Many people adore Bitter Orange. I won’t say that the adoration is undeserved. I just won’t be one of those people. I did like this book but there were some moments that I liked less. Here’s more about the story.

Spoiler-free synopsis

An American purchases an old English mansion called Lyntons. He’s in the States so he hires two people via mail to assess the estate. One of these people is the protagonist called Frances, an expert on old bridges. Another one is a handsome man called Peter. Frances, Peter and Peter’s wife called Cara move to the mansion to explore the territory. We start discovering their histories, while their relationships develop.

Why Bitter Orange is a very good book

The writing

Sometimes you know the writing is going to be good from the first lines already. That’s how it is with Bitter Orange. It feels like listening to someone who is only slightly aware that you are there and who doesn’t care that you are. The voice is natural but enchanting, and it pulls you into the atmosphere straight away.

Lyntons. Just thinking the word raises the hairs on my arms like a cat that had seen a ghost.

Who wouldn’t want to rewrite their past, if it means it will change their future?

Psychology

The main gem of this book to me is how well it shows the psychological portraits of the characters. They are so multilayered and deep, their behaviour can be analysed and explained as if they were real people. Frances’s inner world is conveyed so well, it’s possible to understand (almost) all her actions, and it’s possible to predict some of the things she would reveal about herself only later in the book.

Four shop people spoke to me with a good morning or a thank you as they handed over my items or change. I like to count these things. More than seven was a good day.

My problem with Bitter Orange

The personalities themselves

I found Frances too spineless. I know this is a story and she just played her role for the book, but I would have loved her to fight harder. As for Peter, I quite despised him for some actions and decisions he made. I find him immoral. I can sympathise with Cara’s state but it’s the same sympathy I would have for a rabid animal. I understand these people. I understand what made them the way they are, but this does not make me like them.

In fact, in order to distract myself from them, I thought more about the barely ever mentioned American who purchased the estate. He just hired a couple of professionals to have a look at his property and what did he get as a result?

The storyline

In the beginning of the book, the story is delivered via inconsequent waves of memories. The effect is perfectly created, but it’s hard to follow what’s going on. Also, the plot doesn’t really progress anywhere for the most part of the book.

The aftertaste

I like some light at the end of bookish tunnels, or ideas so deep they would justify the lack of light. I found neither in this book.

Final thoughts

This is a very good book if you are looking for something dark and atmospheric that explores human mind and relationships.

I’ll soon show you an absolutely stunning book I got. So come back soon, subscribe or just remember where to find me.

Have I just read a young adult story and liked it?!  Not only was it a young adult book, it had fairytales and love stories in it! And yet I still enjoyed it! This book made me think I should probably let go of my genre purism and venture to other genres too.

General information about the book

The genre

Bone Gap is described as magical realism but I wouldn’t say that. Unless you also call The Nutcracker magical realism. In this case Bone Gap would qualify too. I’d say this book is a contemporary story about the way we see people, about beauty, and about emotional abuse and getting free from it. All these ideas are presented via a dynamic young adult story with elements of a scary fairytale.

A spoiler-free description

A teenager called Finn lives in a small town which has all the habits and peculiarities of a small town. Everybody knows everybody. Everybody gossips. The quote in the beginning of the book nails it:

The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don’t know what you are doing, someone else does.

People think Finn is weird but in a small town everybody is still a family, even though it means some members of this family occasionally bully others.

The town is called Bone Gap and this place is also strange. People, animals and things mysteriously appear and disappear in the town. Thus, nobody finds it strange when Roza disappears too. But there’s a spooky, complicated story behind her disappearance. The book tells you about her disappearance, what caused it and if anybody is going to do anything about it.

Why I liked the book

The ideas

I see the main villain in the book as a metaphor for all toxic people who objectify others and feel entitled to their lives. The treasure of this book is that it gives a form to such evil and demonstrates it in action.

I also liked how the book focuses on people’s perception of each other.

Animals!

There are so many cute animals in the book! Unlike in many other stories, these animals are not there to be simply culled for the sake of the plot. They are there to be admired and adored.

Normal romance

There are love stories in the book, but they are not overly romanticised. Nobody speaks in a silly language or faints at unexpected moments. Everything is very realistic, but sweet.

Dialogues

They are dynamic and sharp. Here’s an example:

“What have you got against Chicago?”
“Too big.”
“Since when?”
“Too many people.”
“What have you got against people?” <…>
“Too many opinions.”

Writing

The book is written with some humour. Had I read this book when I was a teenager I would have probably laughed even more. Here are some examples:

Finn froze up like a monument to cowards everywhere.

The Rude boys walked as if they were permanently saddle sore.

It’s a very fast read

My edition looks quite big but the font is large too. Although I didn’t hurry, I managed to read this book in one day.

What I disliked about the book

Misplaced linguistics

Roza is a Polish student who has spent a year in the US. She’s clever, witty, independent and strong, and yet her language skills are so primitive, she talks as if she had learned about the existence of English language only yesterday. She cannot form even basic sentences! I found it quite disrespectful to Roza herself. It also makes her rather mute when she’s interacting with main characters which wastes a lot of potential for the scenes. I understand that it might have been planned as a touch to show her origins but it is definitely overplayed. Her use of random Polish words also feels redundant and out of place. There are a few untranslated Polish phrases. They are not decisive for the plot but I think it would be good not to leave readers guessing what the phrases mean. I managed to understand them but I don’t think people who never studied Slavic languages would.

Camouflaged clichés

There’s a trick to cover up a cliché when you are writing a book. You point at the cliché yourself. For example: you spook people by corn stalks and then you reference Stephen King. You create a bearded character who looks like an old magician and mention Gandalf. I personally always notice the trick and it inhibits my immersion into the book.

Final thoughts

I can definitely recommend this book. It’s a fast-paced and entertaining story but there’s also a deeper meaning to it.