Reviews

  Utterly Dark and the Tides of Time, the final instalment of Philip Reeve’s Utterly Dark trilogy, is everything we wanted it to be and more. The ‘more’ is provided by the time-shifting element, which adds rich layers of metaphysical reflection and emotional poignancy to the story and a Peter Pan-esque wistfulness for the approaching end of childhood and the transience of all things. The exploration of the nature of time is intricately woven in through the majestic omnipresence of … Read more

  Deborah Levy’s latest novel is perhaps her most compelling and fulfilling. Elsa, an acclaimed concert pianist, is in Athens when she spies a woman who looks to be her exact double. Thus begins a journey across Europe where this doppleganger is always somewhere near, just in the fringes of her vision. As Elsa’s obsession increases against the backdrop of the COVID pandemic, the lines between fiction and reality blur with Elsa struggling to maintain her identity. “My startling thought … Read more

  Barbara Kingsolver’s epic deep dive into America’s 1980’s opioid crisis through the eyes of one young man is an achievement to be applauded. Taking Charles Dickens’ classic novel David Copperfield as it’s inspiration and broad structure, Demon Copperhead follows the fortunes of Damon Fields from a childhood of poverty and social care, through to a darker adulthood of crime and addiction. As he struggles to survive and carve out a life for himself in the backwaters of Virginia USA, … Read more

  Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre’s new series – Adventure Mice – gets off to an exciting (and extremely CUTE) start with Otter Chaos! Little Pedro lives with his family in the comfortable safety of Hilltop House, with a deaf old lady and a cat far too lazy to chase mice, but he longs for adventure and sets off to find the legendary Mouse Islands. Swept into the sea and clinging desperately to his tiny suitcase, he’s rescued by the … Read more

  Stuffed with creativity, this is a gorgeous picture book about Milo, a little boy who wanted a brand new story and the exciting journey he goes on to make up the story himself. Making a story seems like a great idea, the only problem is that Milo’s not sure how to start. With a little help from his family, some real-life inspiration, and a lot of imagination, Milo’s story is soon off to a flying start. Cleverly woven into … Read more

  Against the backdrop of the Quaker village in the midlands which was the home of chocolate, Bournville tells the story of four generations of a family from the area. Touching on notable events such as the coronation of Elizabeth II, England’s World Cup success of 1966, all they way up to the recent pandemic, where we see the family grow and change with the times as their lives untangle across the globe. Jonathan Coe’s last book Middle England deftly … Read more

  After moving to Devon, Guy Shrubsole was astounded to discover temperate rainforests on his doorstep. Entranced by their beauty and abundance he set out to discover all he could about this rare and precious habitat. Beginning in Wistman’s Wood and other Dartmoor fragments he travels up the western seaboard of Britain including Wales, the Lakes and Scotland exploring these magical woodlands, their biodiversity, their people, their history and deep connections to our culture. What he discovered was a landscape … Read more

  Superstar author William Boyd is back, telling the story of a rich and varied life well lived. Cashel Ross, an orphan brought up in Cork, navigates his way through the early 19th century touched by major events and significant figures – he survives Waterloo, he travels Europe and socialises with romantic poets, and crosses the Atlantic to become a brewer. Although the life of one man, the history he lives touches on universal truths and deeply held values. William … Read more

  You’re all invited to a wedding. Sam and Chloe are getting married in Small Angels, the church of Sam’s childhood village. His sister Kate is along to help. But something is not happy with the imminent festivities at the edge of Mockbeggar Woods. It’s angry, manipulative and eldritch at the same time. Small Angels is a patchwork of a book. Beneath it is a general, creeping, lurking terror of what will happen on the day itself. Beneath that is … Read more

  Clever, quirky and hugely imaginative, discover the new eco-adventure series from the bestselling author of A Place Called Perfect. The earth has shifted on its axis, a mysterious dark mark has appeared on the sun and the whole world is in peril. But billionaire tech genius Howard Hansom has a plan and it seems the world is happy to put their trust in him. When Grian’s sister goes missing, he’s convinced she has run off to Hansom’s new city … Read more