Sunday, January 27, 2013

Review The Other Hand - By Chris Cleave


The Other HandTitle: The Other Hand (also published as 'Little Bee')
Author: Chris Cleave
Published: Sceptre
No. Pages: 374
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Yesterday I finished reading 'The Other Hand' By Chris Cleave also published as 'Little Bee'. This book was a real eye opener for me in regard to the issues that it dealt with and I really was drawn in to the story very quickly. It was really fast paced and I couldn't put it down, but it certainly wasn't anything like I imagined it would be. 
The blurb for this book gave nothing away at all, but it did give the impression (to me anyway) of a heartwarming or ultimately uplifting tale which it certainly is not! It is a great read that has an important social message, but it is confronting and it is heartbreaking. I really think that readers should have been given more information about the topic/issues addressed in this book via the blurb to allow them to make an informed choice as to whether or not they could cope with reading such a book. 
They are just my thoughts though so I won't go into the storyline. Suffice to say, don't go ahead and read this book with the impression that it will be a light read. I have reproduced the blurb here for you. What are your thoughts about such a vague blurb? Do you think it is a responsible way to market a book that deals with very confronting issues? or was that the point - afterall, I bought it!? I'd like to hear your thoughts. 

We don't want to tell you what happens in this book. 
It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it.

Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it so
we will just say this.

This is the story of two women.

Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice.
Two years later, they meet again
- the story starts there....

Once you have read it, you will want to tell your friends
about it. When you do, please don't tell them what
happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

The Other Hand
By Chris Cleave

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