Review: Kompromat by Stanley Johnson

The Premise: a satirical reimagining of the politics of 2016, Kompromat puts together the Brexit referendum, US presidential election and a Russian plot to destabilise the West to create something that’s part thriller, part farce. Stanley Johnson, as a former politician and father of a certain foreign secretary, is well-placed to make these things up.

Thoughts: there’s something quite delightfully silly about Kompromat, despite (or perhaps because of) its serious subject matter. Alongside topical depictions of some of the most significant events of the past year in politics, there are accidental buttock-shootings and in-depth investigations into some ‘Let’s Make American Great Again’ boxer shorts. This pretty much sums up the tone of the novel, with Johnson simultaneously offering a clearly fictionalised but worryingly believable version of real-life events, while juxtaposing these moments with slapstick humour. It makes Kompromat a fun read. It’s also entertaining to ‘celeb-spot’ while reading, with Johnson utilising very thinly-disguised caricatures of some of the movers and shakers of 2016’s dramatic events; Mabel Killick, for example, features as the leopard-print shoe-wearing Home Secretary at the outset, while the presidential candidate Ronald Craig, with his brash pronouncements and lack of political nous has an equally obvious real-life inspiration. Again, it’s entertaining, rather than particularly hard-hitting, but with the news becoming increasingly more worrying, it’s refreshing to see these machinations dealt with in a more light-hearted way. Laughter is the best cure, right?

I was borderline terrified when Kompromat began with a 5 page list of characters; in a possibly never to be repeated comparison between these two tomes, this is what’s always put me off reading War and Peace. But, when reading, it’s not that hard to keep track of who’s who, largely because of the obvious caricaturing; more difficult is keeping track of what’s fact and what’s fiction. Which is somewhat scary in itself.

In Conclusion: an easy and fun read with serious subject matter, Stanley Johnson offers an insight into the pettiness and power plays of politics, with some of the humorous inventions coming a little too close to the truth. Recommended for politicos, news hounds and fans of satire.

YA Review: The Ones That Got Away by Zana Fraillon

The Premise: (from NetGalley) Kept by a ruthless gang, three children manage to escape from slavery. Together, they will create a man out of mud. A man who will come to life, and lead them through a dark labyrinth of tunnels, until they finally have the courage the step above ground. Come and find the ones that disappeared…

Thoughts: I am a big fan of Fraillon’s previous book, The Bone Sparrow, and the delicate but hard-hitting way in which it dealt with big issues like the refugee crisis and detention of children. The Ones That Disappeared takes on another challenging and topical subject in modern slavery and the terrible risks taken by people in search of a better life.
The early chapters show Esra, Miran and Isa trapped in a basement, forced to pay off the debt of their journey by looking after marijuana plants for Orlando, their terrifying ‘owner’. There’s a palpable sense of claustrophobia and fear, culminating in an accident and the children’s escape.
Obviously I was very pleased the children escaped (I hope it’s obvious, anyway). I did, however, feel like the story came part a bit once the trio escaped captivity. Miran is arrested and hospitalised, while Esra and Isa find shelter in a cave and befriend a local misfit. The narrative became a bit confusing here, with multiple PoVs, and it didn’t seem like much was really happening. I was expecting a more sustained use of the hard-hitting style of the novel’s opening, but the children’s arcs became a bit meandering once they escaped.
In Conclusion: a YA book that tackles such difficult issues is clearly something that should be read, and in that respect, The Ones That Disappeared is a vital read. There is a definite and quite odd shift in the tone and action early on which didn’t work for me, but this shouldn’t deter anyone else from reading it.

YA Review: Indigo Donut by Patrice Lawrence

The Premise: (from NetGalley) Seventeen-year-old Indigo has had a tough start in life, having grown up in the care system after her dad killed her mum. Bailey, also seventeen, lives with his parents in Hackney and spends all his time playing guitar or tending to his luscious ginger afro.

When Indigo and Bailey meet at sixth form, serious sparks fly. But when Bailey becomes the target of a homeless man who seems to know more about Indigo than is normal, Bailey is forced to make a choice he should never have to make.

Thoughts: as with her YA Book Prize-winning debut, Orangeboy, Lawrence has crafted a story that is simultaneously topical, hard-hitting and emotive, with the character of Indigo and her traumatic backstory. Indigo’s a really compelling character, battling the rage that bubbles inside when she’s picked on at school (on a side note, are there seriously teenagers who bully someone about their murdered mum? Like, actually? I really want to believe that this is artistic licence).  Her relationships with her foster mother and foster brother are sweet without being cloying, which is right for a character as prickly as Indigo. Her love of Debbie Harry and Blondie was another aspect of the character that really appealed to me, and it’s this which sparks the friendship between Indigo and Bailey.

Bailey’s sections of the story have plenty of intriguing material too. The contrast between Indigo’s life and Bailey’s affluent, supportive parents is stark and plays an important part in highlighting the various injustices Indigo has been exposed to. I didn’t care about Bailey quite as much, but his privilege in contrast to Indigo’s troubles probably makes this inevitable. The addition of the homeless man with a weird amount of knowledge about Indigo’s life adds impetus to the plot, and leads to satisfying revelations at the end.

In Conclusion: Patrice Lawrence gets it right once again, with another YA novel that explores race and class and their continuing impact on teenagers’ lives in 2017. Her writing is vibrant but uncompromising, making Indigo Donut a compelling read.

 

YA Review: Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

The Premise: Vivian is becoming quietly sick of the everyday sexism she witnesses at her school. From boys shouting at girls to make them a sandwich to physical harassment and the school’s refusal to do anything about it, enough is enough. Inspired by her mother’s past as a Riot Grrrl, Viv secretly channels her anger into Moxie, a zine dedicated to bringing together the girls of her school.

Thoughts: I knew within a few pages of Moxie that I was going to love it. Mathieu has crafted something really special here: something inspiring, positive and all-too-relatable. You can tell how important the story and subject matter are to the author; there’s such affection in the representation of Viv and the other characters, and I really loved how strong the friendships and support networks of girls are in the book. It made me feel all warm inside.

A couple of genius aspects of Moxie: the book includes the zines themselves, nicely breaking up the narrative and also including the reader in what’s going on. I also love any book book that comes with its own internal soundtrack and, in Moxie, Viv frequently references Riot Grrrl, especially Bikini Kill, and this all makes my heart sing (in a shouty kind of way, obviously). Mathieu has even compiled a playlist which you can find on her Tumblr and I am in love with it.

There was plenty in Moxie that I found very relatable; the emphasis on boys’ sport, for example, and the impetus placed on the girls in the book to dress appropriately to ensure they’re not distracting the boys. I loved the way the girls in Moxie slowly came together to fight the good fight. There’s discussion between Viv and one particular friend about ‘feminism’ as a concept, and Mathieu does a sublime job of highlighting the problems of definition and the misconception that feminism is anything other than a desire for equality. I think this is such an important part of a book like this.

In Conclusion: I’ll be swooning about this book for a very long time and strongly recommending it to people, especially the girls I teach. Moxie made me nod along, tut in recognition and, ultimately, smile for a long time. It’s revolutionary and witty, topical and lovely; I can’t think of a YA book, or book dealing with feminism, I’ve enjoyed so much. It should be essential reading.