Polis Loizou

This novel feel like a fable or fairy tale: young couple Despo and Loukas are expecting their first child. Both are young adult orphans, trying to navigate marriage and life with no close family. His godparents are the closest they have, and very kind. They are in rural Cyprus, 1925, with WW1, the British, the Turks, and archaelogical exploration lurking in the near past.

Many Cypriot beliefs, traditions, and foods are part of the story, set during the 12 days if Christmas. There are Muslim and Christian residents, and an English couple that does not speak the language--no one is quite sure what they are there for. As Despo worries about the upcoming birth and accidentally exposing the baby to the creatures, Loukas is struggling with his own secret.

The author was born and raised in Cyprus and moved to the UK at about age 16.… (más)

Although I found the writing style to be a little jarring at times, I believe Loizou is onto something with this type of story. I'm always encouraging of people who write unusual characters, and Oscar certainly qualifies. There are moments of real interest, the strong opening has been noted by other reviewers. Give this a little more refining, and I think it could really be something. Like many new authors, it's going to take time. But I hope Loizou reads this with a smile, because I think the story is worth pursuing. And it's a fine achievement.… (más)

I received an ARC of this book from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program.

Oscar lives with his foster mom in London. They are well off, she being a well read author. He’s at the age where he’s considering finding a job and moving out on his own, but has a bit of inertia as he’s recovering from his first breakup. When he finds himself having feelings for someone new, he struggles.

Unfortunately there wasn’t much of a plot here, and the author’s style wasn’t really for me. He uses a lot of incomplete sentences, and while I think he did this to reflect Oscar’s thoughts, it threw me out of the story.

I did like the ending very much, it felt believable.… (más)