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October Wrap Up

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Another month come and gone and October was a strange reading month for me. Some of the books I absolutely loved, some I hated and some I felt let me down a little.

I only managed to read seven books, it felt like more and I was a little shocked at that number.

So let’s talk about the books shall we?

First up was Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Loved this. Absolutely loved it. It’s definitely one of favourites of the year. It’s so imaginative and immersive. I adored how the story connected and it’s just pure bliss. Thank you so much to the publishers for my copy.

Then I read The Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen. A brilliant and original fantasy book, which is part of a new series that I absolutely loved. Full of fantastic characters and African mythology. I adored it. And who doesn’t love mermaids? Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now. You can check out my full review here.

Thirdly I read The Selfless Act of Breathing by JJ Bola. This a book that slowly creeps up on you, and it definitely has left me thinking about this book long after I finished it. But I’m also left with the feeling that something was missing. It was times incredibly powerful. Thanks so much to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now.

Next up I read The Madness of Grief by The Reverend Richard Coles. A really heartbreaking memoir, that I did at times feel could’ve gone a little deeper. I maybe needed a little more, but it definitely had me emotional at times. You can pick this one up now.

Up next I read The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson. I had such high hopes for this book, but I ultimately didn’t like it. At all. It took me such a long time to read and I found myself not caring at all. This one is out now.

Sixth up I read Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. Beautifully written, with such heart and heartbreak. Did I feel it was a little too long? Yes. But in the middle of the book, when Maggie is writing about grief, it doesn’t get better. It just doesn’t. This one is out now.

Lastly I read Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Rawaguchi. This book is a little bit of magic. It can’t be denied. There is something really beautiful about this, without it ever going to far. I adored it. The more I think about it, the more I love it. This one is out now.

So that’s it for me this month. Have you read any of these? Let me know.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#fantasy, #fiction, #yafantasy, author, blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, fantasy, fiction, review, Uncategorised, ya, yafantasy, young adult

ARC book review: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

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Title: Skin of the Sea

Author: Natasha Bowen

Publisher: Penguin Books

Length: 303 pages

This is the proof copy and the final cover is just as stunning!

Synopsis: This is the story of many things. Of the Mami Wata – Black Mermaids who collect the souls of enslaved people who die at sea and bless their journeys home. Of Simi who wants to save lives not souls. Of a great love – a love that threaten worlds and anger Gods. Of a terrible choice and the lives that hang in the balance. This is a story that will change history. Do you want to hear more?

There is so much to love about Skin of the Sea. It’s a really impressive debut fantasy book that I really can’t find anything wrong with.

Simi, a mermaid who captures the soul of people after they’ve been thrown of the slave ships, is a fantastic character to follow. She has such depth and is really complex. In fact all the characters in this book are brilliant. I have to give a special little shout out to Issa. I’ll never forgive Natasha Bowen for what’s she did!

There’s a romance to the book that definitely isn’t the main subject of this book, but Natasha someone gives it such depth and believability that I was IN.

Skin of the Sea is immersed with African Mythology and History, that for me, takes this book to another level. It gives the book such depth and makes it really powerful. It’s also really heartbreaking. It’s a mermaid who captures the souls of black people who have been thrown off the slave ships and this really heartbreaking. Natasha manages to fit this in amongst all the fantasy and capture the brutality.

The ending. THE ENDING. The story has such a brilliant build up and it doesn’t disappoint. After I read the end, I turned the pages looking for me because I needed it. I can’t believe it was left on that cliffhanger. I need more. I NEED MORE. And it’s going to be such a long wait till book two. But as soon as I can get my hands on it I will.

Skin of the Sea is a book I think everyone should read and be prepared to be swept away. Natasha is a brilliant new talent and I can’t wait for book two.

Thank you to Michelle at Penguin Books for my copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out now.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#contemporary, #fiction, #literature, author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, bookstagram, lgbt, queer, review, Uncategorised, ya, yafantasy, young adult

September Wrap Up

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Well, September absolutely flew by. I seriously don’t know where it when. Can anyone tell me? I’m going to use the excuse that the month went by so quickly as the reason I only read six books this month.

Six in a month is definitely the least I’ve read in a month so far this year. But that’s okay. We’ll try and bounce back next month.

Let’s talk about the books shall we?

First up in September I read Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. Did I love this book? Yes, yes I did. It definitely wasn’t perfect but it’s just so much fun and so romantic. It was just a quick, sweet read. So glad I finally picked this one up. It’s out now.

Then I read Little Thieves by Margaret Owens. This is a brilliant fantasy book that had me hooked from beginning to end. It was so intriguing and intricate. It had such a wonderful ending to. I was surprised at how much I loved this one. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out October 5th.

Up next was Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen. This was a brilliant, insightful complex book about the a family struggling to human. It really is fantastic. It’s a beast of a book so it took me a while to read, but it was so worth it. Now the long wait for the next instalment. Thanks to the publishers for my copy, it’s out October 5th.

Fifth this month I read Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. The queer YA books need to be this good. It’s understated, quiet and yet so powerful. With characters you’ve felt you’ve known your whole life. I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s out now.

Then I read Piranesi by Suzanne Clarke. I have to be honest and say this one disappointed me. I thought it was going to be something fresh and original, I thought the first half was intriguing and exciting, but ultimately it became predictable and like something I’d read before. I thought the second half was really underwhelming and that’s when I was expecting to go to great heights. I really was let down. It’s out now.

Lastly I read A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske. This wasn’t a bad book at all, but I just found it all pretty average. I didn’t find it particularly engaging, or like I got to know the characters at all. I just needed more from this book. I’ll probably read the second one, Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out in November.

So that’s it for me this month. Not my best reading month that’s for sure.

Have you read any of these books? Or are you planning to? Let me know.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#fiction, #yafantasy, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, fantasy, gay, queer, Uncategorised, ya, yafantasy, young adult

ARC Book Review: Little Thieves by Margaret Owens

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Title: Little Thieves

Author: Margaret Owens

Publisher: Hodderscope

Length: 500 pages

Synopsis: Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love- and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja is the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, and up until a year ago was the dutiful servant of Princess Gisele. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded payment for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her fortune back… by stealing Gisele’s life. Thanks to an enchanted string of pearls, Vanja transformed into her former mistress and took her place, leaving the real Gisele a penniless nobody. Now, Vanja leads a lonely bit lucrative double life as a princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to slowly turn into jewels, stone by stone. Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and maker her getaway. And with a feral half-god, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja’s tail, she’ll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.

It always takes me a little while to get into fantasy novels. It takes me while to get to know the magic, the world and it did take me a while but the difference with Little Thieves is that it’s enjoyable learning the all of these things.

There is just so much to love about this book I’m not sure where to start. But I think it’s how much I really enjoyed the characters. Vanja is a fantastic main character to follow. I loved how complex and flawed she was but still likeable. I just loved her growth. I also loved Emeric and Ragne. But I enjoyed them all.

What Margaret does brilliantly in this book is create connection between the characters that is so real and believable. I loved, loved loved the friendship between Vanja and Ragne. It’s definitely one of the highlights of the novel for me. Of course I also loved Vanja and Emeric, but I’m not going to spoil that for you. Towards the ends of the there’s almost a found family trope and it adds a lovely element to the book.

Here’s something I often think goes unappreciated in a novel is how enjoyable it is to read. Even when not much wasn’t happening in the plot, it was great to read about the characters and the world. You could tell the story was building (and Margaret does it so well) to the ending. It’s exciting to see if Vanja will break her curse and stop Adalbrecht. As a reader it just keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

Now let’s talk about that ending shall we? It’s so good! So so good! The last 100 pages are such page turners that I just couldn’t stop reading. The ending was exciting and intense. It even had one of those moments where I was like what did I just read! I loved it. Loved it.

Margaret Owens has written a complex, intricate fantasy novel filled with brilliant characters, wonderful magic and a story that has a lot of heart. I do believe it’s a stand-alone book but damn I want a sequel!

Thanks to Kate and Hodderscope for my copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out October 5th.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#fiction, #literature, author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, fiction, literary ficton, review, Uncategorised, ya

ARC Book Review: The Antarctica of Love by Sara Stridsberg.

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Title: The Antarctica of Love

Author: Sara Stridsberg (translated by Deborah Bragan-Turner)

Publisher: MacLehose Press

Length: 272 pages

Synopsis: Inni is a rebellious teenager, a volatile young woman, a drug user, a sex worker, an unstable mother… she loves her life on the margins, but it is a life that is full, complex, filled with different shades of dark and light. Until it is brutally ended one summer’s day, on a lake shore at the heart of a distant, rain-washed forest. But Inni’s story doesn’t end with her murder. We sit with her as she watches her children, parents and friends living on in the world without her, hoping, as time passes, that they will still remember her.

I read the synopsis of The Antarctica of Love and just thought it sounded so interesting and intriguing, so I was very lucky when MacLehose Press sent me an early copy.

The Antarctica of Love is beautifully written. I really mean it. It’s gorgeous. It’s so beautifully written that it almost feels ethereal even though it deals with such a horrible subject matter. There were points on this book that the writing is so beautiful and Sara Stridsberg took the novel to places I didn’t expect it to go, that it made me cry.

The novel begins with Inni being murdered and it is so impactful. It is absolutely brutal at times, but Sara has some struck the perfect balance between the hard hitting acts of violence committed against Inni, and the tangible vulnerability of human connection. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that is so full of tenderness yet packs a real punch. It’s brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

You can’t help but feel for Inni, as you learn about how life and how it lead to the point of her murder. And I loved Sara’s choice to make the reader experience Inni looking back on her life after her depth and then to see all other characters she’d left behind. It was unlike anything I’ve ever read before, as was this book.

It amazes me how Sara has packed so much depth in the story, in the characters and their connections. It’s one of my favourite things about this exquisite novel. There is so much to unpack. It deals with loss, death, addiction, grief and love.

There is such a sense of sadness and heartbreak about this novel but it’s never overwhelming as it’s also full of love. And Sara’s writing elevates the book to even higher heights. It’s the kind of book you tell your friends about at work because you can’t stop thinking about it and you want them to read it too. It’s that good.

It has also been beautifully translated by Deborah Bragan-Turner.

I was wonderfully surprised at how much I loved The Antarctica of Love. There is no doubt it’s ine of my favourite reads of the year. I hope it’ll be nominated for the international Booker prize next year as it fully deserves to be. It’s book I won’t forget for a long time and I don’t think you will either.

Thank you so much to Katya and MacLehose Press for my copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out September 30th.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#fantasy, #fiction, #yafantasy, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, books, bookstagram, fiction, review, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

ARC Book Review: Defy The Night by Brigid Kemmerer

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Title: Defy The Night

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Length: 443 pages

Synopsis: In a kingdom where sickness stalks the streets and only the richest can afford a cure, King Harristan and his brother Prince Corrick are forced to rule with an iron fist. Tessa Cade is a masked outlaw marked for death, but she likes it that way. Together with the mysterious, handsome Weston, she robs from the rich to help the poor, distributing medicine to those who need it most. As it becomes clear that the only way to save her people is to assassinate the King, Tessa faces a deadly mission that will take her to the dark heart of the kingdom… and force her to work with the very people she intended to destroy.

Defy The Night is a young adult novel that’s an absolute triumph.

Sometimes with a fantasy novel it can take me while to get into, as we learn about the worlds and the characters, but with this book I found myself instantly engaged and engrossed. Seriously, I couldn’t put the book down. And I was excited to see where this book was going.

I mean, I was into it. I loved the characters, I loved the world, I loved where the story was going and then the twist happened. The twist happened that I didn’t see coming (don’t worry no spoilers). And it just elevated the book. I haven’t been that shocked by a book in a long time. My jaw actually fell open.

I loved the characters in this. I loved Tessa, Wes, Corrick and Harriston. I liked that they were all complex. And I liked the personal issues each had to go through (I know I’m being vague but I really don’t want to spoil anything). But I really liked that Brigid put some social issues in the book, it gave it real depth and therefore the characters became stronger too.

There was a romance that I totally believed and and I want more of and I want more of it now. But you’ll have discover that when you read it.

The last quarter of Defy The Night is a real page turner. I was up till gone midnight reading this book, I never do that. But I couldn’t put it down. Every chapter finished on a cliffhanger and I kept saying to myself I’ll just read one more and the next thing I knew I’d finished the book.

I really like how it ended. It ends in such a strong position for the next book to explore (which I am already highly anticipating). How long do I have to wait? I’m excited to see where the second book goes and to continue to get to know these characters. And that’s the sign of a great start to a new series right?

Thank you so much to Mattea at Bloomsbury YA Uk for my copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out September 14th.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#fiction, #literature, #yafantasy, author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, fiction, gay, queer, review, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

August Wrap Up

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Well didn’t August just fly by?

I managed to read 8 books this month. That seems to be my average these days and I’m okay with that.

So let’s talk about the books shall we?

First up was Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune and I have to say this was pretty average for me. I know a lot of people loved and are looking forward to it but I just felt we’ve seen it all before. Yep, nothing special for me. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out October 28tb.

Secondly this month I read Last Night At The Telegraph Club by Malindo Lo. Well I absolutely loved this book. It’s a brilliant sapphic historical fiction novel that I wish more people would read. It’s out now.

Thirdly was Magpie by Elizabeth Day. This was such a brilliant thriller novel that had so much heart and depth. This one really surprised me in the best way. It’s not my usual style of book so I was glad I got to read it. Thanks so much to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now. You can check out my full review here.

Up next I read Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stéphanie Garber. This is was big no for me. I honestly thought it was a load of nonsense. I still don’t know what the point in this book was. My worst of the month. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out September 30th.

Then I read my first Graphic Novel Heartstopper Volume 1. I absolutely loved this. It was so sweet and wholesome, with a really beautiful love story that I look forward to continuing. Beautiful illustrations too!

Sixth this month I read Defy The Night by Brigid Kemmerer. I absolutely loved this fantasy novel. It was so enjoyable, I was immediately intrigued and then it had a plot twist I didn’t see coming at all. I already can’t wait for the next one. Thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book. It’s out September 14th.

Up next I read The Antarctica of Love by Sara Stridsberg. God I absolutely loved this book. I didn’t know what to expect at all, but I loved every page. Definitely going to be one of my favourites of the year. So emotional, so gloriously written. I really hope a lot of people read this one. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out September 30th.

My last book of the month was That Reminds Me by Derek Owusu. This one started off a little rocky for me and I wasn’t sure but by the end it was a brilliant read. I kept rereading those final few pages. I loved it.

So that was it. That was my reading month.

Any interests in these? Let me know.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#contemporary, #fiction, #literature, author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, historical fiction, literary ficton, review, Uncategorised, ya

Arc Book Review: Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson

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Title: Damnation Spring

Author: Ash Davidson

Publisher: Tinderpress

Length: 442 pages

Synopsis: For generations, Rich Gundersen’s family has made a living felling giant redwoods on California’s rugged coast. It’s treacherous work, and though his son Chub wants nothing more than to set into his father’s boots, Rich longs for a bigger future for him. Colleen just wants a brother or sister for Chub, but she’s losing hope. There’s so much that she and Rich don’t talk about these days – including her suspicion that there is something very wrong at the heart of the forest in which their community is built. When Rich is offered the opportunity to buy a plot of timber which borders Damnation Grove, he leaps at the chance – without telling Colleen. Soon the Gundersens find themselves on opposite sides of a battle that threatens to rip their town apart. Can’t they find a way to emerge from this together?

This a strange book for me to review as I went through so many stages of what I felt about this book. At times I thought it was average, at times wonderful, then totally captured by the story and then let down.

I’ll start with the positives, the characters in this are quite incredible. From the very first pages they felt so real. I just felt like I knew them, like I was reading about real people. I think the best character in the book was Colleen. I think Ash Davidson really captured what she was going through incredibly well, it was so moving and heartbreaking. Ash Davidson really can write characters.

This book also tackles some hard-hitting points, such as deforestation, the taking of Native American land and the poisonous spray the used to help with the deforestation. It felt like this book was going to make some really powerful points. The first three quarters of the novel felt like a social commentary of the time this book was set and how everyone felt about the changes happening and it was really interesting.

It wasn’t till about 75% into the book that I realised how attached how had become to the story and the characters when Colleen went against the town people to fight against the poison and the story felt tense and taught. I thought the story was going to go down that route but I was wrong. Then when an incident happened with Chub, the son of the two main characters, I found myself quite emotional and then I thought this book was excellent.

However, then after the incident with Chub, another incident with his father happened and it felt like the whole novel changed course. The two shocking incidents almost cancelled each other out and totally lost their impact. It felt the author just went for shock factor. I couldn’t help but feel let down. The more I thought about it the more it just ruined the story for me.

When these incidences happened, everything else got forgotten about. The poisonous spray, the deforestation, the towns people, the Native American protesting deforestation and conflict between them just never got resolved or even mentioned again. It was strange and slightly jarring. It felt like this meticulously detailed novel and the build up was for nothing.

So when I take all this into consideration Damnation Spring can only come out as an average read for me. I think the thing I’ll remember it for is the disappointing ending and such much promise gone to waste.

Thank you to the publishers for my copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out August 3rd.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

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July Wrap Up

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Another month has come and gone. And I had a reading month that was very varied. Some of these books will potentially be in my favourites at the end of the year. Some I found disappointing. Read below to find our which ones I loved.

I only managed 8 books this month, mainly because one of the ones I didn’t enjoy to me forever to get through. I hoping to read more for the month of August because so many books are on my tbr!

So let’s talk about these books shall we?

First up was She Who Became The Sun by Shelly Parker-Chan. This was one of my most anticipated releases for the year, but unfortunately it let me down. I started this June 26th and it took me so long to read it mainly because I just couldn’t get into it. There was some beautiful writing and I liked what it had to say about gender, but the rest didn’t do it for me. At all. I found the story especially in the beginning and middle dragged for me. The ending was definitely better than the beginning I will say that. But I definitely seem to be in the minority with this one, as lots of other people seem to love it. Thank you to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now.

Then I read Meet Me In Another Life by Catriona Silvey. I did enjoy this one, but I just think it could’ve been better. We don’t say this very often but I think this book could’ve benefited from being longer. I felt the ending was a bit rushed and we needed more detail into what was actually happening. But overall I did enjoy this book. I loved the connections between the stories and how the plot unraveled. It just needed a better ending. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now.

Thirdly I read Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn. This features many different authors that Natasha has interviews and it’s a truly wonderful book. It’s moving, heartwarming and helpful. And being nearly thirty and single I needed reminding that it’s ok. I really recommend this book. So many interesting perspectives on love, loss and everything in between. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now.

Up next I read The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. Hands down one of my favourite books of the year. It’s so beautifully written, so clever and engaging. It has so much packed into, yet I was left with a smile on my face when I finished it. I absolutely loved it. Will definitely be in my top 10 books of the year. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out August 5th. You can check out my full review here.

Then I read This Is My Truth by Yasmin Rahman. This is a really hard hitting young adult book that features some really difficult subject matter. It can be hard to read at times, but it was still brilliant. Full of great characters and wonderful friendships, it was hard to put down. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out now. You can check out my full review here.

Sixth this month I read Crying In H Mart by Michelle Zauber. This is a truly special memoir. It’s filled with food that you’ll want to eat and relationship between a Mother and Daughter that’ll break your heart. It details loss and grief in a nuanced and powerful way. It really made me emotional in places. I can’t recommend this one enough. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out August 5th.

Up next I read Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson. This one started with such promise but ultimately I was let down by the ending. It felt like the author threw away the detailed for 3/4 of this move for a shock factor ending. It was so disappointing. It did have fantastic characters though, that I won’t forget. Lots of potential in this book that unfortunately wasn’t fulfilled. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out August 3rd.

Eight this month I read The Magician by Colm Tóibín. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and for it fell totally flat. It was so disappointing. I was missing feeling anything towards the characters. I felt absolutely nothing for them. I was just incredibly uninterested in the whole book. Thanks to the publishers for my copy. It’s out September 23rd.

So that’s it! That was my reading month.

Are you planning on reading any of these? Or have you read any? Let me know.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#fiction, #literature, author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, fiction, lgbt, literary ficton, review, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

ARC Book Review: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

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Title: The Island of Missing Trees

Author: Elif Shafak

Publisher: Viking Books Penguin Random House

Length: 343 pages

Synopsis: Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. The taverna is the only place that Kostas and Defne can meet in secret, hidden beneath the blackened beams from which hang garlands of garlic and chilli peppers, creeping honeysuckle, and in the centre, growing through a cavity in the floor, a fig tree. The fig tree witnesses their hushed, happy meetings; their silent, surreptitious departures. The fig tree is there, too, when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, when the teenagers vanish. Decades later, Kostas returns – a botanist, looking for native species- looking really, for Defne. The two lovers return to the taverna to take a clipping from the fig tree and smuggle it into their suitcase, bound for London. Years later, the fig tree in the garden is their daughter Ada’s only knowledge of a home she had never visited, as she seeks to untangle years of secrets and silence, and find her place in the world.

I need to start by saying that this book was one of my most highly anticipated books of the year and I feel very lucky and grateful to have been given a proof copy.

I love this book. I love it so much. I don’t think any review I’ll write will ever be able to do it justice. To capture what makes this book so special I know you’ll have to read it. And you won’t be disappointed when you do.

From the very beginning of The Island of Missing Trees you are immediately swept away by the glorious writing. Elif manages to evoke such beautiful imagery throughout the book with some of the most evocative writing I’ve read.

As we follow the love story of Kostas and Defne, who find young and forbidden love before civil war breaks out in Cyprus, and the effects it has on Ada their child as a teenager. I was immediately drawn to these characters because they are so real. They way Elif shows how the past trauma can carry on for generations is so poignant. You can feel Ada yearning to know more about parts of her. I also have a special place in my heart for Yusuf and Yiorgos, a gay couple who run The Happy Fig Kostas and Defne meeting spot. I always love to see LGBTQ+ representation in books, especially when it’s this well done. But did I expect anything less from Elif? No, no I did not.

Another thing Elif captures in the book is humanity and connection. Through characters and world conflicts, Elif captures the importance of connections to others, to where we come from and to ourselves. She conveys the complexity and lasting effects for the people living through wars, both those who stayed and fled, in the most profound and heartbreaking ways.

Partly narrated by the The Fig Tree, Elif reminds us how important and how connected we are to the natural world. I have to say I really loved these sections, they were my favourite of the book. It’s fiction writing at its finest. The way Elif had an animals visiting the tree and how they moved the narrative forward really is something special.

Although the book deals with Civil War and loss, it’s also full of hope. It’s a reminder to live life with an open heart, an open mind and to be accepting of joy in your life. It’s a book that has so much depth to it and so many layers.

There’s no denying the Elif is a master storyteller. She captures the complexities and nuances of the human spirit like no other author. It’s remarkable. By the end of the book I was smiling and it brings a smile to my face to even think of the book. It’s the kind of book I was telling my friends about at work, the kind of book I couldn’t wait to get home and read, the kind of book I’m looking forward to reading again.

There’s no doubt this will be in my top 10 books of the year.

Until the next review

Jthbooks