When God was a Rabbit - Sarah Winman

 

Rating: ✫✫✫

“‘Do you believe in God, Arthur?” I said, eating the last piece of sponge.

“Do I believe in an old man in the clouds with a white beard judging us mortals with a moral code from one to ten? Good Lord, no, my sweet Elly, I do not! I would have been cast out from this life years ago with my tatty history. Do I believe in a mystery; the unexplained phenomenon that is life itself? The greater something that illuminates inconsequence in our lives; that gives us something to strive for as well as the humility to brush ourselves down and start all over again? Then yes, I do. It is the source of art, of beauty, of love, and proffers the ultimate goodness to mankind. That to me is God. That to me is life. That is what I believe in.”

I listened to the bell again, whispering across the waves, calling, calling. I licked my fingers and scrunched the tin foil up into a ball.

“Do you think a rabbit could be God?” I asked casually.

“There is absolutely no reason at all why a rabbit should not be God.”’

✼

What are my impressions of this book? Well, first of all, it is a unique one. The plot itself is nothing spectacular, but the way it is written makes it far more poignant than I originally suspected. The first half of the book, viewed through Elly's eyes while she experiences childhood, is jumbled, and significant life events are replaced by the random thoughts of a child. I spent most of the first half of the book plodding along, not really sure where the plot was going. 

I would urge anybody in the same boat to keep going. This is a random, messy, confusing story for the first half, but the second half puts everything in perspective. When we rejoin Elly as an adult, we see why these childhood experiences are so important to the story. This is a story about relationships, second chances and consequences. This is a story about faith.

✼

For Elly's birthday, her brother Joe gives her a rabbit, which she names God. God offers Elly the comfort she needs to endure her lonely childhood, along with her brother and her best friend, Jenny Penny. But some things aren't easy to hide away, and dark secrets from Elly's childhood continue to make her feel isolated, especially when the family move to a new place where Elly feels even more alone.

 Fast forward to Elly's adulthood, and she isn't faring much better. She reconnects with her brother and her childhood friend, but memories of her dark and lonely childhood mean she struggles to engage with her family. Will Elly ever be able to overcome her past? And can a tragic incident spark a light at the end of the tunnel?

*spoiler alert*

The One - John Marrs

Rating: ✫✫✫✫✫

I chose The One as my next read purely by chance. I have such an enormous pile of 'to be read' books that, rather than making a decision on which one to read next, I chose to ignore them all and read one of my mum's books instead. Naturally.

I'm really glad that I did. I was really gripped by the blurb on the back, and the whole idea behind the story. The idea that every person has a soulmate that can be identified by studying their DNA is an interesting concept, and I really felt the possibilities for such a story were endless. I was also pleasantly surprised by the feel of the book. You'd think this plot would be best suited to the chick lit genre, whereas the cover and blurb make the book appear as though it would be a horror, or at a very least a tense thriller. Although there were elements of this in the book, I found it was actually far more well-rounded, with elements of romance, humour and lightness hidden within the darker themes. It was a bit of a mash-up of everything, which made it incredibly easy to read. The characters were varied and engaging, the separate plots were intriguing, and the general narrative was easy to read. I finished this book so quick, I couldn't believe I was at the end, and wished it could have gone on longer.

✼

If you knew your soulmate was out there, and could be identified by a small sample of DNA, would you take the test to find your Match? 

Ellie has given up hope of ever meeting her Match, until he walks into her life, the total opposite of everything she expected.
Nick takes the test with his fiancé Sally to find out if their love was destiny, but is shocked when the unexpected identity of his true Match comes back.
Mandy finds out about her Match, only to discover that she may never be able to meet him.
Jade makes plans to visit her Match on the other side of the world, only to find out that the road to romance isn't that easy.
And Christopher meets his Match in Amy, but how can a serial killer continue to escape capture when his new girlfriend is a police officer?

*spoiler alert*

Us - David Nicholls

Rating: ✫✫✫

I was quite excited to start this book. I originally bought it in an airport when about to head off on holiday to Barcelona, but I didn't get chance to read it while I was there. However I knew lots of people were huge fans of this book, so I was sure it must be worth the hype.

I'd read Starter for Ten previously, and knew the story behind One Day, so I should have expected this book to be equally unconventional. Yet I'll admit that I wasn't quite prepared the true uniqueness of the story (and, of course, the structure of it's narrative). I liked the idea of reading about how Douglas and Connie met, especially when it was placed parallel to their troubles later in life. However I struggled to really invest in the saving of their relationship purely because I found Connie increasingly unlikable. I thought Douglas deserved a more appreciative partner, and so I grew irritated by his determination to save his marriage. I loved the idea behind the story, and I enjoyed the structure of their 'Grand Tour'; their travels through Europe complemented by the past narrative running alongside them. The relationship between Douglas and Albie, on the other hand, was really interesting, and I enjoyed watching their interactions change over the course of the story.

If you're looking for a happy book with perfect characters and a perfect ending, I don't think Nicholls is the writer for you. However, if you want something that's different, that is often messy, and that makes you think, then this is definitely one to read.

✻

Douglas thinks his life is happy. He loves his wife very much, and he is looking forward to their family holiday - the Grand Tour of Europe - before their son, Albie, leaves for University. But Albie is distant, and Connie isn't happy. She tells Douglas that after their trip, she intends to leave him.

And so the Grand Tour takes on a new and painful significance. Threatened with the loss of everything that he knows, Douglas makes a promise to himself that he will win his family back; his marriage will improve, and he will earn the respect of his son. As he travels through Europe, he remembers stories from his past, and realises that perhaps one trip isn't going to fix everything.

*spoiler alert*