The first of my recent reads is The Movement by Ayisha Malik, which comes out on July 7th.
THE BLURB:
With words come power. But do you speak out or shut up?
Everywhere Sara Javed goes - online or outside - everyone is shouting about something. Couldn't they all just shut up? One day she takes her own advice.
At first people don't understand her silence and are politely confused at best. But the last thing Sara could anticipate is becoming the figurehead of a global movement that splits society in two.
The Silent Movement sparks outrage in its opposers. Global structures start to shift. And the lives of those closest to Sara - as well as strangers inspired by her act - begin to unravel.
It's time for the world to reconsider what it means to have a voice.
A sharply observed novel, charged with compassion and dark wit, that will spark important conversations about how we live, relate and communicate now.
Everywhere Sara Javed goes - online or outside - everyone is shouting about something. Couldn't they all just shut up? One day she takes her own advice.
At first people don't understand her silence and are politely confused at best. But the last thing Sara could anticipate is becoming the figurehead of a global movement that splits society in two.
The Silent Movement sparks outrage in its opposers. Global structures start to shift. And the lives of those closest to Sara - as well as strangers inspired by her act - begin to unravel.
It's time for the world to reconsider what it means to have a voice.
A sharply observed novel, charged with compassion and dark wit, that will spark important conversations about how we live, relate and communicate now.
MY REVIEW:
Funny, bold and smart, The Movement is a thought-provoking work that packs a really hard punch. Sara Javed, an author about to win an important literary award, chooses to stop speaking and discovers that silence can be truly deafening. She becomes the figurehead for ‘The Silent Movement’ inspiring others around the world. As silence gains strength, division and uncertainty grow, and the lives start to fall apart, including those close to Sara. A novel for our messy times, this is a truly original book filled with eye-opening observations. It wasn’t what I expected, and I’m not sure I would have picked it up in a bookshop because it isn’t my usual type of novel, but I found it an absorbing read and finished it really quickly.
The second is The Black Dog by the comedian, Kevin Bridges, out August 18th.
THE BLURB:
Declan dreams of
becoming a writer. It's a dream that helps him escape the realities of
his life - going through the motions at college and stacking supermarket
shelves part-time, whilst fighting a battle with the ever-darkening
thoughts in his head.
He has his pet Labrador for companionship and his best friend-turned-mentor, a pseudo-intellectual who works as a greenskeeper at the local municipal golf course, both of which help keep the worst of his anxieties at bay. But following a drunken row with local gangsters, Declan's worries threaten to spiral out of control.
James Cavani - Declan's idol and his hometown's claim to fame - is a renowned writer, director and actor. But despite his success, his past hasn't relinquished its hold of him, and through his younger sister's battle with drug addiction, he finds himself returning to a world he thought he had escaped.
At face value, their lives couldn't be more different, but perhaps fate has a way of bringing kindred spirits together - and perhaps each holds the other's redemption in their hands.
He has his pet Labrador for companionship and his best friend-turned-mentor, a pseudo-intellectual who works as a greenskeeper at the local municipal golf course, both of which help keep the worst of his anxieties at bay. But following a drunken row with local gangsters, Declan's worries threaten to spiral out of control.
James Cavani - Declan's idol and his hometown's claim to fame - is a renowned writer, director and actor. But despite his success, his past hasn't relinquished its hold of him, and through his younger sister's battle with drug addiction, he finds himself returning to a world he thought he had escaped.
At face value, their lives couldn't be more different, but perhaps fate has a way of bringing kindred spirits together - and perhaps each holds the other's redemption in their hands.
MY REVIEW:
I’m
not overly familiar with Kevin Bridges stand-up comedy, but I know he
is a great storyteller and The Black Dog certainly didn’t disappoint.
Well-written, great characters, funny, heartwarming and authentic. As to
be expected, Bridges is a natural when it comes to writing dialogue,
and the more serious issues are handled thoughtfully and without
sentimentality. Well-paced and plotted and a great ending – highly
recommended!
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