Reviewed by: Keith Nixon
Genre: Coming of Age / Thriller
Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or
Smashwords store
Author:
Ian Ayris
has had a love of writing since childhood and has had some forty short stories
published. Recently first novel, Abide
With Me, was released. Ian is currently studying for a degree in English
Literature. He lives with his family in Essex in the UK.
Description:
Abide With Me is the story of the two fourteen year-old
boys, Kenny and John, growing up together in the East End of London during the late
1970’s and into the 1980’s. One is very odd, the other very normal.
Inexplicably drawn together their lives eventually take very different turns
until fate brings them back together again.
Appraisal:
If you’ve
read any of my previous reviews you’ll know I favour the genres of crime /
thriller / noir (delete as applicable). So to pick up a coming of age novel is
somewhat of a departure. However, I was so blown away by the quality of writing
in Ayris’ A Day in the Life of Jason Dean
I felt compelled to read this full-length novel. And I’m very glad I did.
Written in
the first person from John’s perspective, Ayris immediately paints a strong
view of working class London life in a small community with close friends and
family – good and bad. John lives reasonably well, not poor, not rich. He’s
full of life, loves his football and his school days. His neighbor, Kenny,
couldn’t be more different. He comes from an abusive background and it shows.
The kid is withdrawn, uncommunicative, and downright weird.
However, John
finds himself drawn to protecting Kenny at school and as a result develops
friends and enemies that remain in place through this teenage and eventually adult
years.
Like A Day In The Life… Ayris pulls the emotional
heartstrings very well, it is easy to immerse yourself in this powerful story
of two very different children. The characters are highly compelling, the
strongest part of Abide With Me. As a
reader I really wanted to know what would happen to the pair, particularly when
their paths diverged for a period (John ends up in prison and has a pretty
brutal seven year stretch) and then ultimately cross paths again. Kenny
eventually repays John’s faith in an incredibly emotional final scene.
The prose
and dialogue are excellent, locally themed, but this adds to the story, rather
than detracts. John’s voice is excellent, it varies throughout the story as he
matures and then ends up in trouble. You can feel the character developing
through his eyes. Very well done.
This is an
excellent debut novel and readers that enjoy strong, compelling, and raw characterization
would do well to pick it up.
FYI:
Adult
language throughout.
Format/Typo Issues:
None.
Rating: ***** Five Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment