BOOKS OF THE WEEK
Julia by Sandra Newman Granta Books, £18.99 (ebook £14.99) Review by Hannah Colby
Julia Worthing – mechanic, Junior Anti-Sex Leaguer, dutiful disciple of Big Brother – survives by toeing the Party line. Adept at keeping secrets, fluent in Newspeak and Doublethink, she knows exactly how to navigate the treacherous currents of Oceania’s political waters. But an encounter with a certain Winston Smith plunges Julia into a torrent of deception and subterfuge. Written from a feminine viewpoint of 1984 – shining a harsh spotlight on the roles of women in Oceanic society – Newman skilfully weaves threads of George Orwell’s story with new insights and fresh perspectives. As hauntingly dystopian as the original masterpiece, Julia has all the hallmarks of a classic.
The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith Sphere, £25 (ebook £12.99) Review by Alison Kershaw
Robert Galbraith – Harry Potter author JK Rowling’s pen name – continues the hugely popular contemporary crime fiction series. Private detectives Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are back for their seventh outing – which this time sees them investigating a cult at the behest of a father worried about his son’s involvement with the organisation. At more than 900 pages, this is not a short read. But it feels much pacier than The Ink Black Heart – the last instalment of Galbraith’s series. It is tense, suspenseful, and very dark in places, with a deftly woven plot. The Running Grave is likely to satisfy both long-term fans of the novels, as well as please those new to the books.
Death Valley by Melissa Broder Bloomsbury Circus, £16.99 (ebook £11.89) Review by Prudence Wade
Women’s Prize-longlisted author Melissa Broder is back with another book full of her signature self-effacing wit. Death Valley follows an unnamed writer in crisis – her father is in the ICU and close to death, while her husband is permanently ill. She escapes to a Best Western near the desert to finish her book – but instead goes on hikes instead of writing. She ends up lost in the desert in what becomes an increasingly surreal journey through the barren wasteland – and also her mind. It’s engagingly written, moving and funny. It covers love, loss, sex, grief and more – becoming increasingly experimental as the book goes on, to great success.
The Woman In Me by Britney Spears Gallery UK, £25 (ebook £11.99) Review by Prudence Wade
Few autobiographies have been as hotly anticipated as Britney Spears’ – written after she was released from the conservatorship that took over her life for over a decade. It tracks her early days – from drinking and smoking at age 13, performing alongside the likes of Christina Aguilera in The Mickey Mouse Club, to becoming a global superstar. All of the biggest bombshells – such as Spears writing that her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake convinced her to get an abortion – have taken over the headlines, so you likely won’t encounter any new bits of gossip. But what you will get is a tragic account of someone who was pushed to her breaking point by those around her, and then had her freedom taken away.