Hungry Ghosts: A BBC 2 Between the Covers Book Club Pick

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I was not surprised to find that the author is a poet. Yes, often the precision and load of language poetry demands will bring wonderful freshness of image and avoidance of cliché to a novel, when poets also are novelists. And for sure, Jared Hosein does this. But far too often. Hooked right from the start because of the extraordinary use of language and the claustrophobic imagery (Hosein definitely knows how to conjure up atmosphere). This is a brutal and devastating read, but you just know it’s going to turn out that way right from the start. Every character is wound up so tight, you’re just waiting for the eruption (and everyone gets their moment, believe me). All the characters are desperately searching for a way out of their current circumstances. Pires, BC (14 June 2015). "The beauty of the writing beast". Trinidad & Tobago Guardian . Retrieved 3 February 2021.

The author has created a group of characters that are morally ambiguous and complex. They doggedly nurture their aspirations while discovering that dreams can morph into nightmares and appetites can transform to despair.Their depth is enhanced by a cadence that has echoes of a griot’s oral recitation. The atmosphere reeks of impending tragedy and slowly unfolds a history of poverty, racial and religious discrimination and class stratification.The secondary characters are well drawn and function at times akin to a Greek chorus, commenting on events and occasionally shaping the trajectory of future developments.The gap between desires and fulfillment becomes more palpable as events unfold. a b Anderson, Porter (25 July 2018). "Cyprus: Kevin Jared Hosein Named Global Winner of Commonwealth Short Story Prize". Publishing Perspectives . Retrieved 3 February 2021.A] searing debut...Like the best historical fiction, Hungry Ghostsis immersed in the ideas and complexities of its’ shifting time period, for a triumph of well-researched storytelling." — CrimeReads

The more I thought about this book, the more it grew on me. I would have given it five stars had it not been so crushingly violent in places, so let's call it 4.5. He is also the author of three works of fiction for young adults: Littletown Secrets, The Beast of Kukuyo and The Repenters. Littletown Secrets, his first book to be published, which he both wrote and illustrated in 2013, was awarded the title of Best Children's Book of 2013, by the Trinidad Guardian. [6] It was followed by The Repenters (2016), which was shortlisted for the Bocas Prize and longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award and the OCM Bocas Prize. [1] [9] His 2018 book, The Beast of Kukuyo, won second place for the Burt Award for Caribbean literature. [1] This is not an easy read, however it is a rewarding one and will stay with its readers. The Creole combined with some of the most beautiful English words is a symphony of language. When Dalton Changoor goes missing and Marlee's safety is compromised, farmhand Hans is lured by the promise of a handsome stipend to move to the farm as watchman. But as the mystery of Dalton's disappearance unfolds their lives become hellishly entwined, and the small community altered forever.In the end, I stopped looking up all the new words, which could not be found in the Kindle’s own dictionary and began to skim read. Which is no way to be reading. Shane let loose of Krishna. And before Krishna could turn to look, Shane was gone. So was Addy. At the same time, he noticed the bloody bandage wrapped around Rudra’s right palm. The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.