The bookstagram community is a great one. Just as I had mentioned I had not read ‘The Stranding’, it was kindly sent to me by a fellow bookstagrammer, Jill.
I had a bit of an idea about what this book was about as it had been recommended to me quite some time ago but, as usual, I did not read the blurb, I just went with word of mouth. But, I am not sure that quite prepared me for what a fantastic read this is.
Told by interweaving the past and the present, we find out what has led Londoner Ruth to be on the other side of the world, as the world as we all know it is changed forever. I do not want to give too much away as I feel that this is a book that needs to be read to be fully appreciated. It is a clever piece of post-apocalyptic fiction which may bring readers to this genre who would not normally find themselves there. I also enjoyed that some of the narrative is left to you to draw your own conclusions.
The two timelines in the story also make this quite an addictive read as you wait for them to collide, to make it clear what exactly has led to the events in the present.
This is the second strong female post-apocalyptic novel I have read this year. It is great to see that a genre that may usually be associated with male authors and male characters is moving into a new era of representing excellent women’s writing and storytellling.
So, if you are yet to read ‘The Stranding’, I would recommend it for 2023 – it is a page-turner.