A review by emilybh
The Accidental, by Ali Smith

3.0

Smith's writing is unpredictable and fragmented - she plays with words, and their place on the page. It's also a patchwork of contemporary references; 21st Century phrases, newspaper headlines from 2003, glimpses of contemporary history. Plot-wise, this book asks what happens when a stranger lets herself into a family that is bruised, bored of itself, traumatised by recent events. The stranger brings their secrets and hidden behaviours out into the open. It didn't quite work for me - not in the same way as Hotel World - but I enjoyed reading it all the same.