ALYS, ALWAYS.

ALYS, ALWAYS by HARRIET LANE.

SOURCE: A Readers Group Read.

THE BOOK {According to the inner front cover}: It's a bleak midwinter evening (the sort of Sunday night you almost expect something bad to happen) when Frances comes across the scene of a crash. Alone in the dark forest with the injured driver, Alys Kyte, Frances offers company and reassurances as they wait for the emergency services. Then, trying to put the distressing episode behind her, she returns to her rather colourless life in London. Frances is a subeditor on the books pages of a newspaper: quiet, capable and largely ignored.

When Aly's family makes contact, a door opens into a world previously out of reach, a world of privilege and possibility. As her life becomes increasingly entwined with that of the Kytes, Frances begins to wonder: might she now become a player in her own right?

FIRST SENTENCE {Page 1}: It's shortly after 6 o'clock on a Sunday evening.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 46}: Of course, these visits are always an ordeal for my mother, who applies herself strenuously to the task of appearing easy and relaxed in what is essentially enemy territory.

MY THOUGHTS: Compulsive reading according to the Spectator.

As a reader who has to finish the book no matter what to begin with, I admit that I did find myself compulsively reading this debut novel but only in the hope that something (indeed ANYTHING) of note would eventually happen. That, given the huge build-up, there would be some earth-shattering climax that would make up for enduring what I felt was a monotonous story.

As for Frances being a fascinating creation? A totally unoriginal character. Her story, that of a unremarkable young women turned unremarkable schemer intent on taking advantage of the situation in which she finds herself, predictable and as old as time itself. 

Perhaps a novel I wouldn't have found quite so disappointing if it wasn't for all the unrealistically glowing endorsements littering the cover. 

Having read the book the only thing I can say I took away with me was the niggling worry that whilst hardly commendable I didn't find Frances' actions nearly as dark or psychologically disquieting as I felt I should.