SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE by Graham Joyce
It's Christmas Day and Mr and Mrs Martin are just sitting down to a quiet supper when there's a knock at the door. Their daughter, Tara, is standing on the doorstep. Now, this would normally be a pleasant surprise in a family, except that Tara has been missing for twenty years. Her brother, Peter, is called away from his family to come over, astonished that the sister he's believed to be dead has suddenly reappeared. But there's something strange going on, more so even then her sudden reappearance. For one thing, she looks almost the same, as though she hasn't really aged at all. And she has the strangest tale about where she's been...
I loved this book. It wasn't one I gobbled up in a day, like I do with some of the ones I recommend here. This one took me longer than usual. I'd read a chapter, and then muse on it for a few hours, even an evening, turning over the clues in my mind, trying to unravel the puzzle. It's uniquely told, jumping between different perspectives, both at the time of Tara's disappearance and her return. It's a mystery wrapped in a riddle, surrounded by magic.
The writing, as well as the structure of the story, were supremely well done. It unraveled in just the right way, tantalizing, intriguing and always flitting about your thoughts when you really should be concentrating on something else. It was a strange and lovely tale, sure to capture your imagination. Definitely give it a go and come back and let me know what you think!
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