Book review - The Red House by Roz Watkins

 Different - and I liked it...

Considering I can be quite a fussy reader and often have a 'type' of book I prefer, the reason I really enjoyed The Red House is for its differences.

Perhaps due to age, I can appreciate references to older style computer games better and therefore it was nostalgic... Or, perhaps it was just that I was drawn into the mystery and trusted nobody apart from the main character.

For this review, I will provide my likes and then a few even better if thoughts. There will not be any major spoilers as such:

Likes:

1. The computer game...

2. The use of snakes (I used to hate them but in this book the use of and imagery associated added a creepiness that worked well - I have written my own piece previously with such imagery)!

3. The idea that anyone could be guilty...

4. The different character sections and varied timelines due to this.

5. The ending and the twist (although I had guessed some of it).

6. The main character - I find this REALLY helps me to enjoy a story!

Even better if:

1. I don't know much about Prosopagnosia (aka face blindness) but I DO know from my teaching experience that I learn voices, not just faces of my students...so it bugged me that Eve couldn't use this to help her...because if she could, well...I said no major spoilers! This element seems a bit of a stretch, and, from research I have carried out, the use of voices IS one of the techniques it suggests sufferers to use. I understand why Eve doesn't (the story needs this) but I wish it was referred to more specifically as there were a few times, during reading, that this frustrated me. 

2. This happens in many stories and was something that a Uni tutor once fed back on during my own work...be careful not to remove the reader too far from the action. As much as I DID enjoy the different timelines and sections, there were times when I wanted to stay with Eve, see what would happen next. So much so, I skipped one Joseph chapter and then returned to it after I had read the next eve part! I am all for keeping the reader guessing, but not if enjoyment is altered.

3. Bizarre imagery. I could not work out HOW to get to somewhere important in this story (or back again) from descriptions provided. What it meant...or how some of the final scenes in a particular setting worked. I needed pictures! This would work for viewers (if a show) or people with previous knowledge, but - personally - I was a little lost for some of the climatic near-end parts and this seemed a shame as I am sure Watkins knew what she meant.

Overall, it's very worth a read if you want something different. It's a slow burner...nothing fast paced to start with. I found it was from about 62% on (very specific, I know) that I was more gripped and then from the about 75% on, I didn't want to put it down.

I haven't ever read Watkins before, but I certainly will again.