Void by David Staniforth ISBN 1523673362 Book Description A void in one’s memory is filled with more than the fear of not knowing, it swirls with the dread of what those missing memories might contain. When a young man wakens in a freezing car, his mind a complete blank, he embarks upon a journey that brings that very dread to the fore. Who is he? What has he done? Where does he belong? Why can he not remember? VOID: a psychological journey of discovery that forces the question: To what extent can our memories be trusted? My View What I liked best about this book was the atmosphere and tone. It stays grey throughout, as the author keeps us balanced on the edge of disaster. Everything is murky and the facts stay unclear and this is matched by the bleak world ‘Tom’ finds himself in - cold and foggy and lonely. There’s an intensity, as the main character pieces together the clues about who he might be and what sort of a man he’s been. It’s surprising, but there’s a strong romantic thread to this story too, because Tom discovers a memory of love and that there might be a woman who loves him. Despite his fears about himself, Tom shows himself to be sensitive and loyal and this made me like him a lot. One small thing which didn’t work for me, was the way the author writes about the importance of music to Tom and quotes lyrics. And since you know how I can be picky, I also thought there was a tad too much repetition which made the middle of the book a bit soggy.(These really were minor issues.) The ending was a tragic surprise and gave the whole story another perspective. I don’t want to spoil it by saying more. I can see why this is classed as a thriller but I think romantic thriller does it more justice – the story has a lot more subtlety and meaning than most thrillers on the shelf and I think that’s it’s strong point. Photoshot of David Staniforth
Five Things You Didn’t Know about David Staniforth - 1. At the age of eight, I took part in a school television programme with celebrated botanist, David Bellamy. I was on camera for around a minute, so I reckon I’m still owed four minutes of fame. 2. At the age of eighteen, I almost died from alcohol poisoning. 3. Had I performed better in my O Levels, I would likely have become an architect and my life would have followed a completely different course, one in which I probably would not have discovered my love of writing. 4. My favourite ever song is ‘Stone in Love’ by Journey. It reminds me of the early years with the girl I met when I was nineteen, who I’m still married to thirty-four years later. There’s a line that goes “burning love comes once in a lifetime” and for me it has. 5. I read my own books for pleasure, enjoying them as if they had been written by somebody else. Thanks for letting me review your book, David, and for telling us about yourself. You can check out more about David Staniforth here - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6880127.David_Staniforth and here - http://www.davidstaniforth.co.uk/
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