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A review by jellichor
Nothing on Earth by Conor O'Callaghan
2.0
"It is the hottest August in living memory. A frightened girl bangs on a door. A man answers. From the moment he invites her in, his world will never be the same again. She will tell him about her family, and their strange life in the show home of an abandoned housing estate. The long, blistering days spent sunbathing; the airless nights filled with inexplicable noises; the words that appear on the windows, written in dust.
Why are members of her family disappearing, one by one? Is she telling the truth? Is he?
In a world where reality is beginning to blur, how can we know what to believe?"
I have no idea how to feel about this book. Is that the whole point? As many other reviewers have said, it is the type of book to read in one (or 2 as I did) sitting. In my case on a sun lounger in Thailand, sunglasses on, and a permanently furrowed brow, as I worked my way though the author's lovely flow and intriguing style of writing, to find out what on Earth was going on. Nothing, perhaps?!
The story immediately starts as the blurb suggests and ultimately what you get is a recounting of a bizarre collection of occurrences, wrapped in a small about of disjointed and, quite frankly, lacking background. The young girl is dirty, dishevelled, and somewhat malnourished when she knocks on his door. We find out who she was living with in the deserted, half built estate, and that she had basically spent her days sunbathing with her Aunt. Taking random trips to the shop for water every now and again... I was frustratingly left with more questions than answers at the end, and I guess that means I didn't get it? Was there actually something tangible to get?
There is clever use of prose to build suspense, and generally the atmospheric writing is spot on. The eeriness of an abandoned building site was effectively described, and the oddity of certain people you will no doubt stumble across in life was accurate and unnerving. I was intrigued, I wanted to finish the book, but I wanted more. I know it's popular nowadays for authors to let the readers take their own stance on stories, but I feel this one leaves way too much unanswered. It may be necessary to re-read at some point, as one reviewer said they were going to do the same to look out for more 'clues' - I clearly missed them all first time round! And here I am, I realise, leaving a review as forthcoming as the book itself!!
Why are members of her family disappearing, one by one? Is she telling the truth? Is he?
In a world where reality is beginning to blur, how can we know what to believe?"
I have no idea how to feel about this book. Is that the whole point? As many other reviewers have said, it is the type of book to read in one (or 2 as I did) sitting. In my case on a sun lounger in Thailand, sunglasses on, and a permanently furrowed brow, as I worked my way though the author's lovely flow and intriguing style of writing, to find out what on Earth was going on. Nothing, perhaps?!
The story immediately starts as the blurb suggests and ultimately what you get is a recounting of a bizarre collection of occurrences, wrapped in a small about of disjointed and, quite frankly, lacking background. The young girl is dirty, dishevelled, and somewhat malnourished when she knocks on his door. We find out who she was living with in the deserted, half built estate, and that she had basically spent her days sunbathing with her Aunt. Taking random trips to the shop for water every now and again... I was frustratingly left with more questions than answers at the end, and I guess that means I didn't get it? Was there actually something tangible to get?
There is clever use of prose to build suspense, and generally the atmospheric writing is spot on. The eeriness of an abandoned building site was effectively described, and the oddity of certain people you will no doubt stumble across in life was accurate and unnerving. I was intrigued, I wanted to finish the book, but I wanted more. I know it's popular nowadays for authors to let the readers take their own stance on stories, but I feel this one leaves way too much unanswered. It may be necessary to re-read at some point, as one reviewer said they were going to do the same to look out for more 'clues' - I clearly missed them all first time round! And here I am, I realise, leaving a review as forthcoming as the book itself!!