3.5 ⭐

I have to start by saying I'm the sort of person that reads no deeper meaning into things, so I'm reviewing this very much for what I heard.
I mostly very much enjoyed it, though at times it felt overlong.
The narration was excellent, and at times I felt as if I was just listening to a friend tell their stories.
Anna was likeable and relatable.
Then along comes Buster, and puts a darker spin on things.
Both sides of the story were interesting, and I was always happy to have the chance to listen to more.
Glad I picked it up.

Ok this is my 3rd attempt at writing a review, and I lost the last one so please forgive me if it’s not great.

Last time I started off by saying that something weird occurs inside my mind when the word “literary” is attached to a piece of work, it has the power to make me feel inferior and not entitled to an opinion. That’s a very odd me thing, I should address it. Does anyone else feel like that?

The novel is essentially a powerful piece, it addresses the need to question authority including the government and most certainly the police force, in this case here in the U.K.

We meet Anna just as lockdown has hit, she’s struggling to teach via zoom, manage a long distance relationship and her relationship and welfare of her own son. It’s particularly moving in that the fear of the time is palpable. Anna is also suffering PTSD and using a diary to help her manage her mental health, it’s mainly within the pages of the diary that we hear Anna’s story.

Years ago, Anna was part of a theatre come activist’s group, and betrayal from infiltration is essentially what has led to Anna being where she is mentally.

The story is a loose take on Rumpelstiltskin (I had to take a Google dash to refresh my memory) enter Buster, the infiltrator and the downfall of the group.

The story was fairly slow to begin, and I have to admit to feeling confused often, however i’d always sort of regrasp the story fairly quickly. When Busters chapters initially begin there’s an immediately sinister undercurrent.

The book does deliver a strong political/anarchic message, with a coinciding psychological thriller type storyline, if you enjoy this sort of literature you’ll want to look out for this title in 2025. I found it interesting that the book was initially published in translation a year before its U.K. release, a little make you think talking point for sure.

The audio narration was excellent, Busters voice was particularly creepy. 3.5 🌟 rounded up. I think if I’d have come to the store when I had less going on iin my mind I’d have rated it higher.

My thanks as always to Bolinda Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧