The Half Life of Valery K, by Natasha Pulley

Written by the bestselling author of ‘The Watchmaker of Filigree Street’, Natasha Pulley’s ‘The Half Life of Valery K’ is a fascinating book inspired by a real Russian closed city, Ozersk. Located in Chelyabinsk Oblast, it was the birthplace of the Soviet nuclear weapons program, created in 1948 during the Cold War. Codenamed ‘City 40’ until 1994, it is now said to be one of the most contaminated places on the planet, referred to by some as the “graveyard of the Earth”. That is not to say that no-one lives there; in fact, the last recorded 2010 consensus estimates that the population is 82,164 people. Despite the Russian government giving the city’s inhabitants many privileges, it comes at an inevitable cost. Researchers suggest that half a million people in Ozersk and its surrounding area have been exposed to five times as much radiation as those living in the areas of Ukraine affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.

Pulley centres the story around biochemist Valery Kolkhanov who is initially kept prisoner in a Siberian Gulag, a forced labour camp. There is a real sense of repression from the Russian government as the conditions of the camp are akin to the atrocious Nazi concentration camps and yet many of the inmates are innocent. We then follow Valery’s journey being transferred to a secret facility called ‘City 40’ (bearing resemblance to the real ‘City 40’ explained above) to finish his prison sentence. Valery is tasked with conducting further research studying the long-term effects of radiation on the surrounding area from the city’s nuclear plant, but it is unclear the true extent of the radiation as Valery is very much kept in the dark by his fellow scientists and the officials from Moscow.

Pulley expertly interweaves a spider web of misinformation and lies, to create a scene of mystery upon which the gradual discovery of truth is found by Valery. It is exciting to read as we, the reader, find out what is really going on alongside the characters which creates a unique feeling of attachment to the book and its protagonists, thus keeping the reader guessing.

Due to the mystery element of the storyline, it was immensely captivating, especially due to the veins of truth and real-event association this book possesses. It reminded me of aspects from the Chernobyl disaster as the reader is presented with a landscape of secrets, upon which it is unclear exactly what information people know and who holds the ultimate influence. Similar to the Chernobyl disaster, this book explores the way that people find it hard to believe something they cannot physically see. In this scenario, the danger of radiation is dismissed until it is too late and even then, the various resulting deaths are carried off as heart attacks. I think the concept of disbelief and misinformation is particularly interesting, as elements of this cognitive bias are inevitably part of human nature so the cumulative effects of this cognition can be recognised even in today’s society. Thus, Pulley manages to shed light on the intricacies of human behaviour from a general standpoint as well as homing in on the story of City 40. 

At times, this story is hard to read due to the harrowing effects of radiation sickness, as well as the resulting frustration from the protagonist and reader alike, of the KGB’s purposeful disbelief of the serious danger from radiation. Yet, Pulley achieves the right balance by sowing into the story more uplifting elements of determination and resilience, as the protagonists Shenkov and Valery continue the fight for survival, even when their situation is dire. This acts as a much-needed reminder of the power of the human spirit, especially poignant after the years of Covid we have all experienced.

Overall, I found ‘The Half Life of Valery K’ an immensely captivating book that I would recommend to anyone, as the historical reality behind the characters is ever-present at the back of the reader’s mind, thereby adding a unique dimension to the read. As Pulley herself says in the afterword of the book: “Shenkov and Valery are fictional, but almost everything that happens to them is real”.

- Scarlett

Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St John Mandel

After thoroughly enjoying Station Eleven recently I’d promised myself I’d read more from Emily St John Mandel, and then I read the blurb for this and couldn’t resist. 

To summarise the blurb: in 1912, Edwin is exiled to Canada from English society. In British Columbia, he walks into the virgin forest and for a split second all is darkness, the notes of a violin echoing unnaturally through the air. 200 years later, Olive, a famous writer, is visiting Earth from her home in the second moon colony, undertaking a global book tour as a pandemic begins its spread. In her most famous novel, a man plays a violin in an airship terminal as the trees of a forest momentarily appear around him. Another 200 years pass, and Gaspery, a detective in the moon’s Night City, is tasked with interviewing Edwin and Olive in order to help solve the mystery of an anomaly in time. 

This took me back to reading mid-century speculative fiction, and I mean that as a huge compliment. The what-ifs and anomalies, the expanding human universe, the possibilities of time travel, parallel worlds, reality shifts, the elements of dystopia, but also the optimism for the future in spite of everything. 

The plotting, the storytelling, every aspect of this book is note-perfect. As I was reading it, each reveal left me wishing I was reading alongside somebody else so that I could talk about it. In Station Eleven I thought there were elements of Vonnegut in the positioning of a work of fiction as a key driver of the story, and in this book, Mandel takes this another step further – though I won’t say any more as the moments of metafiction are so delightful that I don’t want to spoil them for anyone. My only advice would be to read Station Eleven first, if you haven’t already, then dive straight into this.

As ever, if you read this, please come in and talk to me about it, I’m bursting to discuss it with somebody! This is only the second of Emily St John Mandel’s novels that I’ve read but I’m determined to catch up on more.

- Paul

Hardback, £14.99. Find it in the fiction section!

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The Perfect Golden Circle, by Ben Myers

Back in March 2020, I found myself in a bookshop, buying ‘The Offing’ by Benjamin Myers. Little did I know then that this book would provide such solace to me as our world soon began to reel through a pandemic. Nature writing has offered me a new-found joy as I learn about landscape and how this can help to bring positive benefits to one’s wellbeing. I welcomed the opportunity to read Myer’s new book The Perfect Golden Circle, learning that it too was about rural living and friendship.

The story begins in the spring as the crops begin to grow and ends as the sun sets on the autumn harvest. We are introduced to Calvert, a Falklands war veteran and meticulous crop circles operation planner. His partner-in-crime Redbone lives in a VW camper van and is both mathematically and creatively highly skilled when it comes to designing said crop circles. 

Each chapter is named in honour of their next crop circle installation. Time is spent by Calvert and Redbone considering what each design should be called based on the location of the chosen Wiltshire field and the circle’s appearance from the sky. You too can imagine what ‘a cuckoo spittle thought bubble’ looks like. You will walk with them as they make the circles and feel the quiet and stillness of the pre-dawn hours as these comrades work together to produce their masterpieces. Be prepared for occasional interludes from night-time visitors, both animal and human. Each chapter ends with extracts from newspaper articles citing possible explanations for these overnight creations. Expect talk about paranormal activity. 

We learn that, executed correctly, crops are not damaged in this art process and that respect for the countryside is high on the list of the mutually agreed rules that Calvert and Redbone adhere to. I feel like this is important to a reader who dislikes the idea of vandalism to the countryside and who may not realise that crops soon recover, if not snapped. 

Whilst thoroughly enjoying the rich descriptions of nature and the landscape, I also liked reading about the developing relationship between Calvert and Redbone. Each recognises and respects the skills and attributes their friend brings to the job in hand. As the months progress and the project nears its conclusion, we get a sense of how they each benefit from this new-found friendship, albeit in a rather male, undemonstrative way. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like their reading to take them on a trip to the countryside. You will feel the dust and dirt of the wheat as the crop circle is made and you’ll pause with Calvert and Redbone when they hear the alarm call of the dawn chorus, reminding them that the hours of darkness are nearing an end. You, too, will marvel at how being at one with nature can be an unwritten code between friends, where few words are required, and silence is golden. 

Room for improvement?... Being a reader who loves to see a map at the beginning of a book and who has a weakness for beautiful illustrations, I would have liked to have seen the crop circle designs drawn underneath each chapter title. I’m sure my imagination doesn’t do them the justice they deserve.

- Bonnie 

Bonnie reviewed a proof edition of "The Perfect Goldent Circle."
Hardback, £16.99. Find it in the fiction section!
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Isaac and the Egg, by Bobby Palmer

Thank you to Anara and Sian, for the opportunity of reading the advance proof copy of Isaac and the Egg.

Isaac stands alone on a bridge and screams into the river below.

And then, unexpectedly, an answer.  A cry of despair, perhaps even greater than his own.

The sound draws Isaac into the woods.  What he finds there changes everything.

It's a story that may seem familiar: a man filled with grief, seemingly broken, and an unexpected guest, who becomes his friend. One who can't stay forever...

It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel.  Bobby Palmer's writing is exquisite, and this book is one of the most life-affirming stories about love, grief, loneliness, and friendship that I have ever read.  In fact, it's the best book I've read so far this year, and it moved me tears long before the end.

Powerful, moving, beautiful and emotional, it is a story of love and loss, profoundly heart-breaking and joyous, full of imagination and humour.  It is perfect for the times we live in, and gives all of us hope, no matter what challenges we face. 

I loved it and think many others will fall in the love with the characters. It is an extraordinary book, and one I did not want to end. If we all knew someone like Egg, the world would be a much happier, joyous place.

I look forward to reading more of Bobby Palmer's books.

- Milly 

Milly read a proof edition of "Isaac and the Egg."

Hardback, £14.99. Publishing day is 18th August, so pre-order NOW!

The White Rock, by Anna Hope

The back page of the review copy of Anna Hope’s latest novel, The White Rock, has the message: ‘I see you. Inside the cage you have been given. The cage you have made. The cages we have all made’.

As far as blurbs go, it’s pretty apt, as each of the narratives in this book show people who are trapped in one way or another, whether by circumstance, or due to the ramifications of either their own or other’s actions.

Taking place in a number of different time periods, the different story strands depict a family making a fateful journey; a fugitive singer choosing a different path; two sisters taken from their home, and a young sailor forced to make a fateful decision.

All the narratives converge around the titular rock, affecting the story’s characters in a myriad of ways. I won’t spoil what happens here, but the different outcomes are certainly events that will linger.

The story’s multi-narrative structure inevitably recalls David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, and while there are worse books to be compared to, it would be unfair to judge it on these terms alone.

The only real regret in reading this is the relatively swift nature of the experience – ultimately, each narrative is the recipient of just two chapters. Maybe this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but to us, it felt like certain characters had more to offer beyond their brief time on the page.

Perhaps this is a compliment to the author: even from their limited lifespans, you experience their hopes, regrets, and fears in uncompromisingly vivid detail. Their decisions have consequences, and we’re forced to live with the characters as they themselves live with them.

It’s not even a case of trying to make characters sympathetic despite their flaws; the reader is given the chance to judge the characters by themselves, away from the cloying oversight that some authors might choose to include.

To summarise, The White Rock succeeds on a number of levels, proving to be an energising, evocative, and ultimately enriching experience. I’ll definitely be searching out Anna Hope’s previous books, having read this.

- Stephen

Stephen read the proof edition of "The White Rock."

Hardback, £14.99. Publication day is 25th August, so pre-order with us now!