Assembly Review

Come of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Go to college, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy a flat. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going.

The narrator of Assembly is a black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend’s family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can’t escape the question: is it time to take it all apart?

Assembly is a story about the stories we live within – those of race and class, safety and freedom, winners and losers. And it is about one woman daring to take control of her own story, even at the cost of her life. With a steely, unfaltering gaze, Natasha Brown dismantles the mythology of whiteness, lining up the debris in a neat row and walking away.

This stunning novel holds no punches and takes no prisoners with its forensic examination of British history, capitalism, colonialism, misogyny, racism and slavery.

It is a short book whose narrative is told through a fragmented form of prose and it gives it such a powerful quality. In essence, she’s succumbing to a lifetime of internal and external pressure to conform, excel, and take advantage of the opportunities that were denied her ancestors. Compound this angst with subtle microaggressions in and out of the workplace, the daily headlines steeped in racism and xenophobia (nationally and globally), and the burden of fulfilling a “superwoman” type of role model – one she didn’t ask for and no longer wants to play. In totality, all of this has left her exhausted and a bit apathetic. She is the corporation’s “living proof” of diversity and feels guilty perpetuating the “be best, work hard, etc.” propaganda to the next generation. She thinks, “Best case: those children grow up, assimilate, get jobs and pour money into a government that forever tells them they are not British

While this is a work of contemporary fiction, the narrator’s observations and critiques are timely and spot on. I highlighted many passages throughout this short novel because her reflections on race, assimilation, acceptance, British nationalism, classism, corporate politics really made me stop and think and those thoughts will linger with me for a long time. A real feat of fiction, Well done! 5 stars

Gretel On Her Own Review

I was provided Gretel On Her Own by Elna Holst as an ARC through NetGalley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own and thanks is extended to the author, publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to do so.

Once upon a time, a brother and sister were led away into the depths of the forest. It was only to protect them, their mother explained and the brother concurred; yet he insisted on pebbles, bread crumbs. He insisted on looking back for cats and pigeons and whatnots, brightened by the touch of the sun.

Twenty years later, Gretel Kindermann is on her own: her father has taken himself off to Dortmund, her mother is a fixture at the local mental healthcare institution, and her brother Hänsel, oh— thats a whole other story

At the heart of the matter, like a thorny-rooted weed, is Frau Heckscher, the purveyor of all things sweet in the little village at the lip of the forest. And now, perhaps, also a niece that no one has heard of before, lately arrived from Vienna to wreak havoc on poor Gretel’s nerves and heart.

In Gretel on Her Own, Elna Holst offers a contemporary sapphic twist to your favourite Germanic fairy tale of homicidal arsonists and houses built out of baked goods, trickster witches, and parenting skills that leave a lot to be desired.

I have always loved fairy tales and retelling of fairy tales so this instantly appealed to me. However, to simply say it is just a retelling of Hansel and Gretel is both true and false at the same time.  The author takes the much loved and incredibly well-known tale and puts her own spin on it with twists and turns that will make this a very familiar yet completely new tale.

The one thing that really stood out to me in this novella is the emphasis that is put on the sense of smell and taste, which is no surprise when the original tale is all about sweets, sugar and all things nice, however, it is nonetheless done in a very clever and thought-provoking manner.

The reader is kept guessing even looking through Gretel’s eyes as for the longest time she is unsure of what is happening too. It had a sense of gothic creepiness about it which is everything that a true fairy tale- and truly talented storyteller should invoke.

This is the quintessential bedtime story for adults and I will definitely be looking for more work by Holst. I loved it and will read it time and time again so it is a 5 star read for me.

The Union Of Synchronised Swimmers review

I was provided The Union of Synchronised Swimmers by Cristina Sandu as an ARC through NetGalley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own and thanks is extended to the author, publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to do so.

It’s summer behind the Iron Curtain, and six girls begin a journey to the Olympics. But will they return?

In a stateless place, on the wrong side of a river separating East from West, six girls meet each day to swim. At first, they play, splashing each other and floating languidly on the water’s surface. But as summer draws to an end, the game becomes something more.

They hone their bodies relentlessly. Their skin shades into bruises. They barter cigarettes stolen from the factory where they work for swimsuits to stretch over their sunburnt skin.

They tear their legs into splits, flick them back and forth, like herons. They force themselves to stop breathing.

Then, one day, it finally happens: their visas arrive. But can what’s waiting on the other side of the river satisfy their longing for a different kind of life?

This novella follows 6 points of view of the different swimmers and has an almost offbeat feel to it that was interesting. I liked the premise of the book and it was readable but I was disappointed that it was so short and that the reader never really got to know any of the characters but rather just had small glimpses into their lives, thus I couldn’t establish a relationship or rapport with any of them and that disappointed me.

Overall it was a good read but not very relatable and for that reason it is only 2.5 stars for me.