I was both eager and reluctant to read this book. I loved the Harry Potter books because I liked the characters, and I was concerned that this book simply wouldn’t be as good. A complete change of age target age range and genre also gave me concerns, but the novel is good. I liked it, it is a bit like midsomer murders without the murder!
The story is centred on the village of Pagford which is near to a larger distrusted town Yarvil, the residents are divided about the town and more specifically about an area known as the Fields. This is an area that was built to house poorer residents and is generally run down and filled with the more undesirable elements. Not only that but some of the council want to get rid of the addiction clinic that they feel is using up all their precious resources and encouraging the undesirables.
The problems begin for Pagford when their local councillor Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly and unexpectedly triggering an election. As the power plays being dark secrets are exposed via the ghost of Barry Fairbrother, revealing secrets that no-one wants revealed. As the election looms and the secrets are revealed a series of events contributed to by the simple power plays of the would be councillors have devastating results, leading to epiphanies, job losses, and even funerals. I was sad at the end of the novel but to some degree satisfied, in the main the characters had seemed to get what they deserved but I won’t spoil it by telling you what happens to who.
The novel is well written and captures the voices of the individual characters, both young and old very well. It reveals in details how a community of people who in the main co-operate with one another, live together without too much acrimony keep secrets from each other, their parents, their children and their partners. Emotions are well portrayed and the tensions between the pro and con fields people are played out authentically. I much enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it. 5/5
