This book to me is truly amazing. When thinking about what genre this was, I really could not decide – it seems to be a fusion of elements from a bunch of different genres: fantasy, contemporary and mystery. They’re not genres that would usually go together and not genres I ever thought would work well together – in fact, if anything they seem to clash.
Nick Lake, however, blends them together perfectly with his poetic and spellbinding writing. His words really struck a chord with me and there are so many quotable lines throughout the entire novel.
I admit – the beginning seemed really slow to me. I was reading consistently, but I wasn’t really engaged, I couldn’t really get into it. I put it down for a day and decided to give it another chance the next day and I was so glad. The pace really picks up and you can delve into the fantasy side as well as the tough mystery side. The book is full of plot twists that really keep you on the edge of your seat. Sarah Jane Cooper is a character that’s almost like a blank canvas at the beginning of the novel.
Throughout the book and with all the experiences she encounters and all the lessons she learns, her canvas starts to thrive with the paint being splattered onto it, marking every scar gained, every happiness experienced and all the tears that have fallen in the roller-coaster of her life.
I loved the mythology that was incorporated into the book. The Navajo myths really gave the fantasy elements of the novel some extra depth and made the world of the Dreaming much more interesting to me as a reader. As ironic as it sounds, fantasy worlds based on ancient myths just seem more, well, realistic.
The mystery side of the novel concerns Shelby’s mother and what her intentions really are. Why did she keep Shelby sheltered for her entire life and what is she hiding? This part of the novel really frustrated me, because I could never guess what her mother was up to. Also, just when you think you do know, and that all the secrets have been revealed, everything changes again. The plot twists with this book just keep on coming, making for a very exciting and entertaining read.
If you are a fan of mystery or fantasy I would recommend this book to you, and if you like both genres then you should definitely read this book. I’ll leave you now with my favourite sentence of the book: ‘You are descended from warriors, says Mark. An endless parade of warriors. You have been alive for a billion years, an unbroken line of DNA.’
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Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
