Michael’s wife has been killed in a terrorist attack. They’d had an argument beforehand and to help him with his grief he is now seeing a therapist, Angela.
This book is told in diary entries and note form and has short paragraphs with no page numbers, making it very different from the norm. It’s easy to pick up and put down and not lose the thread. However the format takes some getting used to with many entries ‘redacted’ or crossed out. We are reading Michael’s deepest, angry and at times, deeply disturbing thoughts. He has much time to think about what his life is now. And his deep resentment, coupled with grief over what has happened, and who was responsible, needs repaying …
This is a strange and interesting book. I wasn’t sure about it throughout. The diary notes are, at times, disjointed but through them we see how much Michael adored his wife, how his relationship is very strained with his teenage daughter and his thoughts over his dad, who is gravely ill in hospital. Now a retired Headmaster, Michael has too much time on his hands in plotting revenge. The past entries of when he was a teacher show his sadistic side and this does make him quite a tricky character to read, and, even harder to like. He is arrogant and only his thoughts and beliefs seem to count.
The Kill (redacted) comes into it by blacking out the person’s name throughout … not the terrorists themselves, but the politician Michael believes responsible for his wife's death and therefore to blame. This makes the novel original and deeply chilling.
The cold, calculated and intelligent way in which we see Michael gather weapons and information in order to carry out his plan builds to a frightening conclusion and one cannot help but be interested in seeing how it will turn out.
I found the book different to anything I’ve read, but it didn’t keep me as hooked as I thought. I found parts of it grim and sometimes just couldn’t face it, especially towards the end. I guess that’s the mark of good storytelling. Recommended if you want something a bit clever and a lot unsettling!
This book is told in diary entries and note form and has short paragraphs with no page numbers, making it very different from the norm. It’s easy to pick up and put down and not lose the thread. However the format takes some getting used to with many entries ‘redacted’ or crossed out. We are reading Michael’s deepest, angry and at times, deeply disturbing thoughts. He has much time to think about what his life is now. And his deep resentment, coupled with grief over what has happened, and who was responsible, needs repaying …
This is a strange and interesting book. I wasn’t sure about it throughout. The diary notes are, at times, disjointed but through them we see how much Michael adored his wife, how his relationship is very strained with his teenage daughter and his thoughts over his dad, who is gravely ill in hospital. Now a retired Headmaster, Michael has too much time on his hands in plotting revenge. The past entries of when he was a teacher show his sadistic side and this does make him quite a tricky character to read, and, even harder to like. He is arrogant and only his thoughts and beliefs seem to count.
The Kill (redacted) comes into it by blacking out the person’s name throughout … not the terrorists themselves, but the politician Michael believes responsible for his wife's death and therefore to blame. This makes the novel original and deeply chilling.
The cold, calculated and intelligent way in which we see Michael gather weapons and information in order to carry out his plan builds to a frightening conclusion and one cannot help but be interested in seeing how it will turn out.
I found the book different to anything I’ve read, but it didn’t keep me as hooked as I thought. I found parts of it grim and sometimes just couldn’t face it, especially towards the end. I guess that’s the mark of good storytelling. Recommended if you want something a bit clever and a lot unsettling!