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A review by vicki_cosy_books
The Opposite of Amber by Gillian Philip
4.0
The Opposite Of Amber is a surprising book. Firstly, I presumed from the publishers blurb on the back it was going to be a murder mystery, tense and full of suspense. It isn't like that at all really, although there is an element of mystery about it. It's really about the relationship between two sisters, Ruby and Jinn and their lives in a run down Scottish seaside town and the traumas which haunt both them and their fellow residents. The second surprising thing was how hooked I actually became to this book. It started off quite slow and I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it, yet before I knew it the story of Ruby and Jinn had crept right under my skin and didn't let go.
Told in the first person from Ruby, Gillian Philips places the reader directly in this character's head. Ruby's had a lot to deal with over the years and as a result doesn't talk much, so her thoughts are particularly important to the story. They are written so well it's impossible not to become fully involved and care for her and I found her love for Jinn, the sister who brought her up, very touching.
The setting also came across beautifully through both the characters and descriptions. I know towns and people like the ones in The Opposite Of Amber and Philip's portrays them with shocking truth.
The Opposite Of Amber is brutally honest both in language and themes and isn't the easiest book to read but it is a worthwhile one. It's beautifully written using enough dialect and slang to make the characters and setting believable without alienating those who may be unfamiliar with it. This is a book which will open your eyes, make you think and whose main characters Ruby and Jinn will haunt you long after the last page.
Told in the first person from Ruby, Gillian Philips places the reader directly in this character's head. Ruby's had a lot to deal with over the years and as a result doesn't talk much, so her thoughts are particularly important to the story. They are written so well it's impossible not to become fully involved and care for her and I found her love for Jinn, the sister who brought her up, very touching.
The setting also came across beautifully through both the characters and descriptions. I know towns and people like the ones in The Opposite Of Amber and Philip's portrays them with shocking truth.
The Opposite Of Amber is brutally honest both in language and themes and isn't the easiest book to read but it is a worthwhile one. It's beautifully written using enough dialect and slang to make the characters and setting believable without alienating those who may be unfamiliar with it. This is a book which will open your eyes, make you think and whose main characters Ruby and Jinn will haunt you long after the last page.