The String Games by Gail Aldwin

I am delighted to be a part of the blog tour for The String Games by Gail Aldwin. I have previously recieved a copy of a short story collection by Gail,  Paisley Shirt, which I enjoyed (review here) and when I was asked to read and review her novel I was intrigued at the synopsis and excited to be involved.

Synopsis from GoodReads:

“When four-year-old Josh is abducted and murdered during a family holiday in France, Nim, aged ten, becomes an only child. To cope with the tragedy, Nim reinvents herself but continues to carry a burden of unresolved grief. As an adult she returns to France determined to find out more about the circumstances of Josh’s death. How will she deal with this new information and what are the implications for her future? “

My thoughts

The String Games begins with an intriguing prologue of Nim in the future having an idea and rushing to her computer. Then goes back into the past to tell the story. The style draws you in and the description of the French setting makes you feel like you’re right there. I loved this book straight away, it’s one of those books that you can tell from the start it’s going to be something special. It’s tells the story of what happed to Nim’s brother Josh and how it affected her life as she got older.

When Josh disappears, it’s awful and the way it’s written you hold onto hope with the family that he will be found. Everyone deals with it differently and the novel is about how they cope and how it effects their lives and especially Nim as she gets older. I can’t imagine what it might be like to lose a child or sibling but this novel gave me an idea.

When Nim went back to France to come to terms with it all as an adult it did feel nostalgic, like going back to revisit places from you’re own childhood. It was good to revisit the place and people she met.

It’s always difficult to write a review for a book this good, I struggle to put into words how good it is: I was riveted from the start and managed to finish the novel in a few days. I enjoyed the story. The characters are life like and you quickly get to like them and get drawn into their world. Although a very sad novel filled with grief, it was a really interesting and engaging read.

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You can find more about Gail and her work by visiting her website: https://gailaldwin.com/ 

Or you can find Gail on social media: Twitter: @gailaldwin,  Facebook. 

Visit the GoodReads page for more reviews.

The String Games is available to pre-order now, find more information on the Victorina Press website