Jan - March Book Reviews: The Child in Time, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, More Than This and Room.

I want to start regularly uploading reviews on the books I have read, as I tend to read quite often. Also, I want a to have a reminder of them and be able to share some great books with whoever is interested in my blog because BOOKS ARE SO IMPORTANT. I will aim to upload book reviews monthly from now on. For now, here are some of the books I have read from January to March of this year:

The Child in Time – Ian McEwan
The introduction to this book was enticing, starting in medias res with the kidnapping of Stephen’s daughter, Kate. From this opening, I assumed the story to be more of an insight into crime and child abduction. Instead of a tale in search of a missing child, I felt as though the novel was more about philosophising the development and nature of children. I also found the protagonist to be a rather dull character therefore his encounter of loss, love and life as the tale progressed were somewhat bleak, almost restricting – alike his personality. Maybe this was due to the fact I have never been a parent so the novel couldn’t speak to me on a level of understanding. However, I did like McEwan’s unconventional proposition and the novel was beautifully scripted.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon
This is a book that had been on my to-read list for a long time (my mum wouldn’t let me read it when I was younger because of the bad language). I noticed it in a charity shop last December and picked it up for 50p – bargain.
If you’re looking for something relatively short and super easy to read, this is your book – I finished it within 2 days! The plot and the story are unalike any book I have ever read before, it is one I would recommend to every reader. The narrator gives a unique insight into an autistic mind, crafted with sketches, numbers and blunt proposals throughout. There was such innocence to the narration of the protagonist, a profound innocence that actually moved me to the point of tears.

More Than This – Patrick Ness
This novel perfectly intertwines a post-apocalyptic world with a teenager battling for his life, internally and externally. I instantly felt sympathy for the protagonist as his suffering was authentically portrayed. The whole time I felt strangely connected to the boy who woke up alone, in a mysterious place, after he had died. Also, it was nice to read a story with a really heart-warming moral at the end. I was so caught up in the ambiguity of the story that I nearly missed the moral. Or maybe it was intentional for the reader to realise it after they had read it – either way I was pleasantly surprised. It’s the perfect Young Adult fiction starting with tension, delving into heartbreak and ending with hope.

Room – Emma Donoghue
I’m actually struggling to find the words to describe how striking this book is. I am stunned. The narration of a just-turned-five year old boy’s perspective is so ingeniously constructed – an innocent voice telling such a brutal story is the fundamental part of this novels success. It was innocent and light-hearted yet one of the most raw, heart-breaking books I’ve ever read. It is deeply, deeply saddening and fascinating. I only have one thing left to say: Read it.



Let me know if you've read any of these and please feel free to recommend me books or let me know what books you want to hear reviews on!

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