John Harding (1) (1951–)

Definitely a new favourite! This book combines an interesting storyline with very peculiar characters.

I really liked Florence as a main character: she is witty and smart (she makes up words! Instant like just there), has a wild imagination and a unique voice, loves books and her brother more than anything... and is totally unreliable as a narrator! Now, if that doesn't make for an interesting main character, I don't know what does. The other characters (apart from Florence's brother, Giles) sort of fade into the background, but for once I didn't really mind, because it just feels right that Florence would see them that way. After all, she really only cares about her brother, and this was a very interesting relationship to read about.

The plot started out looking very simple, but I was blown away by the twists and turns it took. I was totally surprised by the ending, and that does not happen often! I was also left with just the right amount of unanswered questions to keep me guessing, but still leave me satisfied enough with the story.

Overall, a very compelling read, that had me hooked from the beginning.… (mehr)

Florence and Giles by John Harding is a unique take on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

Do you like intertexts? Books that re-tell a story you already know (or maybe don't...)? Then this book is for you!

Florence and Giles takes The Turn of the Screw and turns it into an angsty YA novel. It's a very interesting read! I don't think it stands up to the original, but it makes you question what happened so there are many redeeming qualities.

The angsty YA angle is what left me not enjoying it at much. The potential romance for Florence made the story a little odd for me. I was looking for a crazy, fantastical maybe supernatural take but it just felt more YA than anything else. It was still a really cool way to re-tell the story though! I'm really impressed that he retold this story and put something new into it. It can be a little slow and boring plot wise though. I just wanted to know what happened and nothing really happened until the last couple chapters of the book.

Overall, this is a cool take. Definitely a must read for those seeking some intertexts.

Three out of five stars.… (mehr)