Out Of Africa (52 weeks #13 )

So number 13 in this 52 books challenge is Little Bee by Chris Cleave. This is also known in the UK as The Other Hand.

I am a sucker for an interesting cover
and this was no exception!

This was a gripping, miserable and yet despite it all, hopeful book. Cleave uses language brilliantly to differentiate between narrators and writes in a way that flows well. Each chapter isan extra layer, a new colour added to a black and white picture, each new addition filling in gaps and making the picture bigger and more vibrant.

A lot of people refrained from picking up this book as there is no blurb, but this is exactly why I decided to bring it home (again this was another Flow find). There had to be something that made this book different, to make it stand out, for there to be no blurb. I was not disappointed.

Towards the end I did find that my enjoyment tailed off somewhat, but none of that could detract from what is, at base level, an excellent story. All the characters (well nearly) are likable and believable. Charlie grates after a few chapters, and the kindest way pf accepting it is to believe that it makes an obvious difference between him and the others.

In the end, I would recommend this as a book to be read for the enjoyment of some its more beautifully written passages. Yes, it is a hopeful book that was in many places a joy to read, but the ending left me hanging and I feel perhaps a little more could be done. Give it a chance though, and see if you think it is a book worthy of no blurb!