Edinburgh by Alexander Chee is an amazing novel about sexual abuse, grief and the hardship of coming out as gay.
I confess I probably wound pick this book if not for the blurb of Roxane Gay: ‘Every word makes me ache … Written with exquisite empathy and grace’

I starded a bit put of by the pace of the author. Short sentences, jumping from one place to another. But it made sense, these were children, they do not dwell.

We follow the life of Fee, a young boy who sings in a coir and, with several other boys, finds himself in the web of a child molester.

The descriptions and the consequences to several of the children were intense and heartbreaking.

An amazing book. I really recomend.

This was hard-hitting, incredibly sad, haunting and beautifully written.
So many times I wanted to pick up "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara, but it's a huge chunker of a book.
Edinburgh was along the same lines and I heard good things about it, while having a page count of 224 pages. I was excited to find it on Netgalley and wasn't disappointed.
Even after finishing I'll know that this story will linger in my thoughts and I'll try and pick up A Little Life as well, although I'll be needing a funny and entertaining read after this one.
From the description you'll already know about all the triggers in this book. This is certainly not for everyone, but if you like to read a thought-provoking, important but sad book I'd encourage you to pick this one up.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Throughly enjoyed this book. Great read. Was totally hooked. Lovely writing style.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Bloomsbury for my eARC of the book in exchange for my open minded, honest unbiased review

Edinburgh is Chee's debut 2001 novel, originally released in the US and now available in the UK. It follows Fee, a Korean American boy abused by his choir director at summer camp. He grapples with his feelings for his best friend Peter and feels the guilt of not speaking up about the director. The man is arrested and Fee tries to build a new life, but circumstance will bring the past back for him to face.

The writing is captivating and the imagery is poetic, trying to capture Fee's thoughts and actions as he describes the events and then grows up and builds his life. It is not an easy read as it covers child abuse and suicide and this won't make it a book everyone will pick up, but Chee does write it in a way that isn't sensationalist for the most part, using literary style and empathy. There is hope, too, and a sense of finding love and connections despite a person's past. It is good that it has been published in the UK, as it is a powerful novel that talks about subjects that can often be swept away.

Edinburgh, Alexander Chee's critically-acclaimed debut novel, is a heartbreakingly powerful and emotional read. It is a coming-of-age story which follows the trials and tribulations of twelve-year-old Korean-American Aphias "Fee" Zhe, who lives in Cape Elizabeth near Portland, Maine, and who is fighting to overcome the effects of being sexually molested by Big Eric Gorendt, director of the Pine State Boys Choir. As you no doubt realise, this is far from a lighthearted, easy work. However, the message that emanates from this gut-wrenching tale is one of hope and the triumph of good over evil.

I can certainly see why this work won numerous awards when it was first released in the US back in 2001, and it's nice to have UK Edition albeit nearly eighteen years later. It explores the horrific mental and emotional damage these boys (Fee was not the only victim) go through and how they cope with this trauma. From the opening lines of the novel, we are told of the demise and subsequent death of Fee's first love, Peter. Issues such as mental health, suicide and paedophilia are dealt with in a sensitive and respectful manner, and each of the characters stories force you to contemplate your life too. Through the recurring use of metaphorical expression, powerful, lasting and vivid imagery and ideas take shape and make the story more hard-hitting than it may otherwise have been.

Edinburgh is a story of surviving childhood abuse and the earth-shattering losses of losing those we love, told in a searingly emotive fashion with bravery and absolute honesty. It feels authentic and beautiful, an engaging narrative and characters that are developed well and steal your heart. Brimming with understanding and exploration of topics writers often shy away from, this is the most heartfelt novel you'll read all year, and above all, it illustrates the depth of the human spirit. Chee writes in lyrical prose which sings from each page and is unlike any writing I have ever come across before. I know it'll stay with me for a long time to come. A highly recommended and wonderfully accomplished debut.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

‘This is a fox story. Of how a fox can be a boy. And so it is also the story of a fire.’

First published in 2001 in the US, we now have a UK edition released in 2018. This was Alexander Chee’s first novel and – wow, it is stunning. Very nearly 5 stars, and very nearly the best book I have read this year (why have I not come across this book before??). Very nearly, but not quite – for reasons below.

But first – this is not a cheery read, nor is it an easy read. Chee takes Korean and classical myths and blends them with ideas of burying and being underground (metaphors, I think, for the abuse victims and how they can or cannot cope with memories of the past). The subject matter is tough: child abuse and the struggle to cope, to live with the trauma. There are at least 2 suicides, and the central character Aphias Zhe (known as ‘Fee’) also has to deal with his own thoughts and attempts. The first part of the novel deals with the choirmaster and the boys who suffer the abuse, while the following parts move on and we see Fee grow older and struggle with his own life being a gay man living not only with the abuse he suffered, but also with guilt. Guilt for not speaking out, and guilt for the death of his one true love Peter. There is a nice switch in the narrative as we see the same events from the point of view of two different characters, Fee and Warden, as the book drives towards a terrible and violent climax.

The one quibble I have with the book, and the reason it doesn’t quite hit 5 stars for me, is the too-neat coincidence that Fee ends up teaching at the same school as the son of the man who abused him, and that fact that the boy (Warden) is a spitting image of Peter who had been Fee’s best friend and object of his unrequited love. I understand how and why Chee did this for reasons of plotting – and maybe, as this feels in part like a semi-autobiographical novel as many first novels seem to be, there is an element of fact in this – but it just felt a little too contrived for me to be totally accepting of this development.

However, I can live with that minor distraction. This is the kind of book that I had to read in stages, taking a break at the end of each section to walk away. Partly because of the subject matter, but mainly because Chee’s prose is extraordinary. He writes sentences that suck the breath out of you, leaving you stunned in awe at the image, the feeling, the sheer heartbreaking emotion in the words. The book reminded me of a blend of Scott Heim’s ‘Mysterious Skin’ and the very best of Alan Hollinghurst, and, like Hollinghurst, Chee’s lyricism is simply dazzling. The last few pages, which draw together all the strands of myths and leave the main characters changed forever, just left me a wreck! There are no easy solutions, no neat tying-up of the past, no escaping the past. There is, perhaps, hope.

Yes, this book may not be for some people, and I totally get that. But this is a work of lyrical power and emotional force that will stay with me for some time. I cannot recommend it enough. 4.5 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.)