AUGUST FALLING by Les Zig, Review: Sharp-witted narrative
Les Zig’s August Falling isn’t a love story, but one about acceptance, choices, and finding a way to be ourselves.
August Falling Synopsis:
The past.
Sometimes we can’t escape it.
After a bad relationship, August is trying to piece his life back together. It’s not perfect his flat is small, he works in a call centre, he can’t finish the book he’s working on, and he’s socially challenged when it comes to women.
When August meets Julie, he finds she’s everything he isn’t — confident, composed, and purposeful, despite her troubled childhood, and with her, August finally begins to feel he can be himself.
But Julie has a secret one that threatens to plummet August right back into the miseries of his past.
(Pantera Press, September 2018)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Humour, Mystery
Disclosure: If you click a link in this post we may earn a small commission to help offset our running costs.
BOOK REVIEW
August Falling is a refreshing read within the context of the often over-stylised drama-romance genre this novel sometimes pokes fun at.
I shoot to my feet. Of course, she’d have a boyfriend. A husband, maybe – possibly even a kid. Or kids. When are beautiful women ever single outside of romantic comedies and dumb books? Beautiful, single, perfect.
Protagonist August is utterly lacking confidence in social situations, but his inner voice is sharp-witted with a writer’s keen eye for observation. These elements combined yield a conversational narrative bursting with endearing candour.
A man sweeps in — that’s the only way to describe his entrance: he sweeps, like all before him should bow. He has a mane of white hair that bounces with each step, but seems premature in its colour, because his face is sharp, his shoulders broad in his navy blazer, and there’s that whole sweeping thing.
After a little help from his loyal, caring sister Gen, and much pitch-perfectly awkward and hilarious dialogue, August gets his chance for happiness with Julie.
But it’s not all fun and games and Disney-endings, and that’s where this novel shines…. August Falling delves into deeper and darker psychological trauma experienced by August and Julie — injustices they’ve experienced, difficult decisions they’ve made as a consequence and heavy baggage they carry to this day.
Some may find the profanity and sexual content offputting, but for the most part, I felt it was in keeping with the raw and frank narrative style.
The little details and sense of heart Zig injects into his character development, both leads and quirky supporting cast, is to be admired. This novel’s conclusion is not predictable, yet one of the most realistically satisfying I’ve read in quite some time.
August Falling is an entertaining, page-turner – a great weekend read.
BOOK RATING: The Story 4 / 5 ; The Writing 4 / 5
Get your copy of August Falling from:
This review counts towards my participation in the Aussie Author Challenge 2018 and the 2018 New Release Challenge.
About the Author, Les Zig
Les has been telling stories since he was a kid, lying to get out of trouble. As a teenager, he worked out he could put his imagination to use telling stories, although this took a number of different forms. As he’s grown older, he’s had stories and articles published in various print and digital journals, screenplays optioned, and written one whole poem.
He’s now interested in exploring the human psyche — from the fears, quirks, and neuroses that drive us, to the dynamics of how people interact and react, how the world around them influences and sometimes predetermines their choices, and who they inevitably become.
Les is also the author of young adult novel Pride and the adult fiction novel Just Another Week in Suburbia. Check out his website and connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.
* My receiving a copy of August Falling from the publisher for review purposes did not impact the expression of my honest opinions in the review above.