospheric novel, which draws its readers in from its very prologue, ‘Not all stories should be regarded as beginnings, middles and ends… Some like this one, are formed like a circle, with something terrible and secret at the core, and everything else radiating out, ripples from a raindrop on water.’ Riordan lulls her readers under a spell with her Gothic descriptions and intrigue; and more than once was I reminded of classics such as Jane Eyre, which even actually features in the book, as if Riordan was paying a tribute almost. Whilst it is clear that she has certainly drawn inspiration from other works of literature, Riordan nevertheless commands a sense of ownership of her material, stamping it very much as her own.

And although it was a very predictable read, I believe that it still was enjoyable. It was told in a very stylish manner, which nowadays is a rare experience and one should give Riordan credit for that! It wasn’t as dark as I expected, but it is a well developed novel, so definitely read it and see for yourself; especially if you are a Riordan fan!

 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter #8) by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling

DESCRIPTION:

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

REVIEW:

Amidst reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I realised that writing a review about it will not be an easy thing to do. Having finished it in just a couple of hours I was left with some serious thoughts and a great deal of soul-wrenching feelings.

I am all too tempted to note how this read has been the most awaited book for a while but I will be steering into a whole new territory here, however the message is clear: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child cannot and should not be read as part of the original series. You’d ask me why? The answer is as simple as that: unlike “the magnificent seven” it was never meant to be a book, it was only created to be experienced in the safe premises of a theatre. The publishers had two options to choose from: they could have novelised the play or leave it as a script. Honestly said, I think they opted for the best decision there.  As a series the original seven books are a complete cycle, they do not need pre- or post-stories to be added. I say that from the point of view of a person who grew up with the stories and who awaited in anticipation every single one of them to be published; from the point of view of some who grew up with the characters, who cried and laughed with them and was completely smitten by the magic world they lived in. Therefore, I am exceptionally glad that JK Rowling complete realised that The Cursed Child should be treated as a separate matter.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play about having grown up, being responsible for your own kids an struggling to do so. There are a couple of things I could not come to terms with, though: for example Ron – although he was the only character who managed to preserve his goofiness and childlike amusement he was portrayed as the least successful. Come on! Everyone else flew through life and have these all important jobs and he owns a jokes shop – don’t get me wrong, nothing shameful in that, but it left me feeling robbed of the great potential Ron had.

The adults have grown, they’ve changed. Some have changed so much that I hardly recognise them, Draco, for instance. I like that he’s, well, nicer now, but he doesn’t feel like Draco, you know? I’ve been so used to Harry and Draco being enemies that it almost surprised me… Although the way book seven ended the door was sort of left open for various outcomes for that blond head.

All in all #8 was essentially, a play with polar characters who need to put their differences aside in order to catch the baddie and restore the status quo, donning their best suits and jokes along the way. There are some quibbles – but in all key respects, it grips, it stirs and above all – it delights.

At heart, The Cursed Child concerns itself precisely with the anxiety of having an illustrious forebear and the dangers of trying to go back over old ground; it persuasively argues the value of doing so, too. There’s a universal, relate-able emotional core to the play. How do we grow up? How do we talk to our closest family members? How do we heal deep-rooted psychological damage? All matters that concern the people who actually grew up with the characters themselves – like me!

I am content with it, not overly excited, not overly disappointed, but convinced that it is a perfectly executed continuation of the story. One, that will only be understood by the people who lived with the books an breathed their air as if it was the only thing in the world.

 

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ Years by Old Hendrik Groen

DESCRIPTION:

** THE INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON **

‘There are many laughs in this book but it’s so much more than just a comedy. It’s a story about how friendship, selflessness and dignity lie at the heart of the human experience. When I’m an old man, I want to be Hendrik Groen’ John Boyne, author of international bestseller The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

‘Another year and I still don’t like old people. Me? I am 83 years old.’

Hendrik Groen may be old, but he is far from dead and isn’t planning to be buried any time soon. Granted, his daily strolls are getting shorter because his legs are no longer willing and he had to visit his doctor more than he’d like. Technically speaking he is … elderly. But surely there is more to life at his age than weak tea and potted geraniums?
Hendrik sets out to write an exposé: a year in the life of his care home in Amsterdam, revealing all its ups and downs – not least his new endeavour the anarchic Old-But-Not Dead Club. And when Eefje moves in – the woman Hendrik has always longed for – he polishes his shoes (and his teeth), grooms what’s left of his hair and attempts to make something of the life he has left, with hilarious, tender and devastating consequences.
The indomitable Hendrik Groen – Holland’s unlikeliest hero – has become a cultural phenomenon in his native Netherlands and now he and his famously anonymous creator are conquering the globe. A major Dutch bestseller, The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen will not only delight older readers with its wit and relevance, but will charm and inspire those who have years to go before their own expiry date.

Praise for The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ Years Old

‘Hendrik Groen’s account of daily life in a care home for the elderly pulled me in with its self-deprecating humour, finely drawn characters and frank accounting of the trials of old age. Behind Hendrik’s light touch and grumpy-old-man persona is a story with a great deal of heart, and some important themes. Hendrik effortlessly incorporates the politics of aged care, from funding to euthanasia, into his personal story and offers his own acerbic insights. Anyone who has a friend or relative in a nursing home or retirement village, or who hopes to grow old with dignity themselves, will find much to reflect on’ Graeme Simsion, international bestselling author of The Rosie Project

‘Funny, tragic and sometimes heart rending’ Het Parool

‘Hendrik Groen is a heart-warming hero’ Trouw

‘With pungent phrasing Groen takes down life in a retirement home. Both charming and hilarious’****Leeuwarder Courant

‘Hendrik Groen is king. My mother (78) suffers from dementia. Doesn’t read a newspaper or magazine anymore, only old photo albums can grab her attention for longer than 5 minutes. Hendrik Groen made her laugh out loud’ Ray Kluun, author of Love Life

‘The tears came streaming down my face. From laughing so hard. I couldn’t stop grinning for three days’Ouderenjournaal

‘Never a dull moment with my new BFF Hendrik Groen’ Read Shop, Hedel

‘It reminded me of a combination between The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Wonderful! Shame it’s finished already’Arjen Broers, Bookshop Bruna

‘Heart-warming, funny and poignant. It’s about all aspects of life.

REVIEW:

You wouldn’t believe how good that book is. It has been quite a while since I have laughed so hard that my tummy hurts. It’s wicked, and twisted… and full of my sense of humour, which a very hard one to keep up with. I have to share something with you, I am a child of older parents… My dad turned 70 in April this year… and believe me when I tell you Hendrick Groen is only half of what my dad can bring to the table! Now that I am living away from my parents and get to see them only 2-3 times a year I could fully appreciate the merits of being raised by parents who have a sense of humour! Nothing teaches you better about life than that. And Hendrick Groen is the embodiment of that: he is grumpy, cynical, politically incorrect, full of life, funny and a rebel with a cause – everything I hope I would be at his age!

You know what One day I fully intend to be a little old person in a nursing home that leads the rebellion and puts Vodka in the Iv bags, because that shows home much you love life and home much more you got from it than all the calm, settled old people of that!

The story is laced with wisdom and its themes have a universality that crosses borders of the specifics of a Dutch Care Home to be issues of global concern for all of us. It is sharply observed and made me think about how much the older generation are all too easily dismissed and ignored in our society.

This book very much reminded me of “The Hundred Year old man who jumped out of a window and disappeared,’ as it has a similar balance of humour and political and social comment. But also there was something that calls for a parallel with the “The Lady In The Van” by Alan Bennett. And even some of Jaroslav Hašek’s “The Good Soldier Švejk” – there is so much humour in that book and so much life you cannot get it all at the first read!

Highly recommended for everyone. No wonder it’s a runaway hit in the Netherlands. I’m very thankful that it’s been translated into English for us.

Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett

DESCRIPTION:

When Margaret’s fiancé, John, is hospitalised for depression in 1960s London, she faces a choice: carry on with their plans despite what she now knows of his condition, or back away from the suffering it may bring her. She decides to marry him.Imagine Me Gone is the unforgettable story of what unfolds from this act of love and faith. At the heart of it is their eldest son, Michael, a brilliant, anxious music fanatic who makes sense of the world through parody. Over the span of decades, his younger siblings – the savvy and responsible Celia and the ambitious and tightly controlled Alec – struggle along with their mother to care for Michael’s increasingly troubled and precarious existence.

REVIEW:

Mental illness is a creature if faced directly, or through the eyes of a loved one, changes you forever. Imagine Me Gone is a novel that sinks you deep into the world of depression and shows you first hand how it feels to live a life were the negative perspective is predominant. It is a courageous attempt and a successful portrayal of the way mental illness affects all family members. It is a heartbreaking journey of love, suffering and support. Imagine Me Gone will shake your soul and remind it what is truly important in life. As someone who has dealt with mental illness in his family, I found the novel so honest and redemptive.

The characters in Imagine Me Gone exemplify quiet resilience. Haslett imbues each member of the family with nuance and depth. They come most alive in their interactions with one another: how Celia listens to Michael’s fanatic rambles, how Margaret pays for his bills without question, how Alec attaches himself to all their problems and cannot let go. Each family member tests how deep and how far they can extend themselves for one another. Sometimes they fail, which makes them the most human of all.

What I loved the most about Haslett’s characters is that they were build with such passion and care that you know that out there in real life there are people who are just the same, who make the exact same choices and have the exact same voices.

Honestly said, it will take you a while to settle in and feel cozy with the setting and characters, but once you get accustomed to the narrative you will become one with the novel. Don’t get me wrong it definitely is not and cannot be an easy read. It is heavy and hard on the stomach, especially for someone who has lived through similar life events. But it is a novel that will no doubt haunt me for many days to come.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker, Jon Klassen

DESCRIPTION:

Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter listens to his stern father—as he usually does—and throws Pax’s favorite toy soldier into the woods. When the fox runs to retrieve it, Peter and his dad get back in the car and leave him there—alone. But before Peter makes it through even one night under his grandfather’s roof, regret and duty spur him to action; he packs for a trek to get his best friend back and sneaks into the night. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their independent struggles to return to one another against all odds. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Peter and Pax.

REVIEW:

When I first saw this book advertised, I did an anticipation-dance while drooling over that cover. You know me… At the sight of foxes I collapse and melt into a mush ball of Awww.

By all means it is no average children’s box. It is harsh, dark and real. A heavy story that easily brings you to tears. It has war, and nature, and violence, and death, and love, and duty, and loyalty and sacrifice. It is everything. What I’m saying is: I went into Pax expecting to have my heart ripped out. In fact, I wanted it. As soon as I heard this was a moving story about a boy and his pet fox, my tear ducts got ready for action. But, unfortunately, it just missed the mark for me.

I believe it was the ending that took the breath out of it. It definitely wasn’t what I wanted to happen, still it didn’t rob the book it anyway. Some scenes are graphic which will make animal lovers cringe but I like that the author was brutally honest in the effects of war. My only complaint is that the ending was rather abrupt, realistic but abrupt.

Other than that… Excellence!

Shadowboxing With Bukowski by Darrell Kastin

DESCRIPTION:

Shadowboxing with Bukowski is the tragicomic, cautionary tale of a young bookseller who struggles to keep his bookstore afloat in the harbour town of San Pedro, CA, where the infamous Charles Bukowski resides. Pushed to the edge by events beyond his control: his flailing marriage, the curmudgeonly ghost of the former owner, and the community that sees him as an outsider, the intrepid book lover fights the noble battle against mediocrity and apathy while in a moment of desperation his wife enlists Bukowski’s aid.

REVIEW:

Give me a bookstore story, library story, authors struggle’s story and I am sold at hello. This book was a rare treat of the very, very good ones. Not for everyone thought, but those who love it, are gonna love it forever! Much like Bukowskian novel, this one you either hate, or fall for at the very beginning.

It is not grand, it is definitely not epic… but it is a classic case of brilliance. Edgy, yet very much humane, the novel tells the story of a guy who is mostly human, with his ups and downs. A quirky read for everyone who’d enjoy a well build character.

The book is very much the internal monologue of the protagonist and is by turns humorous and tragic. Kastinovich seems always to want something more than his life is able to offer him, whether it’s the romance he engineers with one of his customers, or the excitement of love notes exchanged with his wife’s alter ego. However, there is no escaping the fact that he is running a business into the ground.

My inner literature snob was DROLLING ALL OVER IT!!!!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

DESCRIPTION:

In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real–and deadly–consequences.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah takes her talented pen to the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France–a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

REVIEW:

The Nightingale, has been by far one of the most touching novels I have read lately. It has been on my TBR pile for, I am ashamed to admit, over 9 months now. It has been sitting there, quietly waiting its turn to impress me.

I don’t regret one bit postponing this one, for it delivered big time and made amends for all disappoints through the last 9 months. This book owned my heart. The ending ripped my heart out and left me mourning. Two packs of tissues were needed and a deeply appreciated ice cream box was well exploited. It is a story that you’d never forget.

I would cancel on any prior engagements for reading this deep, loving story about the strength, endurance, sacrifice, and courage of women in the darkest of time. This book is honest in portraying the events that occurred to these characters, but not overly graphic. It doesn’t need to be. The things that happen, and they way they are told are so powerful that you feel them. There are some scenes though that are hard to read because they are quite painful and I’ll warn that there may be triggers for some people, but then again, this is a story that takes place during a brutal war. There’s everything you can expect from such a story – brutal firefights, prison camps, beatings, near starvation, sacrifice… but there is also hope, resilience, survival. As I neared the end of the book, during the last few pages, tears began to pour down my face. It was achingly beautiful.

I cannot say enough good things about this book, it is a true masterpiece of WWII years, and although it is a work of fiction, there is so much realism to it, it took me totally away to that period of time. Ms. Hannah very definitely outdid herself with this book.

 

The Other Einstein: A Novel by Marie Benedict

DESCRIPTION:

A vivid and mesmerising novel about the extraordinary woman who married and worked with one of the greatest scientists in history.

What secrets may have lurked in the shadows of Albert Einstein’s fame? His first wife, Mileva “Mitza” Marić, was more than the devoted mother of their three children—she was also a brilliant physicist in her own right, and her contributions to the special theory of relativity have been hotly debated for more than a century.

In 1896, the extraordinarily gifted Mileva is the only woman studying physics at an elite school in Zürich. There, she falls for charismatic fellow student Albert Einstein, who promises to treat her as an equal in both love and science. But as Albert’s fame grows, so too does Mileva’s worry that her light will be lost in her husband’s shadow forever.

A literary historical in the tradition of The Paris Wife and Mrs. Poe, The Other Einstein reveals a complicated partnership that is as fascinating as it is troubling.

REVIEW:

You wouldn’t believe the state of excitement that overcame me when I finally got my hands on this book. I was jumping around, doing my little happy dance and beaming little balls of glitter all over my kitchen. There are no words that could even vaguely give at least a poor image of the way I looked on the verge of what I sincerely considered the book of the year.

There is no point in telling you that I curled up into my reading nook and started reading. But as soon as I reached page two I knew something was off. I couldn’t connect with the lines as I usually do, there was something seriously out of place. As I kept on reading it became more and more visible, this was definitely  not what I expected from The Other Einstein.

The mechanics of the novels were crippled in a way I cannot really explain. The actual conflict was pushed so far ahead in the novel that by the time I actually reached it, it felt out of the place and pointless. This left me feeling cheated, and definitely didn’t satisfy my genuine interest in the book. I haven’t signed up for a crippled love story, I wanted my scientific conflict, my gender struggle, my strong female character.

Instead I found myself frustrated at best: Mileva was like a toy that was pushed around without any power of her own. She was a smart, but a sad doll. I couldn’t understand what Mileva saw in Albert which made Benedict’s emphasis of their union rather awkward. The issue was exacerbated further by Benedict’s interpretation of Albert. The famed scientist is difficult at best, but her portrayal is so far from his cultural legacy that it alienates those with any sort of appreciation for him.

The saddest part of the whole narration was the suffocating feeling that it left you with. The injustices Mileva faced are extraordinary, but Benedict’s presentation is nothing short of plain. Instead of being able to embed a feeling of whatever emotion, Benedict managed to kill them all, leaving you numbed and unattached. Not once did I feel the sting of unshed rears, even in scenes made for an emotional response from the reader. Intellectual responses—anger at Einstein’s behaviour for example, or annoyance at Mileva’s strange decisions, yes, but not empathy for the characters.

All  I can say is, I was deeply disappointed with The Other Einstein.

The Tulip by Anna Pavord

DESCRIPTION:

The Tulip is not a gardening book. It is the study of a flower that has made men mad. Greed, desire, anguish and devotion have all played their part in the development of the tulip into the world-wide phenomenon it is today. No other flower has ever carried so much cultural baggage; it charts political upheavals, illuminates social behaviour, mirrors economic booms and busts, plots the ebb and flow of religious persecution. Pavord tells how the tulip arrived from Turkey and took the whole of Western Europe by storm. Sumptuously illustrated from a wide range of sources, this volume should become a unique source book, a universal gift book and a joy to all who possess it.

REVIEW:

Tulips… they are the most perfect creation in the world… Most women would melt at the sight of a rose… for me it is Tulips. Trying to win me over… show up with white Tulips and we will get along just fine. So when my boyfriend gifted me with this precious book on my name day I melted( We celebrate name days in Eastern Europe: it is like a second birthday.. but hey would you complain if you get more presents?! I wouldn’t!).

The book is filled with all those worthy names, impossible dates and genera Tulipa which made it a very heavy reading. But when you see that Anna Pavord is not only a journalist but also a professional gardener and author of serious gardening books, you can understand why parts of “The Tulip” rip along as if a historical novel and others become very heavy and documentary. Personally, I had no problem with the language or the facts, hey, I am a British Major after all, but I understand why some might find it an overwhelming read. For me ‘The Tulip’ is the perfect coffee-table book to delve in and out of.

Impressively researched, engagingly written, it is a product of love and devotion. It is not for the common reader, that is why it is so daftly misunderstood… This is not a book to read on one go, it is a book you come back to over and over… Forever. Every time you’ll find something different. That’s a book for the real readers, it is not a paperback that you just read and toss, never to think or remember about. I am sorry, if that offends all the people who didn’t like it, but it takes profanity to understand some things. I am in love with the book and the author!

The Fire Child by S.K. Tremayne

DESCRIPTION:

The chilling new psychological thriller by S. K. Tremayne, author of the Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller, THE ICE TWINS.

When Rachel marries dark, handsome David, everything seems to fall into place. Swept from single life in London to the beautiful Carnhallow House in Cornwall, she gains wealth, love, and an affectionate stepson, Jamie.

But then Jamie’s behaviour changes, and Rachel’s perfect life begins to unravel. He makes disturbing predictions, claiming to be haunted by the spectre of his late mother – David’s previous wife. Is this Jamie’s way of punishing Rachel, or is he far more traumatized than she thought?

As Rachel starts digging into the past, she begins to grow suspicious of her husband. Why is he so reluctant to discuss Jamie’s outbursts? And what exactly happened to cause his ex-wife’s untimely death, less than two years ago? As summer slips away and December looms, Rachel begins to fear there might be truth in Jamie’s words:

‘You will be dead by Christmas.’

REVIEW:

It is the first book I read from the author. It had a real strong hold on me for the most part of it, but the ending ruined it for me. I have always had a thing for old families and their mansions, their history and their tragic decisions, so the description had me at the first sentence. The novel was everything it promised, the writing was brilliant, the pace unnerving and it could have easily turned into one of my most favourite books out there, if only the ending wasn’t so soapy. It was so disappointing it actually made me angry… So angry I had to call my Ldn Boy and debate with him for two hours so that I can come to terms with what to write as a review. I had armed myself with the most exquisite word to flatter everything about this thriller and I just dropped them, the second my jaw dropped with astonishment at the way this jewel-of-a-story was handled.

It has a slow, atmospheric start as the landscape and imagery is built up like poetry. The author builds up the characters the same way and before long the dark twists and shades of grey start to enter the book. This book messed with my head! If you look to the low left of this map of Cornish Mines you can see a few that are mentioned in the novel including Zenner and St Just, very real places.

If I had to use only two words to describe The Fire Child they would easily be CLEVER & SHARP! It just takes you through all those emotions: sadness, horror, love, uncertainty, uneasiness, plain confusion. It turns you into the victim and the detective at the same and you literary breathe with its plot.

If I had to compare it to a classic I would be into minds on whether to put it right on the shelf next to  Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, or a bit higher next to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. It is dark and engaging, paranoid and still a masterpiece… For the most part!

What had me agitated was the overdoing when it comes to the building of characters… there was just too much darkness in both of them, and then they just worked it out… WHAT?!. Easily there was material for creating two different books, and it would have worked out way better. There was too much hinting around and to much pointers to something going seriously wrong… I almost went “Oh, shame, no one died”. You get how weird that is, right? Especially for someone like me, who digs a happy-ending.

The Fire Child is a rare occasion of a deep, profound confusion for me. It is compelling and brilliant and at the same time a bit patched… It got me hooked and yearning for the darkest resolve out there and gifted me with an easy way out. I still keep on wording breathlessly WHY?!