JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

The Stranger by Kathryn Hore

In Darkwater, being female doesn’t amount to much. But Chelsea’s luckier than most. She’s the young lover of the town’s feared leader, which she keeps telling herself is a good thing, what with food getting scarce and the wells drying up. She’s secure and safe and can almost believe she’s happy.

But when a stranger rides into town, gun on one hip, whip on the other, Chelsea can’t look away. Especially when it turns out this stranger is a woman.

Nobody can say what the stranger is there for. But she brings talk of an outside perhaps no longer so chaotic, no longer something to hide away from – and she knows far too much about dark choices made in the town when the world outside was falling apart.

As the rumours fly about Darkwater’s bloodied past and the murder of a woman twenty years earlier, Chelsea finds herself being drawn into someone else’s terrifying quest for justice. Or is it merely deadly revenge?

In a place ruled by fear, Chelsea’s going to have to decide whose side she’s really on, and how far she’s prepared to go to uncover the town’s dirty secrets before more blood soaks the ground of Darkwater – this time, perhaps her own.

Kathryn Hore’s The Stranger is a dystopian feminist Western story, set in the secluded and caged Darkwater community and centring around the arrival of a mysterious but defiant female who enters the town.

Whilst we never learn the country or time period, we don’t necessarily need to. There’s something in the unknown that allows us to stay focused on this incredibly secluded and claustrophobic community.

Our protagonist, 16-year-old Chelsea, grows curious when a woman enters into her town with mysterious intentions. Since the death of her mother and the expulsion of her father, Chelsea’s world has largely been confined by Granger and so we witness as she grows more determined and independent.

“The entire table shifted uneasily. Glances were exchanged, the men confused and frowning. It was akin to asking why a new well should be dug when the old one went bad. There were just some things necessary for survival and surely that was obvious.”

There’s a strong dystopian element to the book, as we learn Darkwater is fenced in because of a raging virus that plagues the world outside. Anyone who leaves Darkwater faces certain death, and so the inhabitants feel both gracious to be in Darkwater and resentful that they must rely on this place.

Kathryn’s exploration of gender is multi-layered. Women are treated as sub-par to men – they’re used and abused, ignored and gaslit. As men group together to lead the town, women are divided, until this stranger arrives and opportunity presents itself for the women to band together and overthrow their oppressors.

“Five months later I was in his bed, his home and under his protection. For what else could I have done? They’d taken everything else from me. I might be young and I might be a girl, but I’m not stupid. I know how to survive. Whatever that takes.”

As we near the end of the novel, and the stranger’s true intentions are divulged, it does at times feel a tad too didactic in its messaging. The stranger explains her actions and her motivations a little too clearly, and so the reader feels spoon-fed.

I think there was room to leave a bit of this dialogue out of the book to give the reader a chance to join the dots themselves.

“Only this stranger needed no protection from anybody. She stood stiff in the middle of the men now staggering to find their feet. Bloodied lip and hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, breath coming in controlled exhales.”

Highly original and addictive, Kathryn Hore’s The Stranger is highly recommended. Readership skews female, 25+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Stranger
Kathryn Hore
September 2022
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

Marshmallow by Victoria Hannan

Some moments change everything.

For five friends, what should have been a birthday to remember will instead cleave a line between before and after. From then on, the shockwaves of guilt, sorrow and disbelief will colour every day, every interaction, every possibility. Each will struggle. Each will ask why. Secrets will be kept. Lies will be told. Relationships reassessed. Each friend will be forever changed.

And the question all of them will be forced to ask is: can they ever find a way to live without what was lost?

Victoria Hannan’s Marshmallow is a raw literary exploration of trauma and grief, and how easily it can rip apart and irreparably shatter a person’s life. Or, in this case, five people’s lives.

One year ago, the death of a child at a birthday party damaged five adult lives seemingly beyond repair. With grief comes guilt and self-loathing, and each character is struggling to accept what transpired at the party – can they ever come back from what happened?

“They sat quietly drinking their beers for a few minutes. Outside, the ding of the 11 tram, its wheels scuttling along the metal tracks. Outside, the wattle birds squawked and squabbled in the trees. Outside, the world carried on as normal, as though nothing was wrong, as though he wasn’t dead, he wasn’t gone.”

Set over the course of just two days, quite a minute time span considering all the ground that Victoria covers, Marshmallow is a tender and insightful read. Undoubtedly a character-driven story, we follow each of the five adults as they attempt to navigate their lives after the disastrous birthday party. For one, it brings up memories of another death, and for more than one of these characters, they feel immense responsibility for how the birthday party unfolded. A lot of ‘if only’ scenarios rear inside their minds.

Victoria prose is a clean and light – an easy read for such a heavy topic. It doesn’t feel like a chore to turn the page, and Marshmallow can easily be tackled in one sitting.

“Sometimes she tried to tell herself that it was impossible to feel lonely when surrounded by so much outside noise. That there were people everywhere. Loneliness was a state of mind. That she didn’t need someone. That her wants were not this basic. She was a strong, independent woman.”

Set in Melbourne, Marshmallow is as much about grieving what was, as it about discovering a path forward. These friendships have been fractured so much that at first glance it seems there is no way to repair them.

But, as we near the one-year anniversary of the birthday party, the five characters find a way forward, by acknowledging what happened. No more talking around the issue, but actually talking about it. Owning their grief and their trauma and working together to process what happened. Nothing will change what occurred and so it’s about finding a way to accept what has happened and attempt to find happiness in other elements of their lives.

“A sense of dread washed over him. What now? He tried to imagine the scene at home. Annie crying in the front garden. Annie standing in the front garden staring into space. Annie up a tree out the back threatening to jump.”

Heartfelt but also incredibly heartbreaking I actually shed tears, Victoria Hannan’s Marshmallow is for literary readers. Readership skews 25+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Marshmallow
Victoria Hannan
September 2022
Hachette Book Publishers

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

What happens when fantasy tears through the screen of the everyday to wake us up? Could that waking be our end?

In Bliss Montage, Ling Ma brings us eight wildly different tales of people making their way through the madness and reality of our collective delusions: love and loneliness, connection and possession, friendship, motherhood, the idea of home. From a woman who lives in a house with all of her ex-boyfriends, to a toxic friendship built around a drug that makes you invisible, to an ancient ritual that might heal you of anything if you bury yourself alive, these and other scenarios reveal that the outlandish and the everyday are shockingly, deceptively, heartbreakingly similar.

Ling Ma’s speculative short story collection Bliss Montage presents eight surreal stories exploring the limits of fantasy on the everyday.

A couple of my favourite stories are Los Angeles, G and Returning. Set largely in the confines of reality, there is a small tweak to each story that introduces fantastical and speculative elements. From a housewife who lives in a mansion with 100 of her ex-boyfriends, and a woman who crafts a short story that differs from how her mother remembers the documented events, to a story of two estranged friends reuniting over a drug that turns the user invisible.

“The conversation was smooth and friendly, all surface. I told him a bit about my job now, as a copy editor at a law association. He told me about dog walking, but mostly about his monied clients. He seemed to know a lot about them, their vacation homes and travels, their careers and connections.”

Across the course of the collection, explored themes include isolation, relationships, memory, abuse and immigration. And with women driving each of these stories, they take centre stage in each of these absurd realities and act as a haunting observer.

Ling Ma’s stories capture the ongoing trajectory of the plot and are less focused on the aftermath. We meet characters in the midst of the tension that builds in their life, and with such a calm nature to Ma’s writing, our attention is maintained throughout each story.

“After my roommate kicked him out, the phone would ring periodically in the middle of the night, back when we still had a landline. When I picked up, a voice would say, ‘I miss you.’”

Arguably, some characters feel too detached from their reality – they observe but there doesn’t seem to be much engagement with the actions or characters around them. We don’t gain a full sense of how the characters feel about their circumstances. Whilst the writing is stripped and observant, sometimes I would’ve loved a bit more interaction and understanding of the protagonists.

“But that wasn’t even it, not really. There wasn’t any defining incident that convinced me to finally stop speaking to Bonnie. More that, after college, I began to notice how she increasingly critiqued me, mostly with jabby comments about my body.”

Observant and taut, Ling Ma’s Bliss Montage is a strong collection of surreal and uncanny short stories. Accessible for reluctant readers and those who aren’t overly keen on shorter fiction. Readership skews 25+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bliss Montage
Ling Ma
September 2022
Text Publishing

Haven by Emma Donoghue

Three men vow to leave the world behind them. They set out in a small boat for an island their leader has seen in a dream, with only faith to guide them. What they find is the extraordinary island now known as Skellig Michael. Haven, Emma Donoghue’s gripping and moving novel, has her trademark psychological intensity – but this story is like nothing she has ever written before.

In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks – young Trian and old Cormac – he rows down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island, inhabited by tens of thousands of birds, and claim it for God. In such a place, what will survival mean?

Set in seventh-century Ireland, Emma Donoghue’s Haven follows a priest and two monks in search of a solitary island far from their monastery.

Brother Artt returns to the monastery after time afar and dreams of a mission from God – take two monks and journey to an island far away in the Western ocean, and build a bastion of prayer. It’s a mission of solitariness and immense devotion, and Artt’s obsession with purity and peity grows dangerous over the course of the book.

“Now that the Prior’s taken up Cormac’s oar and the boat’s speeding along, no one is in the stern to steer her. Sick or not, Cormac should at least keep an eye out for hazards – mudbanks, logs, whirlpools, rocks, or rapids.”

This book is incredibly slow – too slow. For most of the book, it’s the journey to the island, which proves dull after a while. Whilst well-written and providing astute commentary on a number of different themes, and therefore loved by critics, I can’t help but feel this book is highly inaccessible for the average reader. I almost didn’t finish it, but because it’s not a very big book – only 250 pages – I forced myself to complete.

Haven does provide stark observation and characterisation, pivoting around the three monks as the colder weather closes in and Artt’s expectations grow increasingly unrealistic. Soon, Trian and Cormac’s loyalty begins to waver. In the final pages, a secret unravels the group and tensions reach their peak.

“They’re passing close by the black slope of the nearest island, where turf-cutters are working. A woman straightens up. A man does the same, and raises a hand. Friendly? None of them seems to be raising an alarm, or running for a weapon. Trian waves back.”

Similarities between Haven and Donoghue’s Room include its limited characters and claustrophobic, secluded environment. These characters are determined to preserve their humanity and dignity amongst complete isolation and encroaching madness.

It’s clear that Donoghue has undertaken heavy amounts of research ahead of writing the novel. Donoghue captures the era and setting with ease. The island of Skellig Michael, with its barren landscape and inhospitality, is brought to life with description and vivid imagery – fans of Star Wars will recognise the unforgiving, jagged terrain.

“Now the Great Skellig is revealed in all its strange glory. Twice the height of its neighbour, sharply fingering the sky. Eroded by wind and water; littered with rockfall, smeared with emerald vegetation.”

Slow-build, resilient literary fiction, Emma Donoghue’s Haven is recommended for seasoned readers. Readers will require commitment to get to the end of this one. Readerships skews 35+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Haven
Emma Donoghue
September 2022
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Paris Mystery by Kirsty Manning

Paris, 1938. The last sigh of summer before the war.

As Australian journalist Charlotte ‘Charlie’ James alights at the Gare du Nord, ready to start her role as correspondent for The Times, Paris is in turmoil as talk of war becomes increasingly strident.

Charlie is chasing her first big scoop, needing to prove to her boss that she can do this job as well as, if not better than, her male counterparts. And the best way to forge the necessary contacts quickly is to make the well-connected expats, Lord and Lady Ashworth, her business. Lady Eleanor knows everyone who counts and at her annual sumptuously extravagant party, Charlie will meet them all.

On the summer solstice eve, the party is in full swing with the cream of Parisian society entranced by burlesque dancers, tightrope walkers, a jazz band and fireworks lighting the night skies. But as Charlie is drawn into the magical world of parties, couture houses and bohemian wine bars, secrets start to unravel, including her own. Putting a foot wrong could spell death …

In this magnificent new beginning to the joyful Charlie James series, Manning beguiles with glamour and mystery set in pre-war Paris.

The first in a new historical fiction series, Kirsty Manning’s The Paris Mystery introduces us to Australian journalist – and sleuth – Charlotte, now living in Paris and determined to escape her past and carve a new life for herself in France.

With war fast approaching, the newly divorced Charlie is excited to start her new job as correspondent for The Times. She is determined to surpass her male counterparts and prove herself but covering a captivating scoop for the outlet. When she attends a party on the eve of summer solstice and a guest ends up murdered, it’s Charlie’s chance to be on the front foot of the story and uncover the truth of what really happened that night.

“At his shoulder Madame Marchand sipped her champagne, her face neutral. Charlie studied her: impeccable skin enhanced with a hint of makeup, coiffed hair, tailored couture. In her late fifties, she looked her age, and Charlie admired that – she hated hollow compliments, and none were more irritating than the suggestion that a woman who looked less than her age was to be feted.”

Set against the backdrop of the glamorous pre-war Parisian lifestyle, Manning has brought France to life with vivid description and eccentric, compelling characters. With a mystery at its core, Manning maintains a compelling narrative that will have readers eagerly turning the pages.

Charlie is a headstrong, efficient protagonist drawn from a number of different inspirations. Manning has crafted an inspiring journalist, driven by more than just a love of the job – she refuses to be underestimated just because she’s a woman. She’s determined and fierce, goal-oriented and hungry to prove others wrong. I think a lot of (female) readers will relate to her, and this determinism is an element that I love when female protagonists take centre stage in historical fiction.

“Charlie remembered that Lady Ashworth had said Maxime Marchand was a fellow patron of the Louvre. She followed Lord Ashworth’s gaze to see a fit man, with excellent cheekbones, in a cream linen suit. Reclining at a corner table, he chatted to a blushing waitress.”

Manning provides a lot of rich detail across the course of the novel – outfits, homes, streets, food, it all helps paint a picture and allows us to imagine the setting with ease.

Something I did struggle with, particularly at the beginning and still in the middle of the book when we were still getting to know all the characters– a lot of them have names starting with M, and I would constantly mix them up: Madame Marchant, Maxime Marchant, Conrad McKenzie (often referred to as just ‘McKenzie’), Mercedes and Milly Goldsmith.

“This was Charlie’s first time in such a fancy fashion house, and she felt giddy with excitement. Though her work clothes were plain, she loved dressing up for evenings out, fixing her hair and applying a bright red lip – it made her feel vibrant, strong and attractive.”

Fun and extravagant, The Paris Mystery is recommended for readers of historical and crime fiction. Readership skews female, 25+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Mystery
Kirsty Manning
September 2022
Allen & Unwin