As the years go on, I’ve only gotten more into reading. I love getting lost in the storyline, and I personally believe it’s impossible to connect to a different kind of media in the way you can connect to literature. This year’s reads have been especially notable, as I’ve been branching out more in the type of novels I read.
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
One of the books I enjoyed reading the most this year was The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. While it may not be for everyone, it was definitely for me. This mystery/thriller takes place in the early 1900s in the secluded countryside of England on an estate called Blackheath. Our narrator, whose identity remains unknown for a large chunk of the story, wakes up in the body of a different witness every time he falls asleep or blacks out, eight to be exact. He relives the same day over and over again, with eight opportunities and host bodies to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, until his time resets and he must start all over again with no memory of the clues he previously collected.
Some hosts are more helpful than others, some more physically capable, and some with monstrous, gruesome tendencies. He can only escape this never-ending cycle and leave Blackheath once he solves the mystery. This story is so different from anything I’ve read before. Everything is a clue, everyone is important, and it did not end even remotely how I thought it would. This novel transported me to a different world — one of wealthy elites with grim backstories, set in a dark and hazy manor lit by oil lanterns. I was completely engrossed in this book and have been searching for the feeling it gave me ever since. However, like many good books, its uniqueness is not something that’s easily replicated.
The Emperor of Any Place
The Emperor of Any Place by Tim Wynne-Jones marks another very compelling story. This historical fiction novel, mixed with a little bit of fantasy, follows the story of teen Evan Griffin whose father recently and suddenly passed away, leaving behind a hand-bound yellow journal. The journal is actually a diary written by a Japanese soldier stranded on a deserted island during World War II.
The story splits between the point of view of Evan, navigating the loss of his father and his new relationship with his intense and hot-blooded Marine grandfather, as well as Isamu Oshiro, the stranded Japanese soldier writing to his new bride in said journal. Isamu’s entries are full of Japanese folklore and even recount a remarkable new friendship with a stranded American soldier, Derwood Kraft. Despite their inability to communicate through language, they navigate their new life on the small South Pacific island, known as Korkoro-Jima. This book was suspenseful and even terrifying at times, while still making you feel emotional and sentimental. This is a book I hope to revisit very soon.
The Likeness
The most recent book I’ve read, The Likeness by Tana French, is the second of the Dublin Murder Squad series. It focuses on detective Cassie Maddox, an ex-murder and undercover detective who’s called back to work when the body of someone using her old alias from an undercover operation turns up dead. What’s interesting is this victim is essentially her doppelgänger. She is sent undercover once again, aiming to solve the mystery of who killed this Jane Doe. She integrates herself in this girl’s life, moving into the Whitethorn House located in a small town in Ireland, living with Jane Doe’s four reclusive and preppy housemates. She convinces them that she survived with temporary amnesia of the events that took place on the night this girl was killed.
Was it one of the housemates, or a resident of the town with a hidden vendetta? Cassie becomes all-consumed with her impersonation and even begins forming bonds with her new housemates, whose lives and friendships are magnetic until cracks in their bonds begin to show. As the reader, even I thought their life in Whitethorn House was enchanting. I was enthralled with this book. While it’s the second in a series, you do not need to read the first book to understand the storyline of the second, as there are a few callback references, and you only have to understand that Cassie was the partner of a detective not mentioned in The Likeness. Yet, this story remains entirely her own.
Hidden Pictures
Lastly, I want to mention Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak. It took me about two and a half days to read this cover to cover. This supernatural thriller follows the life of Mallory Quinn, a young recovering addict who lands a nannying job for a little boy named Teddy. Teddy loves art and drawing, and Mallory begins to piece together his innocent drawings as sinister and dark pictures depicting violence and pain.
Rekulak even incorporates actual drawings to help the reader visualize the contents of these “innocent” pictures. Mallory believes that Teddy is not in control of this, and that a spiritual entity is controlling him. Teddy’s parents vigorously deny any possible explanation aside from youthful innocence. Little does Mallory know, they’re hiding a very grim and dark secret. This book did not end at all like the multiple possibilities I imagined. I love a well-executed surprise ending, and this one was certainly unforeseen.
These books had me obsessed. I could not put them down, and when I had to, it irritated me greatly. I just wanted to keep reading, keep getting lost in the words and the plot. I heavily recommend them, and even if these genres aren’t for you, I recommend you try anyways. They’re each so unique, so distinct, and so easy to get lost in.