I'm not quite sure how to rate this book. It;s the story of an older woman who is writing down the story of her youth in wartime London and Cornwall. I really enjoyed some parts of it, and I thought some of the characters were really interesting. However, it also felt a bit disjointed in parts as if the author was trying to be a bit too clever but just ended up being a bit confusing. I'm going to save this one for J4Shaw's VBB of debut novels.

And off it goes as part of the Debut Novels VBB. Happy reading!

The book arrived in perfect condition today. Thank you.

Going to the winner of the Annual Clearance sweeps. Congratulations and enjoy!

Updated 1 January, 2020
When reading anathema-device's journal entry, I noticed that I did not journal after reading. I hate when I forget to journal, so here's an update. I read and enjoyed the book a lot before sending it on. The book is one that stays with the reader for a while.

Thanks for passing this on to me, mcsar. I enjoy discovering new books and new writers, and this one looks really interesting. Thank you also for the beautiful and heartfelt cards. They are going up on the fridge right now! :)

I loved this book. I never wanted it to end, but the way it is structured made it impossible for me to keep from compulsively turning pages. The non-chronological storytelling also perfectly befits the protagonist (in 2011) who is described as having a "wandering mind" (and we really don't need any closer definitions of this, as with so many things and concepts throughout the book.) Goblin is a wonderful story, containing horrors and adventures and a multitude of interlinked (and mutable) stories, without ever slipping into escapism, despite the wartime setting (of the protagonist's retrospective and, well, potential self-analysis). Because it's all real. The monsters are here (and, like everything else, political), and there is no escape. But Goblin herself is a character with so much courage and so much heart, and she shows us that identity is complex and fluid, and that nobody is necessarily forced to comply with other people's concepts of well-defined (and often binary) and exclusive boxes. And she gives us courage. To be ourselves and to (hopefully, when we can) be there for others. And what more can you ask of a book.