deannasworld 's review for:

Floored by Ainslie Paton
4.0

This book surprised me. The blurb for the book really tells you nothing much about the book at all so I had no idea what I was getting with this book when I started reading it.

The book opens with a grittiness that makes you think you're in for a dark, rough ride through biker-land with gang wars and drive by shootings, instead what you get after the few opening chapters is a slow meander through a literary landscape that flows like a slow, steady river that is constantly moving and urging you forward.

The drive from Sydney to Perth is very much like an physical manifestation of a metaphor for the developing relationship between Fetch and Driver as it evolves over time into Sean and Cait. It serves as an interesting backdrop as something to do while they discover who they are to each other.

It's fascinating to discover that when you think it's really Fetch who is the one who should be running and hiding, it's Driver instead who is doing that. The dynamics of the relationship change as Fetch turns into Sean and Driver becomes Cait, and Sean is wanting more from Cait. Wanting to know her, wanting to protect her, wanting her. It's a beautiful dance as you watch Cait try to resist Sean and his relentless pursuit and charm and finally succumb.

I love that this book had the ability to surprise me as it did and then engage my attention. It's beautifully and lyrically written. Well done, Ms Paton.