Tim Wilson - Their Faces Were Shining

I leapt at the chance to get a free new book to review from Booksellers (http://www.booksellers.co.nz/) through one of their Facebook promotions as part of the New Zealand Post Book Awards.   I opted for Tim Wilson “Their Faces Were Shining” although wouldn’t have minded any of the other fiction finalists either.     The book arrived in record time (the very next day) which is quite a feat for the rural post.  Perhaps because it was a finalist in an event sponsored by NZ Post made the difference.  

Anyway, I’d just finished another book (When God was a Rabbit which I do recommend reading) so got pretty much straight into it.   It was an easy but harrowing read.   Rather than repeat myself, I’ve copied my review (which is now on the facebook page for the NZ Post Awards) here.

 There’s a lot going on in this book so be prepared!   There are also a number of reasons why you should avoid this book.   Perhaps it should come with a medical warning on its cover.  

If you have been, even just a little bit, traumatised by the earthquakes in Canterbury my recommendation is NOT to read this book, especially if you are looking for any light relief.     Some parts of this book rub those raw wounds, for instance as those people left behind react to the “Rapture.”  Being a Cantab, I found it hard not to draw parallels at times to what is happening here even though the two events and aftermath of both are very different. 

If you are earthquake affected, depressed or feeling a bit under weather, be warned that this story is gloomy, bloody gloomy.  It won’t cheer you up, make you optimistic and especially won’t give you an escape to a better place.    If you didn’t enjoy The Road, don’t attempt this either.    There’s nothing that goes right for Hope.   What a terrible name to give to your main character as you force them into such dire situations and behaviour. 

I was initially a bit put off by all the God references but in the end it wasn’t the religious aspect that really got to me.  It was the sheer volume of things going wrong in the lives of the people in this book, and the way they reacted to them.  It got to the point where it was perhaps just a little unbelievable.

While it is well written, and the characters developed well, I think Tim Wilson has been too caught up in the news and negative side of life.  I think I might list my copy on Trade Me and see if I can get something positive as a result of being given this book.