Published by Henry Holt & Company Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction
WOWZA! This book which is made up of four novellas (Water, Earth, Fire, Air) that are inter connected and have ties to a small island off the coast of Ireland. . This book was gripping, thought provoking, emotion evoking and raw. The Elements deals with some heavy subjects and will not be for everyone. This book deals with trauma, sexual assault, guilt, sexuality, abuse, and relationships. This book is so well thought out it’s amazing!
John Boyne’s writing is beautiful and exquisite. He is a master storyteller, and his skills are on full display with The Elements He takes readers into the minds of an enabler, an accomplice, the perpetrator, and the victim. Whew! These novellas will stay with me for some time. They are raw, powerful, make an impact and will make readers uncomfortable. This book looks at a mother trying to run away from her past, a soccer player on trial for a heinous crime, a surgeon with a traumatic past who becomes a perpetrator, and a father and son on a healing journey.
This is a book you do not want to read fast. I sat with the stories and felt their impact. Masterfully told, they are beautifully raw and as I mentioned, deal with heavy and triggering subject matter. Boynes takes readers into the minds of the characters, and we get a bird’s eye view of the characters inner thoughts/beings.
Beautifully written, gripping, thought provoking, and well thought out. Highly recommend.
Thank you to Henry Holt & Company | Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
