Human Rites by Juno Dawson:

I’ve been looking forward to this book since last year.  Queen B felt like a sidestep (Anne Boleyn as the first witch) and at just under 200 pages, it felt more of snack.  Human Rites is the banquet you need, a dark Summer read for a dark Summer’s day.  

If you’ve not read the first two, do that first.  Those of us that have, can enjoy the climax hinted it in the end of the last book: Satan rises and only our band of witches can stop it.  And, yes the writing seems a little bit peaky at times (every chapter has a cliffhanger) and there are several branches of the fourth wall.  Like most final fantasy books, there is McGuffins, retcon and it literally sets every character down for rest.  

But that doesn’t stop the fantastic sugary rush of a book that is thrilling, horrifying, funny and most importantly of all - LGBTQ friendly. It is a fantasy book that respects ALL witches and warlocks. Dawson has created something that is of pure delight, rather than something that stands for a franchise (she who shall not be named) that is one of cognitive dissonance.  

It’s published by Harper Collins on July 17th and I thank them for a preview copy.  #humanrites.  

 The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine:

The lives of three Belfast women intertwine - Frankie, a care home kid now living a life of luxury.  Miriam, recently widowed and Bronagh a charity worker.  Their sons sexually assault a young girl and the crime is attempted to be brushed under the carpet.  

There is enough here for a powerful read, but sadly this isn’t it.  The first person narrative has been done to death but for my money only Anne Enright can do it with any verve or wit.  It’s pitched as a state of the nation novel, but the narrative isn’t clear enough to follow.  The writing is too opaque, figurative to actually inform the reader what is going on.  

I would also draw attention to the characterisation in the novel.  The women - although with ulterior motives - are seen as cold, driven, unhappy.  The only real male character in the novel is Boogie (a taxi driver, the mother of Misty, the girl who is sexually assaulted).  His depiction is pure poverty porn.  Plus Misty does camwork as a sideline and the concept of misogyny, with regard to sex work and male violence is muddied.  Misty’s main client is an American.  And although we could all throw shade at America, his depiction is pure Southern fried cliche. 

It’s a novel of caricature, obscurity and coldness.  It’s published by Hodder And Stoughton on June 19th and I thank them for a preview copy.  #thebenefactors.