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A review by kba76
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A book that was generating a lot of buzz before publication, and having just finished it’s easy to see why.
A coming of age story, told with tenderness, set against the backdrop of 1970s Yorkshire. Told through the eyes of Miv, our fiercely independent protagonist, it was hard not to fall a little in love with her righteous innocence and growing realisation of the intricacies of adult life.
Though Miv doesn’t know the reasons for it, she’s used to adults around her giving knowing looks. Everyone seems to know about her mum’s stays in hospital, and she is used to being ignored as her dad struggles to cope with their new situation.
It doesn’t take long for Miv to turn the spotlight to a case dominating the news…that of the hunt for The Yorkshire Ripper. At a time when bad news could often be buried it’s hardly a surprise that Miv takes it upon herself to investigate the suspicious things happening ing around her in an attempt to do what the police seem unable to do.
As we follow Miv and her best friend, Sharon, in the course of their investigations we come to learn about the community they live in. Seeing a time of such turbulence through the eyes of a child is impactful. We sense there’s more to many of the stories she comes across, but part of her growing up is learning them for herself.
The book is a little uneven in pacing, with the initial focus drawing out characters and the final stages happening in a rather rushed fashion. However, it didn’t mar my enjoyment of the book and I’m looking forward to seeing what Godfrey writes next.
A coming of age story, told with tenderness, set against the backdrop of 1970s Yorkshire. Told through the eyes of Miv, our fiercely independent protagonist, it was hard not to fall a little in love with her righteous innocence and growing realisation of the intricacies of adult life.
Though Miv doesn’t know the reasons for it, she’s used to adults around her giving knowing looks. Everyone seems to know about her mum’s stays in hospital, and she is used to being ignored as her dad struggles to cope with their new situation.
It doesn’t take long for Miv to turn the spotlight to a case dominating the news…that of the hunt for The Yorkshire Ripper. At a time when bad news could often be buried it’s hardly a surprise that Miv takes it upon herself to investigate the suspicious things happening ing around her in an attempt to do what the police seem unable to do.
As we follow Miv and her best friend, Sharon, in the course of their investigations we come to learn about the community they live in. Seeing a time of such turbulence through the eyes of a child is impactful. We sense there’s more to many of the stories she comes across, but part of her growing up is learning them for herself.
The book is a little uneven in pacing, with the initial focus drawing out characters and the final stages happening in a rather rushed fashion. However, it didn’t mar my enjoyment of the book and I’m looking forward to seeing what Godfrey writes next.