Today we have reviews for two new novels–Leah Swann’s Sheerwater (also reviewed by Scott Whitmont here) and Charity Norman’s The Secrets of Strangers.
Read on!
Sheerwater
by Leah Swann
Sheerwater is a haunting story built on conflict. Freedom and control, tenderness and violence, hope and fear, love and hate. It shows the strength of a mother’s love and the yearning for something more.
Ava and her young sons, Max and Teddy, are moving to Sheerwater hopeful for a fresh start, but are simmering with trepidation. Making it to their new home will be the first step towards a new life. They’re almost at their destination when a freak accident occurs–a light plane crashes in a field next to the road. Ava stops to help, reluctantly leaving Max and Teddy in the car. She returns to the car to find that her sons have gone missing in all the chaos and confusion. What follows is three days of anguish, heartache and sorrow. Did they wander off? Have they been taken? Are they alive?
This novel is full of beautifully gripping prose and deeply powerful emotions told through sublime pacing. Leah Swann makes sure you feel all the pain, confusion and panic that Ava goes through, as well as the urgency. I found it triggered a peculiar mix of wanting to dwell in the darkly emotive prose while needing to urgently push through it to find resolution. I found myself searching for ways this could all end well, but as the pages dwindled and my desperation rose, I realised that this isn’t a happily ever after story. Instead, it’s a devastating realisation of control and fear.
Sheerwater is terrifying because it is so real. It will be one of those books that lingers in your mind, the memory of which may even be mistaken for a story read in the news.
Buy it here
The Secrets of Strangers
by Charity Norman
The Secrets of Strangers is not the book it appears to be.
It’s a normal weekday morning for the Tuckbox, a busy London cafe, until an apparently crazed gunman seizes control. Over the course of the day, the situation at the cafe teeters from calm to chaotic as all involved are forced to confront their own demons to help each other.
It eventually becomes clear that nothing is what it seems and unravelling the truth is key to making it out alive.
The beauty of The Secrets of Strangers is in its intricate, slowly-built story encapsulated within the fast-paced situation. Charity Norman manages to give moments of tragedy time to breathe while reminding us of the precarious position the characters are still in. This story is driven by its characters and how they can influence one another, highlighting Norman’s mastery of creating strong, believable personas and her finesse for nuance.
The Secrets of Strangers thrives on the unmasking of histories, motivations and character connections, so I won’t reveal any twists, but it would be remiss of me not to mention the core story of gaslighting, manipulation and control. It takes a while to understand the trauma experienced by one particular character, but once their pain is fully realised it is hard not to be overwhelmed with sympathy and grief.
This book was hard to put down and even harder to stop thinking about. It is truly a devastating story wrapped in heartbreak with a beautiful ending to soothe the anguish. This is one I must recommend.
Buy it here
Comments
March 25, 2020 at 6:04 am
You have compelled me to read both Ash . Your reviews are extraordinarily well written I enjoy them as much as the books you recommend.