THE HYPNOTIST

by Laurence Anholt

“...In the dead of night, Pip is plucked from an orphanage and hired as a farm hand. But Pip is black. The farmer and his wife are white. And this is 1960’s America, where race defines you.

Jack Morrow has left his native Ireland dreaming of a new life in the American Deep South. He has certain skills that he mostly keeps hidden. Skills in hypnotism and mind control...

Pip and Jack’s lives become inextricably linked as the heat of racial tension builds to a terrifying storm.”

Part thriller, part love story, this extraordinary debut novel looks at where life can take you when your expectations are great.

Officially endorsed by Amnesty International, The Hypnotist was hailed by The Bookseller in their ‘Ones to Watch’ section as ‘...gripping, compelling storytelling with a powerful anti-racist message.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Childrens, School, Book Club

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2016

About the author

In a career spanning three decades, Laurence Anholt has produced over 200 children's books, which are published in more than 30 languages. Titles like the self-illustrated Anholt's Artists series have sold many millions of copies around the world. Laurence has also collaborated on numerous picture books with his wife, the artist, Catherine Anholt.

Laurence's first YA / Crossover novel THE HYPNOTIST was published by Penguin Random House on 6th October 2016.

The Hypnotist was described by The Bookseller as 'gripping, powerful storytelling with a powerful anti-racist message.' The book has been officially endorsed by Amnesty International, it was the winner of the Historical Association Young Quills Award, shortlisted for the Southern Schools Book Award and four major book awards. It is currently longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2018.

Born in 1959, Laurence Anholt was brought up mainly in Holland where he developed a lasting love of Art. He went on to study Painting for 8 years, culminating in a Master's Degree from the Royal Academy of Art in London. Catherine and Laurence live and work in a house on a hill with studios and wild flower meadows, overlooking the sea in Devon, southwest England.

Laurence's books have won many awards, including the UK's prestigious Nestlé Smarties Gold Award on two occasions. For more than a decade, Laurence has been amongst the top 200 Most Borrowed Authors from UK libraries across all genres. He was included in the Independent on Sunday's Top 10 Children's Authors in the UK and was described by William Watt as "one of the most versatile authors writing for children today".

Catherine and Laurence have been closely involved with a number of literacy schemes such as the UK Government funded Bookstart scheme. Their publication Babies Love Books (also a much-loved picture book) encourages parents to share books with babies from the earliest possible age. Their work has taken them inside Buckingham Palace and Downing Street on several occasions.

Laurence's self‐illustrated Anholt's Artists series, is an introduction to great artists for young children. These beautiful books are used as part of the national school curriculum in many countries and are sold in galleries and museums all over the world. The books, which include Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World, Camille and the Sunflowers, Degas and the Little Dancer and The Magical Garden of Claude Monet have taken Laurence on many fascinating journeys of discovery. Each scrupulously researched story is based on an actual encounter between a real child and a great artist. In several instances, Laurence has been assisted by relatives of the artists or by the protagonists themselves - for example, Laurence developed a long-standing friendship with Sylvette David, Picasso's Girl With a Ponytail. This series currently includes 10 titles and it has been adapted in many forms, including Apps for iPads, stage and TV productions and a full scale van Gogh musical which Laurence launched in Korea. The Anholt's Artists books are renowned not only for their educational value, but also for their life-affirming themes of aspiration, tolerance and acceptance of those who are different.

Laurence Anholt is a much sought after public speaker, talking about literature and his own zany view of life at conferences all over the world.

The Anholts have three grown up children, Claire and twins, Tom and Maddy. Claire is an anthropologist who works for the UN in Geneva, Maddy is an actor living in London and Tom is a successful artist based in Berlin. They also have twin grandchildren, Felix and Nina.

Laurence Anholt's interests include art, literature, adventure travel and Buddhist meditation.

For further information visit the Anholts' website: http://www.anholt.co.uk

Reviews

[Eleanor · Rating 2 out of 5]

2018 CARNEGIE LONGLIST BOOK 15/20

* Looking back, I'm changing my rating to two stars, because this book realy was not exceptional, and there were a load of things that annoyed me about it.

I do think that this was an interesting idea. But I could kind of tell it was a debut novel? It felt like there was more to give, more to come, and that's okay, because first novels aren't always perfect. I feel like this was maybe not as powerful as it could have been. And I found it hard to separate the sciency stuff from the magicy stuff? It didn't really work for me personally.

The story is definitely quite dark. Pip is a black boy in America at the highest point of racial tension. This book covers topics such as racism, and the KKK. I don't really know enough about this subject to comment on it, but I do think this book does a good job enlightening people to it and its horrors. The book wasn't problematic in any way, and I really liked the themes of hope and the fact that not all the characters are horrible. It made the book a more pleasant experience. I do have mixed opinions on the characters, though. I really love Lilabelle - or is it Lilybelle? - and her unending positivity. She is a very inspirational character. I also really liked Hannah. The short chapter/poem things from her POV are a really nice addition to the book. They were both sweet and sad. I found Pip a bit flat, but the character who really rubbed me off the wrong way was Jack Morrow. I don't know why - I think it was maybe just the way his voice spoke in his first person narrative, but he was just really annoying. Sorry, Jack.

Also, I wasn't enamoured with the fact that the book kept changing POV. I think I would have enjoyed the book more had it just been in the third person all the way through. Maybe that is just because I prefer third person, or maybe because I really disliked the way that Jack came across in his chapters, but it would have honestly improved the book so much for me, personally. I find it irritating when a book changes POV because there always seems to be one you dislike (in most cases) which can dampen your enjoyment of the story. And I wasn't 100% keen on the hypnotism thing? Yes, I hear you saying, THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE BOOK, but I guess it is just personal taste. And I lost my taste for it through the ever irritating Jack Morrow (or doctor jack morrow to use his full moniker <-- yes this is very annoying after he has said it about 10 times)

So yeah, this was interesting, but not exceptional. But I feel like this is a case of me, not the book. So no hard feelings. This is a heavy book that some readers might find disturbing, so I will give you that warning before you go into it. But if this sounds like your kind of thing, go for it!

[Sandra &#x1f49c; · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Ratings: 4/5 ⭐

Genre: Domestic fiction (according to Google)

Content Warnings: Racism, rape, cruelty

My Thoughts
This book felt like a classic book. Most are boring, and some are vaguely interesting. This was one of the vaguely interesting ones.

Do I regret reading this? Not at all. At the start, i was really slow at picking this up, but once I did, i managed to finish. The story was good enough, and highlights racism in 1960s America. Jack Morrow made a very good point that it was the KKK's ancestors who brought Black people over, and THEN they decided to get rid of them. And that the Native Americans didn't invite anybody to America in the first place, so technically everyone else should be showing themselves out.

The characters were lovable, especially Lillybelle. And for once, I wasn't confused about the setting, like I usually do with a book with no map.

Thank you for reading. Have a nice day.

[Katy Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a combination of elements. They work though.

A very different book, The Cure for Dreaming, combined female emancipation and hypnotism in a story of women's rights in the early 20th century.

Here we are placed in the 1960s, in a time and place where Jim Crow rules, where the KKK work discreetly with violence to instil fear.

An orphaned black boy, Pip (named after his schoolteacher mother's favourite Dickens novel) is taken from the orphanage to a Southern white-owned farm to work as farmhand.

The farmer is less than friendly, but his wife is desperate for a child to read to her, and Pip reads from his mother's copy of Great Expectations and warms quickly to the obese but motherly woman he works for. A Native American girl also works for them, but is mute.

The second strand to the story, and second narrator offers us an outside glimpse of Pip's life - Jack Morrow, Irish neighbour to the farm and local professor and expert in hypnosis, watches as Pip struggles to fit into his new life and into the community where black people are less than fairly treated, and where racist incidents are a regular occurrence.

Especially as the farm owner's grown son is soon hellbent on ridding the place of Pip.

Pip, Jack and soon the mute Hannah are caught together in an exciting tale of survival. Jack's skills of hypnotism are integral to their tale, and Great Expectations is also skilfully interwoven into the plot.

With real-life KKK atrocities part of the story, and insights into the organisation, this feels dangerous. There's a love element, some mystery, and some appealing characters throughout.

I was reminded of a recent read (Beck by Mal Peet / Meg Rosoff) with some basic elements of the plot, but this really is quite unique and intense.

Others have compared it favourably to 'Mockingbird', and I can see why, with some similar themes. While it's not in the same league, it will be excellent material for someone reading Harper Lee as a set text as usual follow-up, it is excellent for discussion material on 1960s civil rights background history.

Quite violent in places, and could be quite upsetting to younger readers, so I would recommend this to KS3 and above, in particular those age 14 and above.

[Adele Broadbent · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Pip is bought and paid for at an orphanage, he is worried for his future. But the worn, skinny old man called Mr Zachary who 'adopts' him seems kind enough on the long drive back to his farm, as he explains what he wants Pip to do. Since Pip was the only boy who could read at the orphanage, he was the perfect candidate to read to Zachary’s bed-ridden wife Lillybelle.

Pip is shocked when he meets her but they soon build a positive relationship as he covers her every need and reads from his copy of Great Expectations - a gift from his mother before his parents died in a car accident.

There is another young teen at the farm. Beautiful, mute Hannah – an American Indian, who Pip thinks is the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen.

But life on Dead River Farm isn’t all sweet. The Zachary’s have a son called Erwin - an angry, Negro-hating, Vietnam vet and also a leader of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. His parents warn Pip to stay out of his way and Pip does just that, at least until the day Erwin finally catches him…..

This story is told in two viewpoints – Pip’s story (in 3rd person), and the Zachary’s neighbour Jack Morrow (in 1st person). Jack is a university professor from Ireland and an excellent hypnotist. He's been watching the goings on next door with increasing worry. Can he help?

Let Mr Morrow hypnotise you with this story, and see how Pip, Hannah and the Zachary’s cope with the evil of the Ku Klux Klan.

Brilliantly written. Absolutely loved it. A bit ‘Mocking Bird’ a bit ‘Shawshank’ – a great piece of story hypnotism.

[Mina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very different from most of the others, and I cant believe it myself but I am almost pitying Erwin, for his mental instability. However that does not mean in any way I pity him, I pity his family, I pity his victims.
And I feel like this book is pitiful. Jack, or Doctor Jack Morrow to use his full moniker, starts off being very funny, and very enjoyable to listen to. I didn't like the second person narration at the start, because it's different, his personality was very innocent, bright and set the wrong tone for the book ahead. I thought wasting two pages on trying to hypnotise the reader, was very uncomfortable to read, and quite desperate. However it linked into the story and explained a few scenes later.
Then the author introduced Pip, and his sad background, which made it clear, despite the title, that he was the main character, and the hero of the story.
I didn't like the way they introduced Mr Zachery, I thought teaching to smoke, and setting him as a rough, mean guy was setting him on to be an evil character, and then telling Pip he had "lost" boys before confirmed it. It happened to be the second deceiving character, out of many. I know this is historically accurate, and this is what would have been seen as normal for the time period, I think for today, it would be seen as horrible, because the racial "tensions" happening at that time.
Then there was Hannah, whom I thought could not have been any stronger, despite her growth at the end. I thought the relationship between her and Pip was a bit out of the blue and should have been delayed a bit more. I LOVED however her little songs every now and again, it gives the reader clever and selective insight into what she was thinking, and what was going on nobody else in the story new. However what annoyed me, was that it was only a couple of pages later that someone else new about it, and the matter was completely solved, or it was no longer a secret.
Lilybelle, whom Pip was told to look after, was a very light hearted woman, that anybody could be friends with. However, once she "grew", she faced prejudices of her own, none of her friends would talk to her, she was "scary" and looked on as lazy. However, when Pip leaves for a week, she gets better, Mr Zachery looks after her more, Their is physical improvements. And it just makes Pip, happy as it is, seem useless and unable.
Then there is the theme of things, I don't know enough about racial history in America. To comment to the deserved extent, however I believe the author has described, explained and captured enough of what it was like to really interest and teach the reader the different view points. However, there were pockets in the book where that was forgotten.
Back to Jack, his role at first was unclear, the blurb said he would meet pip and they would become "Inextricably linked". it was slow at first, however I felt that was needed, because the author had tied himself a knot. With a friendly hypnotise, he could get out of any situation, he could solve all their problems without a blink. And this slowed and lost the book some meaning, when they went traveling, they got out of all situations, they hypnotised everyone who gave them a tiny bit of trouble.
And this is where there the book falls, Pip, had lost the meaning or "main character" yes, they were doing everything for him, yes he was the person originally in trouble. However, he became a whinging child, Hannah was suffering more. and jack became the hero every time. The book became very slow, there were several small revelations however, when the big "event" happened, it was jack who saved the day, while Pip was asleep, and that was all that happened.
Jack's happy, innocent personality had to change because of his new role in the story, and in most cases that would be okay, however the change was more of a destruction, he lost nearly all of any personality and he was jumping back and forward from being angry, scared and nosy, to being, kind, parental and heroic.
The book became magical, for random events magically stopped all other events and none of the characters were touched or ever put in really danger.

[Pat Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of The Hypnotist to review and I thought this was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Can't recommend it highly enough.

[Krystle · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the Hypnotist, I fall somewhere between "disappointment" and "it was okay". The book started out really strong; I thought the characters were very diverse and interesting, the hypnotic gift the professor had was fascinating and played out well through the story, and the villain {or villains} in the story were convincing in their malice. That being said, I was drawn into the book easily and stayed tied up with the characters....until somewhere closer towards the end.

I read the reviews for this book prior to reading it, and maybe that had an effect on my view. Some of the reviewers touted this book as akin to 'To Kill a Mockingbird' {one of my favorite books} so I was expecting this to be somewhat impactful, but it honestly just fell short for me. There really was no major obstacle to defeat or any internal moral conflict to overcome...sure there was Erwin and the KKK, but it's not as if the kids or Jack attempted to dismantle them or rise up against them. They did nothing.

This book had a crew of really great characters, but they didn't DO anything great. I think that is where my disappointment lies. In books that cover important topics such as race relations in the 1960s, I don't want to read about the people who just got by and survived the harsh times, I want to read about the ones that pushed through all odds and stood up to their oppressors - I want to read about the great people. In my opinion, this book focused on great people who had interesting stories and all the potential in the world to be Atticus, but instead just either braced for the storm or ran away cowardly. Even the way the main antagonist dies is cowardly. And yet, even with all that said, the children find something that ultimately GIVES them their happy-every after. They didn't fight for a happy ending, they just endured some hard times - a near death experience here and an almost-rape there - and did nothing about it, but walk away into the sunset with everything they wanted.

Overall, I was just not impressed with this book. The writing was great, and the movement between Jack and the children's point of views was done well. I thought Jack's personality really showed through and he was defiantly my favorite part of the whole book. I just wish the author would have done something with this impressive cast of characters.

[Book Box Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the Deep South of the American 1960’s, a black orphan boy, a mute Native American servant girl and an Irish Neurology professor are an unlikely squad. In a society overwhelmed by prejudice, they must employ all of their courage, cunning and wit to free themselves from their oppressors.

This book is amazing! Here at Book Box Club we loved it so much we featured it in our Freedom Squad themed October box and we were thrilled to get the chance to chat to Laurence in our members only online book club with our members. The Hypnotist is so brilliantly written; it has been months and months since I read it but some of the scenes have really stuck with me and I still find myself daydreaming about the characters! There is no getting around it, the subject matter is tough reading in parts but that is one of the things I loved about it; Laurence doesn't pull any punches and despite the setting in this dark period of America's (alarmingly recent) history, this story is full of tenderness in Pip's relationships with the people around him. It is rare that characters in YA are so beautifully described and diverse and, for me, they are the most refreshing things about this book.

It was great to hear more about the real stories that went into The Hypnotist and Laurence's inspiration to write the novel in our book group meeting and I strongly suggest anyone interested look up his website for more information on that.

We will certainly carry on recommending this wonderful book to everyone for years to come!

[Sue Bursztynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful book. If I'd had time to read it in one session I would have done so. It was interesting to read that the author's family, Jews from Persia who fled the country as refugees from racist policies in the 17th century, came from the town of Shushan(Susa) where the story of Esther, the heroine who saved her people from the racist vizier Haman, is set.

Anyway, this and his father's experiences as a member of British Intelligence during and just after WWII, inspired this novel. The author wanted to write about his ancestors, but it was too close to home for the moment.

As historical fiction it works very well. Perhaps a half-star down because it's not really YA, though marketed as such. The main characters, Pip and Hannah, are teenagers, yes, but we also get plenty of viewpoint from the other protagonist, Jack Morrow, the hypnotist of the title, a university academic who is doing great things with dealing with what we now call PTSD. I don't know how our students will react to the adult viewpoint, though the better readers are quite capable of enjoying adult books.

I also can't help wondering whether a hypnotist can do quite the things Jack does in the novel, as easily as he does. It feels almost like Obi-Wan Kenobi with his , "These aren't the droids you're looking for. We can go about our business."

Still, a very readable book which I enjoyed greatly.

[Maja Diana]

I am not able to give this book a rating, as I didn't finish it.
However, from the parts I did read I can tell you:

- It is well written. Fx. I sometimes struggle when writers decide to write out drawls and accents, but in this book it was just alright.

- The Main Characters are all really interesting. Every one from the Caucasian Irish Neurology Professor, to the Black Orphan teenager, and the Mute Native American girl. Together, they all have interesting back stories, and I really liked all three of them.

- The story is set in the 60's, and features the fight against racism.

I just couldn't read it. The scenes made me uncomfortable. As in, they were hard to read without getting too affected.

Basically, I'm one of those people who lives through all the slightly scary things by saying: "It's not real, it's just fiction." But with this book, I couldn't do that. In fact, the few scenes I did read wasn't hard to imagine happening right now, today.

So, do I recommend this book? Definitely. It's been said to be great for people who liked The Book Thief. (Haven't read that yet, so I wouldn't know)

I will most likely attempt to read this another time.

[Ms Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't really like the cover of this book and it put me off reading it at first, but if you read the first two pages, you will want to find out what happens. Anholt is a good writer and draws you in and keeps the story moving along. You hear from three viewpoints, a young black boy, a young N. American Indian girl, and the hypnotist himself.
The story is set in the USA around the time of Martin Luther King's great speech and the Ku Klux Klan. I really enjoyed it and couldn't stop reading.

[MariaWitBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most inspiring book of 2017. Worth rereading

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the early 1960s - a fascinating period for racial equality, especially in this book set in the southern states of the US. A hard hitting read.

[Sharron Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story, that I enjoyed. Makes some really important points about society today by weaving historical elements throughout the book.
Well worth a read ...

[Connor Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book out of everyone that I have read.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Anholt's writing is often enthralling, I would be much more interested to read the fictionalisation of antisemitism he had originally intended to write about. Unlike his authorial note that ‘colour prejudice can work both ways’, it is imperative that children are taught to understand racism (and, particularly, anti-Black racism) as historically rooted and systemically sustained. All prejudice is wrong and anyone can be prejudiced towards anyone - of any colour. But the institutions and systems upon which Western societies were built (and continue to operate) are specifically anti-Black and must be understood as such; racism must be taught in context. The problem with this book is that the author has failed to understand - and to represent - the systemic nature of specifically anti-Black racism in the US. As a result, the novel's treatment of racism is often age-inappropriate and seems to jar with its predominantly light-hearted, humorous tone. Although not intentional, this has the effect of minimising and caricaturing, making serious topics unbelievable and racist behaviour incomprehensible.

Lynchings:
Near the end of the book, Hannah describes to Pip how she witnessed the boys who used to work at Dead River Farm ‘swinging side by side in the poplar tree’. Without information about how and why lynchings are perpetrated, children will neither comprehend this scene nor understand it as the consequence of a hate-fuelled, public celebration of extreme, racially-motivated violence; the logical conclusion to the process of dehumanisation made inevitable by White supremacy. What’s more, because the boys are unnamed and under-described (they are merely ‘the twins’), it is hard for readers (particularly young readers) to emotionally process the scene and its significance. Because the novel's several descriptions of lynchings lack proper contextualisation, they risk perpetuating the process of dehumanisation and even trivialising these unimaginable acts of inhumanity.

The KKK:
There is a well-described moment where Jack considers calling the police to report the activities of the KKK at Dead River before realising, 'with a feeling of absolute dismay', that he had witnessed patrol cars attending the initiation ceremony. This, along with the discovery of Professor Cerberus’ participation, is an effective demonstration of institutional racism and its wide-reaching, terrifying implications. However, the actual depictions of members of the KKK in the novel are somewhat disarming. For example, Cerberus presents as a charming, affable man who continually asserts that the KKK is simply misunderstood. Rather than conveying the idea that racism can exist anywhere, this downplays the extreme nature of Cerberus' beliefs, portraying him as deluded rather than culpable. Erwin, too, is at times abominable and at other times sympathetic - he is ‘out of his mind’ and just wants to be a ‘good soldier’. By recasting these ‘villains’ as misguided antagonists, the author somewhat absolves them of responsibility for their White supremacy and detracts from the abhorrence of this ideology.

And this, perhaps, would be understandable if it were to make the wider point that, in a society built on the premise of White supremacy, everyone has the potential to be or become racist. Unfortunately, the novel’s characters contradict this notion:

Erwin’s 'conversion' occurs in Vietnam as a result of his PTSD, addiction and indoctrination, as if this perfect storm was his initiation into radicalisation, rather than its catalyst.
Zachary and Lillybelle ‘had not been racists - in fact, there had been many non-White employees on the family farm’ (translation: "some of their best friends were Black”). This runs contrary to all other information. The couple do not employ the ‘non-White’ children - they enslave them: Pip is literally 'bought' for $75, the children receive no financial recompense for their work at Dead River and they are warned never to leave the farm - on pain of death! To depict Zachary and Lillybelle as harmless or even benevolent (eventually ‘releasing’ the children), without critiquing their contradictory and racist behaviour provokes questions around how much the author understands the topics his novel explores.

And herein lies the rub.

Ultimately, despite good intentions, there are some worrying and contradictory messages in this book which would not exist if the author had experienced the specific type of racism he seeks to explore.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis:
Pip, an orphaned African American boy in the height of civil unrest in the South, is awoken in the night with news of employment at a farm. This is the farm of Lilybelle and Zachary - an overweight, bedridden woman and the father of Erwin, an angry man who returned from the Vietnam war with a lust for inflicting pain. Jack Morrow, who resides in a cottage opposite to the farm, is a kind professor with the gift of hypnosis. Jack joins the farm where he meets hannah, a Native American girl mute from the theft of her voice, land and family. Anholt explores many a difficult topic in The Hypnotist: racism, the KKK, family trauma and of course - hypnosis.

My review:
I’m honestly surprised by how much I loved this book. I’ve had it in my bookcase for years, no where near the top of my tbr pile - but I gave my boyfriend the honour of picking my next book and he picked this one. Begrudgingly, I started the book already believing it isn’t for me (awful I know) and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The writing style and imagery is beautiful throughout and I believe Anholt truly got it right - the depiction of so many complicated topics, eloquently given the time and respect they deserve. I would highly recommend this book.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing!
It is beautifully written. The Southern accent made it even more authentic. I loved how Laurence described every character so it felt like you knew them as well. As for the story, well, it is so wonderful and sad at the same time. If you're a fan of To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Help or anything similar to these great stories, then I would recommend The Hypnotist as well.
You learn so much when reading this book. I couldn't put it down and if I had to, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Definitely a must-read! :)
While I was reading I always felt like this book should be read in school. It is extremely educating and full of historic events - a lot of them not very pleasant. But they teach and inspire you in very different ways and I guess, that is what makes this book so beautiful.
And I was fortunate enough to chat with the author yesterday! He is so nice and passionate about all of his books. He has great ideas for more stories and I can't wait to read them!!

[Clair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read another book quite like this one. A pacey historical fiction set in 1960’s America with racial tensions and the KKK. Erwin, the son, is an ex-soldier who fought in Vietnam. He has serious mental health issues and his family tread on eggshells when he is home. Hannah the kitchen maid lives in fear of Erwin, she is traumatised and selectively mute. Pip, named after Great Expectations and is a Black orphan. Mr Zachery bought Pip as a slave to look after and read to his wife Lillybelle. Jack Morrow their neighbour is a hypnotist working as a university lecturer.
I loved the different chapters of this book. Each written by a different character in the story. The southern drawl of Mr Zachery and Lillybelle and the poetry verses from Hannah. Despite living in fear of Erwin and the KKK this book is full of hope for the future. A very interesting read.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite wrongly put this book off for ages, convinced it wasn’t really for me. And in parts, it isn’t - I struggled with the way it was written for example, especially translating the spoken bits. But the setting and the time were fine (and I typically don’t love more historical reads). And the story is lovely. I loved Pip and Hannah and Lilybelle. It’s a little short and in places simplistic (I think you can tell he came from writing for a younger audience), but I think that actually works for the subject matter - race relations in 1963 is not an easy subject to discuss!! It is delicately handled without dancing around the uncomfortableness. I can see why this book has been on so many lists this year!

[Thelostbookmark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m quite disappointed with this book. The blurb sets it up to be a thoughtful story about race, but really it’s quite poorly written . Anholt has managed to write a white saviour narrative about the KKK, with a rather odd addition of mind control and hypnotism.

The intertextual elements of Great Expectations felt incredibly forced and unnecessary. Maybe if Anholt had alluded to the novel more subtly, it would have felt a bit clever? But still it just came off as clumsy and a ill-suited book to draw comparisons to.

White authors can and should write diverse novels, this was just poorly done. Also the AAVE was not written very convincingly and felt like a bit of a crude imitation.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The ancient rule of conflict is that it is easier to kill if the enemy can be reduced to
crude group; a lower level of humanity."

Although set in 1963, this book could not be more relevant to the ever conflicted America. Race is a serious issue and I feel like it is addressed very well for a young adult book.

This book has very sad moments but the end is uplifting and hopeful.

[Alice Visser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only knew Laurence Anholt as a picture book writer/illustrator, so I wasn't sure what to expect from his first young adult novel. I loved it - read it mostly in one sitting in the hammock. Many stories explore racism and the KKK in the American south, but this one has a twist in the form of an slightly odd but charming Irish hypnotist who lives next door to the young black and Native American protagonists. The alternating first person and third person perspectives worked well. Recommended.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was unsure going into this one if I would like it, but I was pleasantly surprised and often found myself wanting to pick it back up- I kept finding myself thinking about it and being drawn back in, even when I had put it down.

The heavy presence of the KKK within the book did not always make it an easy read, but I think the subject matter was handled very well.

[Bernie Steadman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anholt is an accomplished storyteller, but there is something missing from the tale - jeopardy. Great premise, and the characterisation was effective, but did I ever believe that any of the characters was in danger? Not really. I still enjoyed the book, though.

[Oliver white · Rating 3 out of 5]

Combines factual racism with some twist. I would say the book starts pretty slow, but eventually the pace picks up
Some quite interesting ideas, but I found it very annoying that the book kept changing POV every chapter.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarily still relevant. #3wordbookreview

This would make a great companion novel to To Kill a Mockingbird. Made me very uncomfortable in parts, but a suspenseful novel well told.

[Sabine Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read. Challenging and enjoyable. In places quite violent but also very tenderly handled big topics. Highly recommend.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carnegie Long List

I think it will make the short list (which probably means it won't!). It made me a little uneasy...

[Louise Gladwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book -gripping and good story line and believable characters.