October 11, 2016

REVIEW| The Bone Clocks

The Bone Clocks
David Mitchell



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Synopsis:


Run away, one drowsy summer's afternoon, with Holly Sykes: wayward teenager, broken-hearted rebel and unwitting pawn in a titanic, hidden conflict.
Over six decades, the consequences of a moment's impulse unfold, drawing an ordinary woman into a world far beyond her imagining. And as life in the near future turns perilous, the pledge she made to a stranger may become the key to her family's survival . . .
Review:
The Cover:
Alright. Alright,  I'll own up to this one- this was a complete cover buy. 

I found this in a group of intimidating hardbacks in Waterstones during the after events of meeting Veronica Roth back in 2014, my pockets then cried in relief as I refused to part with £20 in order to pick it up there and then.
Instead, I found it in a local supermarket in its newly published paperback form. I snapped it up. The cover is soft and buttery. Just gorgeous. The fact that I didn't enjoy this book doesn't hold out that I won't be un-hauling this book anytime soon. I just like looking at this beautiful piece of art we all refer as the cover-design.
If you do go on to picking up this book you'll begin to realize all the little easter eggs-- or, bone clocks-- that Neal Murren has gone to such lengths to include. 

If you couldn't tell I'm in love with this cover.

Enough said.
The Content:

This was one of the many books that I started last year, enjoying greatly but, ended up putting down because newer, shinier books took my short attention span. I can hear my friend scream "book w****" across at me, granted she's across town from me.

When I started The Bone Clocks I was interested in Holly Sykes, this spunky rebellious teen from Gravesend, throughout the 80's. Seeing as Gravesend used to be rather local to me, I already felt like I have a connection with Holly's and mindset. Even if I was a teen throughout the noughties rather than in the eighties.

When it got to my third P.O.V this is when I lost interest, nothing was being answered, and wont be answered til at least 490 pages in. Mitchell just keeps on tying on pieces of string and expect me to now grow tired of wanting. It just slowed the whole pacing down completely and left me swimming in the pages of incoherent prose.

However, I did like the full cycle that Mitchell seemed to tie this book into it's end. Going back to Holly's P.O.V as an elderly woman brought this book to it's conclusion and left me mildly satisfied, if a little annoyed at the long way round I was taken to get there.

In short of my 3am ramblings on Facebook:

I feel like massive parts of it could have cut down. The middle had no major conflicts that I felt emotionally involved in, accept, the overarching character events of Holly Sykes' life. Mitchell should have cut out the middle men (and women).

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