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A review by patsypoo
The Names by Florence Knapp
4.5
I loved The Names! I'm very intrigued by parallel stories and how things might turn out if certain decisions had been made differently. The concept for this one was fascinating to me: how could a name shape the life of an individual?
Bear, Julian and Gordon have their lives heavily influenced by the actions of their father and his reaction to the name under which their mother, Cora, ultimately decides to register them.
Watching the different dynamics between family members and how their relationships with one another and others develop was a treat. As were the small cameos that other characters made in each parallel timeline.
It was also a harrowing book at times. Domestic violence is a very present topic and some of the scenes are very graphic, so proceed with caution.
I also liked how the book was very grounded in reality, starting with the massive Michael Fish storm of 1987 and finishing with reflections on the lockdowns of 2020. There's also a mention of the Paris terror attacks in 2015 but I'm a bit unsure about that one. That's my only reservation though and I'll definitely read whatever Florence Knapp writes next.
Bear, Julian and Gordon have their lives heavily influenced by the actions of their father and his reaction to the name under which their mother, Cora, ultimately decides to register them.
Watching the different dynamics between family members and how their relationships with one another and others develop was a treat. As were the small cameos that other characters made in each parallel timeline.
It was also a harrowing book at times. Domestic violence is a very present topic and some of the scenes are very graphic, so proceed with caution.
I also liked how the book was very grounded in reality, starting with the massive Michael Fish storm of 1987 and finishing with reflections on the lockdowns of 2020. There's also a mention of the Paris terror attacks in 2015 but I'm a bit unsure about that one. That's my only reservation though and I'll definitely read whatever Florence Knapp writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Violence