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The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin…
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The Mirror World of Melody Black (edition 2015)

by Gavin Extence (Author)

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573452,572 (4.09)3
It all starts, as these things sometimes do, with a dead man. He was a neighbour, not someone Abby knew well, but still, finding a body when you only came over to borrow a tin of tomatoes, that comes as a bit of a shock. At least, it should. And now she can't shake the feeling that if she hadn't gone into Simon's flat, if she'd had her normal Wednesday night instead, then none of what happened next would have happened. And she would never have met Melody Black . . . Wild and witty, searing and true, THE MIRROR WORLD OF MELODY BLACK is about the fine line that separates normal from not - and how life can spin, very swiftly, out of control.… (more)
Member:Carolinejyoung
Title:The Mirror World of Melody Black
Authors:Gavin Extence (Author)
Info:Hodder & Stoughton Ltd (2015), 304 pages
Collections:Library book
Rating:***
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The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence

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I really enjoyed this book. Reading it was a joy. Until the middle bit, that is. That middle bit was serious, depressing and worrying, which is a good thing. Mental health issues are real and out there so full marks to Mr Extence for shining a light on these.

Having read Mr Extence's first book, The Universe Versus Alex Woods, I'd not have bothered with his second novel but for some high praise I'd read in the media.

A young man who can write like a woman is obviously a skilled author. To make his readers like said woman takes great talent. I doubt I'm alone in that the lead character, Abby, mirrored feelings, insecurities and concerns that I, another female, relate to. All women must feel an affinity with the thoughts and actions of the lead character.

Some of the best prose I've read appears in the first third of the book; there are some wonderful turns of phrase, comments, observations and musings.

Having completed this book my greatest wish is that the author writes his next novel around the characters of Miranda Frost and Daddy’s girlfriend, both interesting characters with quirky conversational styles.
( )
  joweirqt | Jan 15, 2021 |
I absolutely loved this book; the author completely laid himself bare and gave us a warts and all glimpse into the life of a manic depressive. Sometimes scary and constantly emotional, I feel like Gavin Extence has bared his soul to each and every person who picks up this book. Abby's illness must have been so difficult to put into words but Gavin Extence does this flawlessly.

Abby calls round to her neighbour's flat one day and finds his dead body. This would be a shock for most people but Abby isn't most people, so she deals with Simon's death in almost a clinical and factual way. It was then that I realised things weren't quite right with Abby and, as she heads into a manic episode, I braced myself for the impending train crash. The description of her manic episode is so honest and raw that I couldn't help but be moved to tears.

Despite being in the title of the book, Melody Black only plays a small, but very significant part, in the book. I loved the way she talked about a mirror world; you can be going along minding your own business then, suddenly without realising, step through the mirror into a completely different world. As you swap places with your reflection, which 'you' is the real you? I found this really sad; it made me think of people who say that they feel like a shadow of themselves. Perhaps they have unknowingly stepped through a portal and swapped places with their real self, leaving their reflection to cope with the trials of daily life.

It was a really nice surprise to find Abby taking a trip to Lindisfarne. This is in my neck of the woods and Lindisfarne is an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful island, with more than its fair share of history and legend. Gavin Extence perfectly described how the island is cut off by the tides. Abby decides to leave the island on foot via the Pilgrims' Way but stops for a rest, which she purposely extends until the tide comes in, leaving her stranded in the middle of the sea; I had goosebumps reading about her sleeping alone in the stilted refuge hut, completely cut off and surrounded by the chilly and tempestuous North Sea, underneath a magical twinkling blanket of stars.

Compelling and emotional, The Mirror World of Melody Black is impossible to put down. It's an honest and thoughtful account of a little-understood depressive illness with just the right amount of wit to lighten the mood. Gavin Extence is the author of The Universe Versus Alex Woods, which I haven't read but certainly want to now.

I received this book from the publisher, Hodder, via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review. ( )
  Michelle.Ryles | Mar 9, 2020 |
Insightful, racy, humorous, and very real account of a woman surviving mental health illness. People like Abby make the best and worst possible friends, and this story shows us how. ( )
  AriadneAranea | Jan 13, 2018 |
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It all starts, as these things sometimes do, with a dead man. He was a neighbour, not someone Abby knew well, but still, finding a body when you only came over to borrow a tin of tomatoes, that comes as a bit of a shock. At least, it should. And now she can't shake the feeling that if she hadn't gone into Simon's flat, if she'd had her normal Wednesday night instead, then none of what happened next would have happened. And she would never have met Melody Black . . . Wild and witty, searing and true, THE MIRROR WORLD OF MELODY BLACK is about the fine line that separates normal from not - and how life can spin, very swiftly, out of control.

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