Entertainment

Books: New from John Vercher, Clarissa Goenawan, Safiya Sinclair, Abi Elphinstone

Three-Fifths by John Vercher
Three-Fifths by John Vercher Three-Fifths by John Vercher

Three-Fifths by John Vercher is published in paperback by Pushkin Vertigo, priced £12.99 (ebook £9.99)

JOHN Vercher’s debut novel deftly combines suspenseful crime noir with an unflinching portrayal of the complexities of race, class and relationships in modern America. Set in 1995, 22-year-old Pittsburgh resident Bobby Saraceno is a biracial man passing for white, who feels unable to tell anyone the father he has never met is black. But when his best friend is released from prison damaged and radicalised, their reunion ends in a violent hate crime that forces Bobby to confront his sense of loyalty and identity. Right from a powerful opening chapter, Vercher ratchets up the tension that makes this book such a compelling page turner. But his characters are complex and compassionately drawn – like Bobby’s loving alcoholic mother – allowing for a sensitive exploration of notions of love and trust. Three-Fifths is a fascinating mix of thriller, and timely scrutiny of racial prejudice and the toll it takes.

8/10

Tom Pilgrim

The Perfect World Of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan is published in paperback by Scribe, priced £12.99 (ebook £8.49)

AS A title, The Perfect World Of Miwako Sumida is a misconception: nothing is perfect in this book. The plot is spun around the suicide of Miwako Sumida, a student in Tokyo. Her death particularly affects Ryusei, who was in love with her, and his sister Fumi. Indonesian-born Singaporean writer Clarissa Goenawan’s style is effortless and emotionally charged, and it’s particularly heartening to see a trans character depicted in a lead role, written in a real and sympathetic way. However, although everything is tied together by Miwako, the core characters feel a little disparate, and the introduction of the supernatural later on doesn’t flow particularly well. At times, Miwako feels too close to the ‘manic pixie dream girl’ trope – you can’t help but wish the book focused solely on the siblings instead.

7/10

Prudence Wade

NON-FICTION

Cannibal by Safiya Sinclair is published in paperback by Picador, priced £10.99 (ebook £4.99)

MULTIPLE-award winning poet Safiya Sinclair bursts onto the shelves with this richly powerful debut collection. Writing up against The Tempest and its themes of colonialism and otherness, Sinclair’s material interweaves the personal, the historical and the political with language of stunning originality. From an encounter with a white male who sees the narrator’s body as something to colonise to memories of a Jamaican childhood and reflections on slavery and race relations in America, these poems are physical, enraged and sensual, but also reflective and precise. The poems do not always reveal their full meaning on first reading, but reading out loud and reflection is always powerfully rewarded.

9/10

Dan Brotzel

CHILDREN’S

Jungledrop by Abi Elphinstone is published in paperback by Simon & Schuster Children’s, priced £7.99 (ebook £5.99). Available now

THIS is the second book in Abi Elphinstone’s Unmapped Chronicles, a series that draws comparisons to the books of Roald Dahl and CS Lewis. Eleven-year-old twins Fox and Fibber are lifelong rivals; only one of them can inherit the family fortune and win the love of their parents. They live in the vibrantly whimsical world of Jungledrop. But evil harpy Morg is on the loose again, and if she finds the Forever Fern – the elusive plant of immortality – before the twins do, their whole world is under threat. What follows is a madcap adventure in which the twins must learn the lessons of teamwork if they are to save the day. This adventure is a follow-up, but reads just as well as a stand-alone book. It’s vividly imagined and pacy, and it’s fun to have two protagonists who initially seem so rude and objectionable. Sometimes it’s a bit wordy though, and the sophistication of the language doesn’t always match the younger feel of the fantastical world.

7/10

Poppy Brotzel