Olivia's Reviews > The Sudden Appearance of Hope

3.5 Stars

Claire North is undeniably clever. Her concepts are always intriguing, and her premises so very unique. North's novels often make me, a wannabe writer, think, "How did she come up with that?" and "Why can't I come up with something as clever as that?"

Despite that, I have to admit that North's books don't always work for me. While The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is one of my favourite books, I did not finish The End of the Day. I loved the premise, but didn't gel with the execution. I'm not mad about that. It happens.

The Sudden Appearance of Hope, a story about a woman who has a rare condition that makes her instantly forgettable to everyone she meets, ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the author's comments on politics and social issues, and I especially loved the way she criticises social media in this book, but the pacing is slow in places, and the story never managed to fully grip me.

Overall, it's definitely an enjoyable read that will appeal to fans of North, and while I didn't love it, I still found it to be an interesting and worthwhile read.