Five by Ilona Bannister hits with a bang before you even get started reading with – ‘Five lives. Four will live – one will die.’ That got my attention instantly. What follows is a unique story where you know one person will die but before they do we are invited to look into their personal lives. We become invested in their lives and then we are left to decide who we think is more deserving of the death that is to come.
The five people – one is an old woman who is none too friendly, another is a young woman with a young child that she can’t control. There is a young man struggling with life and finally a businessman. Who will die? I really had no clue as I kept bouncing back and forth with all of them. I finally had more of an idea towards the end but still I wouldn’t have been surprised had it been someone else.
This novel is brilliant in its execution. I listened to the audiobook which was excellent. The narrators – Clare Corbett, George Naylor, Juliet Stevenson, Kristin Atherton, Marlowe Chan Reeves, and Theo Solomon – do an amazing of not only bringing the characters to life, but also the train station itself. I loved that they had boarding or arrival announcements made to break up the stories. The audio production is so well done!
I loved this book. It is unique and different. It was an addictive listen for me and I finished it in a day. I think it would make an excellent bookclub pick as well with many themes to discuss such as grief, loss, motherhood, and addiction. Highly recommended!
Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
When the narrators are good, it really hits that sweet spot, doesn’t it? I am listening to a book right now that has it’s high points but it’s not consistently read well. Eh.
Hi Ti, hope you’re doing well. I agree a narrator can make all the difference. Sometimes a person will say they didn’t like a book as much as I did and I’m sure it’s because I listened to it. Sorry the one you’re listening to isn’t read well. Makes it drag some then.