A Grovelling Apology to a New Author

My name is Mary, and I was wrong about 'Hungry, the Stars and Everything'. I was terribly wrong.
I am so sorry Emma Jane Unsworth. I really hope you didn't google your book title and stumble upon that one line stab I put into the heart of your carefully crafted novel.

I started the first chapter and it didn't fit with the synopsis I'd read, it was outside of the story I was expecting, it involved a child seeing the devil out of her window, I didn't know what that was doing there (I'm still not entirely sure, although it was an interesting aspect of Helen's personality).
I decided I didn't like it and put it down, made a throwaway line about it in a blog post about my inability to settle on a book to read and thought little more about it. But it stayed on my kindle, near the top of the list of 'most recently read' books.

And then I found myself alone in DB's flat on a Friday morning in an unfamiliar area. Disinclined to get lost in a part of London entirely new to me, I picked up the kindle and started reading. And I kept reading. And I read all morning. And then all the way on the train back to Birmingham from London, and then a lot last night. And then the vast majority of this afternoon.

And oh god, how wrong I was. So so wrong.

It was beautifully crafted, the structure like nothing I've ever read before. Skipping backwards in time and then immediately back to the present, intertwining the future and the past so you were never entirely sure where the story was going but you were desperate to find out.
I was equally invested in both of Helen's relationships, running side by side in the book but in reality years apart. I felt so emotionally attached to these couples, wanting to scream at Helen to stay with one, or to leave the other or just to put the bottle of wine down. Just put it down Helen for god's sake. It's not worth it.

I just... it captured me. And it did caught me off guard.
And it was rather beautiful.

Sorry Emma, I didn't give you enough credit. I hope I'm fixing that now!
I look forward to your next book!

8/10