Friday 20 April 2012

Night Beach by Kirsty Eager - Book Review

Title: Night Beach
Author: Kirsty Eager
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: 26 April 2012
Pages: 270
Format: E-Book - PDF
Genre: YA / Fantasy
Source: ARC from NetGalley



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Imagine there is someone you like so much that just thinking about them leaves you desperate and reckless. You crave them in a way that's not rational, not right, and you're becoming somebody you don't recognise, and certainly don't respect, but you don't even care.

And this person you like is unattainable. Except for one thing...


He lives downstairs.


Abbie has three obsessions. Art. The ocean. And Kane.


But since Kane's been back, he's changed. There's a darkness shadowing him that only Abbie can see. And it wants her in its world.

A gothic story about the very dark things that feed the creative process.
(Goodreads Synopsis)


This is a story that I can't rave about enough. An intriguing premise, perfect build-up of tension and beautiful prose make this one of the most thought-provoking and deep YA books I have ever read.

This, unlike many YA stories, does not follow a standard formula, nor does it rely on over the top teenage romance or angst. This story considers ideas of obsession and creativity against the backdrop of the rolling ocean. This is a story that doesn't reveal too much too early. Rather, Eager creates an atmospheric setting, slowly unleashing one new snippet of information at a time, leading the reader ever onwards. 

This is not a tale that has you on the edge of your seat in terror, but it is one that completely draws you in and makes you think. The pacing is superb and I love that Eager doesn't give away too much too soon, letting the tension and intrigue build slowly instead.

I thought the sense of place with regards to the ocean was amazing and I also loved how the ideas of art and creativity were worked seamlessly into the story.

Kirsty Eager is a writer whose future works I would be most keen to read and I can highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a YA story that has a bit more depth and bite to it.

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