I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about Clara & Olivia by Lucy Ashe. Thank you to Magpie Books and OneWorld Publications for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Surely you would like to be immortalised in art, fixed forever in perfection?”
Sadler’s Wells, 1933.
I would kill to dance like her.
Disciplined and dedicated, Olivia is the perfect ballerina. But no matter how hard she works, she can never match identical twin Clara’s charm.
I would kill to be with her.
As rehearsals intensify for the ballet Coppélia, the girls feel increasingly like they are being watched. And, as infatuation turns to obsession, everything begins to unravel.
Publication Date: 2nd February
TW: kidnapping, violence, obsession, stalking, emotional abuse, physical abuse, blood, death, murder
My Thoughts:
Clara & Olivia spins its tale as effortlessly as its titular characters en pointe. It is a book that builds tension slowly, surely, allowing it to sink under your skin.
Firstly, I loved how balletic this book is. You can tell it comes from someone with real experience in this world of blood, sweat and tears, but it all translates to a display of seemingly effortless and beautiful talent. Dance is transformative and evocative, bringing you in perfect harmony with the music. It can be an escape, a release from the world around you. It can also be a prison, a regimented and strict discipline that leaves no room for error. Ballet is especially demanding, but the end result is a timeless crystallisation of skill and flawless talent. Ashe grasps this all too well as a former ballerina. As someone from a dance background, it felt so realistic. From the classes and the costumes, to the music and the backstage nerves, she captured every last detail that weaves together that perfect moment for the audience.
For me, a real highlight was our titular protagonists. They’re vastly different, yet there is a strong bond between the sisters and ultimately this is a story showcasing that strength. I loved how lyrical and descriptive the writing is, fully enmeshing you in the rhythms of Clara and Olivia’s lives. There are deep wells of sadness there and an emerging darkness formed from obsession and control. The two worlds collide in a slow burn mystery; the type that raises the hair on the back of your neck. Ashe allows this to bubble away slowly and grow the tension to newly uncomfortable grounds. This is a deftly told tale of obsession and particularly fragile masculinity. The danger comes from the fantasies created by male characters and a bruised ego, emphasising a very real and remaining issue.
Clara & Olivia takes the beauty of the ballet and strips it down to the bare bones of hard work and endless sacrifices needed to create art.
Next up, I’d like to talk about You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud. Thank you to Usborne Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
People like me are devils before we are angels.
Hanan has always been good and quiet. She accepts her role as her school’s perfect Muslim poster girl. She ignores the racist bullies.
A closed mouth is gold – it helps you get home in one piece.
Then her friend is murdered and every Muslim is to blame.
The world is angry at us again.
How can she stay silent while her family is ripped apart? It’s time for Hanan to stop being the quiet, good girl. It’s time for her to stand up and shout.
Publication Date: 2nd February
TW: racism, Islamophobia, hate crime, violence, stabbing, death, mugging, racial slurs
My Thoughts:
You Think You Know Me sets the world on fire through its passionate reclamation of the power of one’s voice and speaking out against prejudice and hatred.
It is sadly rare to see a practising Muslim main character, but the representation here is much appreciated. I loved how her religion guides her through moments of crisis and provides a resource for her to draw on. It is a natural and central aspect of her life. However, Mohamud does not shy away from depicting the sickening reality of Islamophobia and anti-refugee rhetoric Hanan faces. There are scenes that will infuriate you and they reflect our reality all too well. As Mohamud makes clear, tokenistic representation and half-hearted ‘inclusion’ is not enough. Hanan cannot be used as the perfect Muslim poster girl, allowing the school to congratulate themselves on their ‘inclusiveness’ and ‘diversity’ without addressing the racist bullying she and other students face daily.
Mohamud ensures her characters are nuanced and given more dimensions that solely filling a ‘tick-box’ for diversity. They are well-rounded and given plenty of development. Hanan is funny, kind and fiercely protective of her friends. Her character arc is the defining momentum of the book, learning to find power in her voice and speak up against this hateful system. There is a lot to be said about the silent and passive bystanders that allow hatred to build and explode in a particular moment in the book that captures your heart. In contrast, you have the heartfelt and fractured relationship between Hanan and her twin brother Hussein. This dynamic forms a key emotional core of the book, as does the exploration of Hanan’s family background and experience fleeing Somalia. The flashbacks to this are traumatic and defining for many characters, seeing why they act the way they do in the present.
You Think You Know Me is an incisive and extremely compelling debut. Mohamud is a talent to keep your eye on.
Finally, I’d like to delve into A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory’s purpose. To the north, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hroth, narrowly saving her queendom from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be. Meanwhile, the dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai lives in a Seiikinese mountain temple, where celebrants strive to wake the gods from the Long Slumber – but someone from her mother’s past is coming to the mountain for her.
When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must rise to protect humankind from a devastating threat.
Publication Date: 28th February
TW: massacre, violence, war, death of a loved one, child death, forced pregnancy, traumatic childbirth, child marriage, reproductive coercion, religious manipulation and bigotry, grief, pandemic, postnatal depression, animal violence, animal death, mind control, vomiting, child loss, parental death, eye gore, burning
My Thoughts:
A Day of Fallen Night is a spectacular fantasy epic that gave me everything I needed and so much more.
The Priory of the Orange Tree was the feminist, high fantasy escapism I needed and Shannon makes a triumphant return to this wonderfully rich world here.
Yet again, Shannon draws on this incredibly rich and detailed world. We have delved back into the past gestured towards by Priory, adding even more layers of political machinations, expansive geography and fascinating magic systems. It is just so well-crafted. My mind boggles at the sheer scale and ambition of this epic. How Shannon manages this complex and ever-moving story, with its different lands, people and politics is beyond my knowledge. I could stay in this world endlessly, as Shannon always manages to bring something new and deeply fascinating to the surface. The writing style completely transported me into this vividly described world where monsters lurk beneath the surface, but also behind the smiling faces of courtiers and friends. You rarely feel entirely comfortable, always aware of some grander, devious scheme that Shannon is allowing you to fall into.
This book sets in motion the myths and legends that define Priory. The moments that seem set in stone previously come to life here in deftly drawn, rich character studies. Every protagonist has a distinctive voice and role to play in the larger scheme unfolding. I love how at several moments, I had to physically distance myself from the book as everything clicked into place. The web of connections is startling and even more impressive when you consider this as a text in constant dialogue with its predecessor. At the same time, this is a deeply intimate story surrounding family, duty and the way destiny weighs on individuals. It is a tragedy on personal and grand scales. That emotional flexibility is what elevates it and imbues it with heart.
Shannon took every expectation I had and smashed them to smithereens. This is the fantasy epic of 2023.
A Short Book Lover 
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