The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

My rating: 3/5

For what is supposedly a children’s book, I was surprised how dark this book was. But against the backdrop of slavery, racism, alcoholism and abuse, there was a lot of heart and humour. I came to love Jim especially, and rolled my eyes at Tom Sawyer more than once. I found the made-up-on-the-spot morality fascinating, how Huck rationalised what was OK and what wasn’t. I dropped a star because of the constant in-and-out of characters; I would have preferred fewer, who stuck around.

Ash by Malinda Lo

My rating: 2/5 stars

I wouldn’t normally post a review of a book I’ve given two stars to, but as I’ve added reviews for everything else I’ve read for my A-Z challenge, I may as well post this. I felt like this novel was trying to do too much, and also like it needed a good edit. It was meant to be teen fiction, but the tone felt more suitable for younger children, whilst the content was definitely for older teens. I loved the enchanted forest-type setting, and the mingling of the fey world with this one. BUT… the language was clumsy, there were POV errors, and I never got a grasp of the main character’s motivations. For a retelling of Cinderella, too, I felt this deviated in too many aspects for this to be satisfying.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

My rating: 3/5 stars

I can see why people love this novel, but I’m just not there. Probably one of the most atmospheric books I’ve read, the tension mounts bit by bit with the sense that there’s always something sinister lurking beneath the surface. The dialect and stream-of-consciousness was brilliant — I really felt I was in Depression-era Mississippi. This is a novel that reveals itself in layers — ominous ones. I did like the multiple points of view, but I struggled to keep track of who was who at times. Ultimately, this didn’t conjure much emotion in me other than ‘I hope this doesn’t get worse for them’… but (spoiler), it does.