*Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2004*
*Winner of The Commonwealth Writers Best First Novel Award 2004*

Purchased from the Shoe Lane Library during one of their legendary 20p paperback fiction sales.

This copy is fairly beaten up and looks like it may have been on holiday with someone. I hope it holds together and I'll try and peel off the tatty plastic cover which seems to be doing no service in the glamour stakes.

This book took me an age to finish reading which is strange becuase the story, for the most part, was interesting and compelling. It was something a little different too and I thoroughly enjoyed the tatoo history and the Morecombe and Coney Island historical aspects of the novel. What I didn't like was the strangely dragging tone of the sub plot (other plot?) which jarred a little with the narrative. It was as though the author was attempting to tell two separate stories and couldn't quite string both of them together.

A really well researched and enjoyable book which dragged at the end and meandered off track in the middle :)

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I finished this book on the previous train from Amsterdam and quickly labelled it up for release on the next one. One less book to carry back home is a bonus as far as I'm concerned :) I was heading to the ferry back to England after attending the Bookcrossing Anniversary Convention in Amsterdam.