Round Four: The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder (Adult, not YA)

Having been lent this yonks ago, I’ve been feeling guilty about not reading it but, I’ll be honest, I find it hard to read fiction written for adults during term time. YA or novels I’ve read before, yes. Those I let myself read because I know that I can either finish them quickly or put them down. The risk is that I’ll not put it down and will just read all night until I finish and then HOW WOULD I TEACH WITH NO SLEEP???

Totally a possibility if I let myself read long new books during term time.

So, I’ve waited (and my friend has had to too! Sorry…)

This book purports to be written by a thirteen year old boy with autism, face blindness and synaesthesia (additionally perceiving other senses through colour). Whilst he’s an interesting character and seeing the mystery unfold through his eyes certainly adds something to the slow reveal, it felt to me like a combined narrative voice: his and the author’s. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I did. Simply that some of the authenticity of the narrative was perhaps missing.

Maybe ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime’ does it better?

Either way, the story is compelling and the multi-level conversations work. His synaesthesia really does add something to the narrative in that the story is told through colours (as are his interpretations of other characters). Even his face blindness is key in the story working. Without a voice, he can recognise no one and whispers disguise identities further.

It’s certainly a great idea.

Perhaps it is the backstory that give the narrative its credibility. The family backdrop is full of sadness, bitterness, loss and regret. Relationships are real as well as being works in progress. This is no idealised view of the world but it does encourage us, as readers, to appreciate what we have while we have it and to see beauty in the small things.

Worth a read! YA readers might prefer ‘Counting by Sevens’…

And, Beth, I promise I’ll give this back to you now!

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