Our Review… Bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Heart’s Invisible Furies, John Boyne’s new series The Elements, consists of four novellas: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. Each novella represents a different perspective on a crime – the enabler, the accomplice, the perpetrator, and the victim. The title of each book utilising its element as a parallel to the main characters work or emotions. A mother trying to escape her past, a football star on trial, a surgeon fighting childhood trauma and a father on a powerful journey with his son. Each novel weaves into a complex web of overlaying characters and settings, coming together to create the whole story. Boyne is truly a master of his craft, covering confronting subject matter with a writing style that is easy and compelling to read. Written with raw honesty and sensitivity these are short but hard-hitting novels that compel us to confront our understanding of guilt, redemption, responsibility, and human fragility. Trigger warnings include child abuse, sexual assault, suicide, and homophobia. Review by Jess @ Great Escape Books
