THE BEST NEW FICTION
The Broken Mirror Jonathan Coe Unbound €11.20
Eight-year-old Claire finds a fragment of mirror that reflects things not as they are but as they could be if the world were a better, more beautiful place. As she grows older, the reflections become less vivid but still show a hopeful alternative to her drab home town with its closed library, scheming councillors and racist vandals. Can her vision be translated into reality? Coe’s fable will resonate with adults as an obvious – perhaps too obvious – allegory of Brexit Britain and Trump’s America, but with its ingenious illustrations by Chiara Coccorese it’s more likely to appeal to politically aware teens.
Anthony Gardner
They Know Not What They Do Jussi Valtonen Oneworld €22.10
An American researcher’s work with lab animals puts him and his family in the crosshairs of activists who may include the son of a Finnish woman he divorced almost 20 years ago. A new drug promises teens confidence, and a new device with diabolical marketing value feeds virtual experiences directly to the brain. Meanwhile, cicadas make their cyclical appearance to supply a colourful metaphor of unclear import. The Finnish writer’s smart, slightly futuristic, nicely-plotted but glacially paced novel delves into a range of social issues, domestic crises and academic conundrums. It all makes for a chewy but often toothsome read. Jeffrey Burke
Heather, The Totality Matthew Weiner Canongate €17.99
The creator of Mad Men and The Sopranos makes his literary debut with a lean slice of noir that sets America’s upper- and under-classes on a collision path. Teenager Heather Breakstone has grown up hearing that she’s her parents’ most precious possession – no small feat given their acquisitive upmarket Manhattan lifestyle. Meanwhile, budding sociopath Bobby Klasky stumbles towards adulthood ignored by his heroinaddict mother. When Bobby gets a job with the construction crew working in Heather’s building, their fates seem sealed. There’s a fine line between spare and skeletal, and this bleak drama can feel overly distilled, despite the twist in its tail.
Hephzibah Anderson