Stunning sentences and a plot which demands to be read
I was immediately drawn in to Lelle’s voice, the desperation to find his daughter and the beautiful lyrical phrases. What a first paragraph. The first sentence says so much about the character and the grief and hope that he feels even after three years. ‘It was the light, the way it stung and burned and tore at him, hung over the forests and the lakes like an incentive to go on breathing, like a promise of new life.’ I also felt very quickly like I knew Lina well, even though she is not present, through the thoughts Lelle has about her. His memories are vivid and though brief, these clues paint a strong picture.
I was a little hesitant before starting to read as I am hit or miss with this sort of narrative. A teenage daughter goes missing, and this so easily could be a dark story with little to no light to lift it up, which I would be unlikely to enjoy reading. The plot line described in the synopsis initially made me think of Wallander, which is a detective drama I have watched in the past (based on a book) - I am not a huge fan of this sort of thing, but gave this first look a read and from the first sentence was so glad I did, because I don’t think this novel will be like that at all. I love things that are character focussed and close to the thoughts and emotions of the narrating character. I love beautiful descriptions that place the reader in the heart of the scene. And I love complicated characters and emotions. This novel appears to have all of these, and I intend to read it in full whether or not I win a copy in this draw.
The cover is appropriate for this type of novel, has an air of intrigue about it. The silver road stands out against the dark blue background, and the effect is striking. It is descriptive of both the book title and the main plot.
I was a little hesitant before starting to read as I am hit or miss with this sort of narrative. A teenage daughter goes missing, and this so easily could be a dark story with little to no light to lift it up, which I would be unlikely to enjoy reading. The plot line described in the synopsis initially made me think of Wallander, which is a detective drama I have watched in the past (based on a book) - I am not a huge fan of this sort of thing, but gave this first look a read and from the first sentence was so glad I did, because I don’t think this novel will be like that at all. I love things that are character focussed and close to the thoughts and emotions of the narrating character. I love beautiful descriptions that place the reader in the heart of the scene. And I love complicated characters and emotions. This novel appears to have all of these, and I intend to read it in full whether or not I win a copy in this draw.
The cover is appropriate for this type of novel, has an air of intrigue about it. The silver road stands out against the dark blue background, and the effect is striking. It is descriptive of both the book title and the main plot.