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At first glance the phonetic spelling throughout this book can be off putting. But go with it. It’s for a very good reason. As you get a feel for the narrator, Newt, the spelling helps you to find her voice, understand the world in which she lives and the struggles she has to overcome. I finished reading Everything Under by Daisy Johnson the other day and I was totally blown away by it. I felt like I was swallowed up: you are there in that world, it’s utterly immersive. I loved it and I can’t wait to read what she does next. Bearmouth was not a mining camp, but rather a town that depended on the survival of other towns that were mining camps, such as neighboring Garnet. During the late 19th century, enormously rich ores from Garnet were brought into Bearmouth to be shipped to smelters. When Garnet ceased to exist, Bearmouth followed suit. The town, however, was also a main stop for stagecoaches on the old Mullan Road. As such, it had a two-storied, balconied inn for travelers to spend the night as well as a large livery stable, both of which still stand. You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight The story is essentially one of political and self-awakening. Through a series of tragic events, it becomes clear to Newt that the miners are being exploited and mistreated. Despite the risk of harm and possible death, Newt hatches a plan to enlighten their fellow workers and free them -- from ideologies that keep them subserviant as well as from the mine itself.
Because of the way that it was written and the fact that there is a unreliable narrator, I felt that it wasn’t very deep of a novel. I couldn’t really see the each of the characters for who there were properly or follow the events of the plot as well as I would have liked. The language used in this book is all pretty simply as well and if not for the occasional event that can be considered somewhat dark, like death, it almost felt like a middle-grade novel, solely from the way that it was written.
About Liz Hyder
So, this was interesting to say the least. I didn’t know what to expect when going into this novel and I suppose it turned out to be ok. As this book is told from the perspective of someone who is in the process of learning how to write, it is written in a way where many words, I’d say about a third, are all spelt incorrectly to reflect this. The spelling also improves slightly as the book progressed to show that his command of letters is improving.
A new BookTube Video is Up all about whether you should buy, borrow or burn 2020 YA books! Let me know what you think! The Written Review
Liz Hyder Press Reviews
The Gifts was an astonishing book to start the year off with. Honestly, I am absolutely blown away by Liz Hyder’s magical, immersive and compelling novel.
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