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Bill Bryson – The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid | Review

Title: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

Author: Bill Bryson

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count: 416

Rating: 4/5

Bryson’s non-fiction is always a lot of fun to read, and this book was no different. What’s interesting, though, is that instead of focussing on travel writing as he usually does, this was instead a memoir about Bryson’s childhood adventures. That was cool in one sense, but in another sense I would have preferred to have had some travel writing from him, purely because that’s what he’s best at.

There’s also the Thunderbolt Kid gimmick, which I wasn’t particularly a fan of because I’m not much into superheroes in general. I get that it was his childhood fantasy and stuff and it did a good job of tying the book together, it’s just that I have different interests I guess. Plus it wasn’t really needed, and it ended up just feeling like a gimmick that Bryson relied on when he wasn’t too sure how to finish a chapter.

But I don’t want to complain too much, and in fact as a general rule, I did still really enjoy this. Bryson’s writing is always a pleasure, and I’m sure he could write about literally any subject and I’d still enjoy it. If anything, that’s kind of the gist of this review. I have less in common with Bryson when he’s writing about his upbringing as a kid in America than I do when he’s writing about the places that he’s visited.

And that’s kind of the problem here. I don’t really have anything else to say about this one and it was just okay, although at least it didn’t have any of the sort of inadvertent snootiness that’s ruined a couple of other Bryson books for me. Overall, it was eminently readable and I’m glad I picked it up, especially because it was for free from a little book exchange outside someone’s house, but it wasn’t quite as good as I was expecting.

If you’re a Bill Bryson fan then you’ll want to pick this one up of course, but at the same time I should warn you that it’s just so-so, and definitely not up to scratch if you compare it to some of his other stuff, and Notes from a Small Island in particular. If this was written by just anyone, it would’ve been fine. But because it’s by Bill Bryson, it’s a let down.

Learn more about The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.

Laline Paull – The Ice | Review

Title: The Ice

Author: Laline Paull

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 374

Rating: 4*/5

Laline Paull – The Ice

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

This book was interesting because it took a different approach to structure and storytelling. Most of the plot follows the aftermath of the tragic death of a young environmentalist, and the ensuing enquiry in which they try to establish the truth. That means that the critical incident happened before the story even starts, which means that all of the action is effectively set in the denouement.

To counter this, the author uses flashbacks and jumps backwards and forwards in time, which can be disconcerting from time to time but which works quite well. True, it’s sometimes difficult to tell exactly what’s going on, but it’s still enjoyable and it actually encourages your mind to put the pieces together and to slowly discover the truth for yourself.

A good chunk of the story takes place against the backdrop of Svalbard, where a wealthy businessman has teamed up with his friend, an environmentalist, to purchase some land. Only all sorts of political interests start to get involved, and many of the characters are forced to do things that they otherwise might not have done. It’s a novel of intrigue, then, and it raises some important questions about the future of our world if we continue to abuse the planet in the way that we do.

Laline Paull

The writing was pretty good, although it felt too flowery for me from time to time, and I liked the illustrations and the quotes at the starts of each of the sections. I’d say that it’s probably not suited to everyone, but if you like to read political thrillers and stuff that will engage your brain and push you to guess what the truth is, it’s worth a go. There’s a twist at the end, of course, but I didn’t guess what it was – in fact, I suspected something else entirely.

The only other thing to mention is the cover, which is gorgeous. Of course, I’ve got an advance copy and so the cover might change before you get your hands on it. But still!