The Best Fiction I Read in 2021 (Part One)
The best novels I read in 2021, in the order I read them.
Leave The World Behind – Rumaan Alam
An unsettling and claustrophobic apocalyptic novel that’s more of a quiet and tense literary thriller than a twisty page turner. Amanda, Clay and their children stay in a luxury rental in a remote part of Long Island, but when the owners of the property arrive on their doorstep claiming a blackout has shut down the city, the unease begins. Alam holds back the explanations for what’s really going on but the hints about what’s happening in the wider world and what will happen in future was a smart choice. A surprisingly gripping read.
One of those novels which is definitely worth the hype. Centring on Lex, known as Girl A to the press, she is the only child who managed to escape her family’s “House of Horrors”. Now an adult, Lex is the executor of her mother’s will, including that fatal house where they were abused. The structure of this book is well done as Dean uses the quest to collect her siblings’ signatures as a frame to reflect on their horrifying past. An engrossing and emotional read touching on long lasting trauma.
Follow Me To Ground – Sue Rainsford
I read two Sue Rainsford novels this year and she’s quickly become one of my favourite writers. Follow Me To Ground is like nothing I’ve ever read before, weird and creepy with some of the most beautiful prose I’ve ever read. It’s a short, strange novel about Ada and her father who remove sickness from “Cures” (humans), often by burying them in the ground, but their relationship becomes strained when Ada falls for Samson, a Cure.
Circus of Wonders – Elizabeth Macneal
A captivating historical novel about the spectacle and the dark underbelly of the circus world in the Victorian era. The novel goes behind the tent of magic and wonder to expose the cruel, cold world of exploitation. At the heart of the novel is Nell, who is sold to the circus and its power-hungry showman Jasper Jupiter. Despite this, she finds power in her differences and the circus gives her a sense of belonging and Macneal walks a beautiful balance between the exploitation of outcasts and the way the circus gives them a sense of purpose.
Early Morning Riser – Katherine Heiny
This novel was a complete joy. Witty and uplifting with incredible characterisation – this was the perfect pick-me-up read for another gloomy year. It tells the story of Jane, who meets Duncan, an unreliable carpenter with a reputation for having slept with almost every woman in town. When their neighbour Jimmy becomes a big part of their lives, Jane’s idea of love, happiness and family develops. Heiny depicts a quirky small town with so much humour and I was incredibly invested in everyone’s lives. Loved it.
Water Shall Refuse Them – Lucie McKnight Hardy
Lucie McKnight Hardy is another writer I discovered this year who’s now become a firm favourite and Water Shall Refuse Them is a real gem. It’s a sweaty and claustrophobic story set in the heatwave of ’76 as Nif and her family move to a Welsh village for the holidays after the death of her sister. It’s a quiet, strange folk-horror inflected novel, dealing with grief, rituals and an odd group of unusual religious folk. A coming of age story with a difference.
I was left underwhelmed by Jones’ American Marriage but I loved Silver Sparrow and its engrossing, yet sad story of a bigamist’s two families. The book splits so we read about the lives of both his daughters and the history of their mothers’ relationship with their father. When the girls’ lives intersect you’re waiting for the secret to blow apart, but the characterisation is layered and empathetic so you feel for all involved.
This is a book on everyone’s “Best of 2021” lists and deservedly so. This is a beautifully written novel about a woman’s life with mental illness and how this impacts upon her relationships with her family and her own hopes and desires. We learn early on that her marriage is doomed, but the structure of the book allows us to watch the relationship grown so you are completely invested and struggle to see their relationship shatter. A wonderful novel.
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead – Emily R Austin
Gilda is a highly anxious, depressed woman who is fixated on death and dying. She’s a regular at the hospital and then, when trying to attend a therapy group, accidently ends up getting a job at a Catholic church. Only, she has a problem and two secrets to hide – she’s an atheist and gay. I had so much fun reading this blackly comic novel with its cast of brilliant characters.
The End of Men – Christina Sweeney Baird
It seems strange to say I massively enjoyed a novel about a pandemic when we're currently living through one but this was a great read and I'm even more impressed that it's a debut. The year is 2025 and a virus has broken out, killing only men – what becomes of the world now? From the political to the personal, this novel is prescient and feels realistic. It's pacey and thrilling and now we can see how many elements of it are close to reality. I liked too that it didn't sugar coat certain situations - loss broke friendships for good, scientists didn't work just for the benefit of humankind. If you can stomach a novel about a different kind of pandemic, then give this a try.