David is growing up in a world where something is very badly wrong but everyone is protecting David from knowing what it is. People are going missing, bodies are showing up with wings, or bones in nests if you believe the rumours from the kids at school. David doesn't really know because his parents turn off the news whenever he might get a handle on what is happening around him and his older sister just doesn't seem interested in sharing. Most importantly for David the centre of his world - his grandfather - is gone. His ...
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David is growing up in a world where something is very badly wrong but everyone is protecting David from knowing what it is. People are going missing, bodies are showing up with wings, or bones in nests if you believe the rumours from the kids at school. David doesn't really know because his parents turn off the news whenever he might get a handle on what is happening around him and his older sister just doesn't seem interested in sharing. Most importantly for David the centre of his world - his grandfather - is gone. His parents say he is dead but why is his grandfather's backpack and jumper missing from the house? Alongside this we have a man abandoned in a hostile landscape and trying out run nature itself to get back home with some information.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
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New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 360 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 360 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
I have previously read 'Composite Creatures; by Caroline Hardaker and I described it as 'a book that slowly draws you in and keeps you hooked, wanting to find out more'. Mothtown, her latest release, is very much in this signature style.
The book tells the story of David, who is determined to discover the truth when his Grandad disappears on a mission to find a secret door. Why do his family insist his Grandad is dead? Why are there other disappearances and what do the blue packages mean? The plot is also split up into 'After' chapters which tell of his mission to Mothtown and 'Before' which are flashbacks to his past and childhood.
It's hard to really describe Mothtown - it's certainly a book with a lot of secrets and it tries very hard not to give them up, even to the reader. Although I love a slow-burn mystery that keeps you hooked, I do think that this book leaves its readers too much in the dark for too long. There is a good payoff at the end, but I think the reveal leaves you with more questions than it answers (for example, the After chapters make very little sense even after knowing what was going on.) I did really enjoy the creepy illustrations though and I think these really added to the story.
The book is very much a character piece and David is quite hard to empathise and get to know. There's a lot of jumbled thinking and unreliable narrator techniques employed. The book also drags in pace quite a lot in the middle - I wish that David had perhaps made more progress in his quest to Mothtown or in his pursuit of information in the Before chapters, which would have kept my interest a little more. Having both him and the reader not knowing what was going on for nearly the whole book became a little frustrating.
Overall Mothtown certainly is a creepy read and it's a great character piece, I just think it would have made a bigger impact if it was a short story rather than a full novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.