Summer Reads...

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger - 4 stars ****

I picked this book up in a charity shop after seeing that it was written by the same author as The Time Traveller's Wife, which though I haven't read, I have heard is excellent. It tells the story of a pair of 21 year old American twins, Valentina and Julia, who move to London after being left their Aunt Elspeth's flat (who also happens to be their mother Edie's twin) in her will when she dies of cancer. This may sound fairly usual, except that there are conditions they must follow. They have to live there together, for at least a year, and their parents aren't allowed to visit due to an old feud between Elspeth and Edie that is unspoken of.

The flat is next to a graveyard, where Elspeth's long-time partner, Robert, works, who also happens to live in the flat below. The flat above is inhabited by Martin, a crossword writer whose wife leaves him due to his excessive OCD. The book follows the motley crew as they become accustomed to their new situations, which often leads them together.

So far, although interesting, it sounds pretty normal doesn't it? Add to the mix the fact that Elspeth's ghost is trapped in the girls' flat, and has a habit of making her presence known, and it is a whole other kettle of fish.

This book is not only both well written and planned out, but also hugely original. Don't be put off by the fact that there are supernatural powers at work, if that is not your bag; this is definitely not a normal ghost story. A completely unexpected twist at the end really made this for me, and I would recommend it to anyone who fancies a change from the norm. Reading this has made me keen to search out Niffenegger's other work.