Allen Therisa (@AllenTherisa)
Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)
"‘That David Bowie, he's just an old poof,’ Kelly snorted at this point giving two fingers to Nan's back. ‘And he’s a Nazi. It said so in the papers.’ … ‘You and that David bloody Bowie,’ Kelly sneered, following me one sulky step behind out into the hallway. ‘Why don’t you go and marry him if you think he’s brilliant? Which he’s not.’"
My favourite author was Iain Banks RIP and he started his family drama novel 'The Crow Road' with the line ''It was the day my grandmother exploded." So when the blurb for Adventures About to Begin started 'After the death of his grandfather, Noah’s life is thrown into chaos' I thought I should give it a go just in case it was as good...
OK, whilst Allen Therisa might not be the new Iain Banks (literally nobody is) - he does spin an interesting tale of a family where young Noah faces a repressed past which threatens everything he believes to be true.
Noah's life is not straightforward, he has to navigate a difficult relationship with his sister, Kelly, as they reflect on their turbulent childhood – being taken from London to live in the Kent countryside following the breakdown of their parent’s marriage.
The story is set from the 1970s onwards (in Kent where I grew up) and forms an excellent nostalgia trip for those who remember things like Sugar Puffs and Abba (yep, that's me again)!? Adventures About To Begin chronicles a collapsing marriage as experienced by its children and reflects on how memory shapes our decisions at crucial junctures during our lives.
At times it is funny and touching, as well as a sensitive insight into British family life during a period of great social and cultural change.
Growing up in the '70s wasn't easy and the challenges that Noah faces including the death of his grandfather and remembering the traumatic fallout from his parent's marriage will resonate with many readers. Therisa writes in a pretty basic style but it works here to convey the emotions and thoughts of the cast of characters. I particularly liked the glossary in the back too as it is like a fun trip through British culture of the time period.
Who is this Allen Therisa?
Aside from writing fiction, Allen Therisa also writes for blogs on everything from popular culture to politics, outside of his working life in the world of social media and website design. Adventures About To Begin is his debut novel.
Follow Allen at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allentherisafb
Website: https://allentherisa.com/
Buy Yourself a copy - https://geni.us/bGe6z
Out of a potential 5, you have to go with a Darkmatters:
ööö1/2
(3.5 - I am a Tiger... Sorry, the Abba vibes got be there, enjoy a family trip of joy and pain..)
>>> Imagine a world where the earth is becoming hell?
Click below to find out in my dark sci-fi novel...
This review is part of the world-famous ZOOLOOBOOKTOURS!!
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1 comment:
Thank you so much for taking part in the tour x
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