FORMAT: HARDCOVER | RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 14TH
‘We’re not saying it’s true. What we’re saying is look, this mad woman believes this and here’s why she does.’
This is the premise upon which C. K. McDonnell has based his new book The Stranger Times, a depiction of a Manchester tabloid which exists solely to report the strange and fantastic to the world.
Initially, there is the romp, a storyline that rushes along punctuated with largely predictable yet welcome twists and turns and that keeps you ploughing through pages urged on by fun-fuelled curiosity. Then there is the world-building, the necessary terms and conditions to this new reality, complicated at times and much of which you will likely have forgotten by the final page. Mostly there is the humour, and the fact these strands complement each other so seamlessly is a credit to the author. But his novel’s greatest strength is in its characters.
With skilful invention, McDonnell has created a band of protagonists who instantly relate through their qualities and quirks, flaws and foibles. Their individual personalities are so immediately identifiable, so infectiously likeable as to warrant affection.
Enjoyable and entertaining throughout, this is a book that will demand consumption in the fewest possible sittings.
