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ClareR (6129 KP) rated Gun Island in Books

May 21, 2021

Gun Island

Amitav Ghosh | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Gun Island is a beautifully written story about a rare book dealer Deen Datta, and how his trip to a small island in the Sunderbans sets in motion a series of events that affect him deeply, opening his eyes to the world around him - a world far beyond his own experience. His journey takes in history, folklore, magic, climate change and ecological disasters. We see how climate change has an effect not just on animals, but also on people - causing the refugee crisis and the consequent reaction of Europe - especially those countries who feel they’re most at risk of being overwhelmed by the flood of refugees.

Deen Datta certainly gets around on his journey. From New York where he lives, to the Sunderbans in India, then onto a California on fire and a more flooded than usual Venice. This could have been a book that preached about the perils of climate change, but it didn’t. It did lay the stark reality out for the reader, but this was just as much a part of the story as the relationships Deen has with the people he meets, and his friends. There is a real feeling that Deen doesn’t have a firm identity: he’s detached from his Bengali roots, and he doesn’t fit in to New York either. But I think he does feel a sense of belonging by the end of the book, with the help of his friends. Cinta, a Venetian, is an old friend, and someone who always seems to push him into doing what’s good for him. Then there are his Indian friends, Piya and Tipu who help him to learn new things about himself and the world he lives in.

I loved this book. It ticked a lot of boxes on my favourite themes list: the environment, India, history, folklore, the search for identity. It’s such a thought provoking, magical novel.

Kudos

Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated We Were Liars in Books

Jun 24, 2019

We Were Liars

Emily Jenkins, Emily Lockhart | 2014 | Children, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)

7.6

(12 Ratings)

Book Rating

Read the original review: https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.com/2015/10/10/book-review-we-were-liars/

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book. Even part-way through, I wasn't sure. But as the end drew nearer, I began to fall in love with the heartbreak and tragedy within the pages.

It tells the story of the Liars: Cadence, Gat, Johnny and Mirren. Mirren, Gat, Johnny and Cadence.

The Beautiful Sinclair Family spend their summers on Beechwood Island every year. But the aunties are fighting over Granny Tipper's possessions after she passes away, and the family is being torn apart. The Liars want their idyll back; they'll do anything to fix the family.

This is a love story, and it is a tragedy. Cadence begins to remember the horrific events of summer fifteen, when she was involved in a terrible accident. Her memory comes back in pieces, and she has to fit the pieces together like a jigsaw. When the final picture is complete, I was so shocked - it made too much sense, yet no sense at all.

The writing style is simple and to the point, but also full of wonderful metaphors. There are extracts of a fairytale variation every now and then, which I personally think was a very nice touch. It's rather unique in the way it's written, but in a good way. It has several phrases that are repeated throughout the story, or developed upon, which works nicely in this book.

Also, there are a few visual aids for the story; a may of the island and a family tree of the Sinclair family. While that could be seen as childish, I appreciate the diagrams as they help to keep track of the characters, though I did get a little lost and confused at times still.

Overall, I think We Were Liars deserves 4 stars out of 5. It's different, unexpected, and full of emotion. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it really grew on me as I read.

BookMarked