This is exactly what I wanted/needed to read right now.

Some people will probably be confused/frustrated with the way the plot unfolds. It might read like Oyeyemi didn’t have a clear idea where she wanted to go with it and just… continued writing. But having read Gingerbread (and I enjoyed it a lot), I was kind of prepared for anything. And I gobbled every single thing she threw at me, every single weird plot twist and unexpected new character.

As I was reading, I couldn’t stop thinking: “Is this book an exercice in gaslighting?” I found myself doubting the narrator more and more as the story progressed. But also doubting the other characters. Doubting everyone, really.

The writing. The writing is so, so good.

This.....was weird. This was very weird, and unfortunately, this was not my type of weird. I can definitely see it being someone's type of weird, and I can see someone absolutely falling head over heels for this book. I like weird things to either be very very dark, or very very whimsical, and Peaces wasn't enough of either for me. I felt myself being very confused for the most part. There were certain scenes and themes I would have liked to explore more, and it felt like every time I started to get invested in story, it would immediately take a turn in a different direction, and I was left feeling unsatisfied. I think that people should read the synopsis of this book, and if it sounds to you incredibly intriguing, and you like weird things, then give this book a go.

* Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

What an exhilarating ride! We board a former tea smuggling train called Lucky Day together with Otto and Xavier Shin, a non-honeymoon honeymoon, the trip a gift from Xavier's wealthy Korean aunt Shin Do Yeon. They settle into their assigned Clock Carriage with their mongoose, Arpad Montague XXX who hails from Kuching, Borneo* and has a long illustrious pedigree. Hoping to get a glimpse of the mysterious train owner Ava Kapoor, Xavier thinks he saw a written message from her, either 'Hello' or 'Help.' This word confusion is later repeated when we find out that Otto had run into a building on fire because an old man had implored him to 'save' his son which he later wonders if the word was 'stop.' Nobody could see or find the young supposed trapped young man in question, only Otto saw him or was it his imagination?

If this sounds bizarre and difficult to follow, it is, at least initially. Helen Oyeyemi throws us into this fascinating world with not much cogent explanation and our Czech narrator Otto née Montague (who wears underwear with the days of the week printed in Czech) is rather unreliable to boot. My advice is to sit back and enjoy the journey, trust Ms Oyeyemi who has put together a very intricately crafted novel. Details matter, as this Toronto Star review https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/reviews/2021/04/11/in-a-magical-novel-like-helen-oyeyemis-peaces-it-pays-to-notice-the-details-heres-why.html points out and it comes together like an origami puzzle at the end. The backstory of each character is revealed and their interconnection unveiled- were they brought together by a nefarious invisible villain or victim?

Stories nested within stories. I enjoyed all the surreal side trips, including Xavier's unusual childhood of being shared among his Korean aunts and being involved in a separate train hijacking to force a Go re-challenge tournament. It ends with the challenger swallowing the baduk stones like pills and has similarities to Ava Kapoor's story of her mother swallowing prized emeralds. The theme, I infer, is of obsession and possession to destructive ends. The other motif is of sanity and visibility; if one can't see someone that everyone else can see, does it make one crazy? Who determines sanity and how to demonstrate one is actually sane? Conversely, if one is the person who's been unseen, how to make others aware of one's presence? What if there's a whole group of these 'unseen' people? I found this interview https://www.vulture.com/article/helen-oyeyemi-profile.html with Ms Oyeyemi illuminating.

* My one quibble is to point out that 'Kuching, Borneo' is an odd way to geographically pinpoint it. Kuching is a city in the state of Sarawak belonging to the country of Malaysia. Three countries are perched on Borneo Island: Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), Indonesia (Kalimantan).

Ava Kapoor the train owner plays the theremin, it helps to know a bit about this very interesting instrument but basically, it's played by waving one's hands in the air without touching it. Sound is produced via electromagnetic current. Part of her history is that she was tasked to play the theremin by publisher Karel Stojaspal for his insomniac son Přemysl throughout the night. The only problem? She can't see him. There's some musicology in the text, involving a novella about harpsichord of contesting authorship between Ava and Přem as well as the naming of Ava's girlfriend and the train conductor, Allegra Yu. For those who play music, there's annotations to indicate the tempo and mood of the piece, my mind flashed to 'con allegro' or 'allegro ma non troppo.' There's also the hidden reference to an 1867 chamber opera piece whose lead character is Krakamiche, the name of Karel Stojaspal's publishing house that I didn't catch until the Toronto Star review pointed it out. All the minute details click together in a most satisfying brain tickling manner.

I am reluctant to leave the train with its sauna, library, greenhouse, post office and bazaar (which sounds like a goblin market). I'm not sure where we went but it was a magical fantastic exploration possibly all in the mind. We may be in the purview of the fantastical but at heart, it returns to human psychology and connection. Helen Oyeyemi is one of my favourite authors and Peaces cements it. Bravo. Looking forward to her next book set in Prague.

Thanks to publisher Riverhead Books and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi. Published April 6th 2021.
Thanks to Net Galley @netgalley and Hamish Hamilton & Penguin Random House Canada @penguinrandomhouse for letting me read a digital ARC of this novel.
I also bought my own hardcopy as seen in the photo.
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Otto & Xavier are on a honeymoon that isn't exactly a honeymoon on a sleeper train called The Lucky Day with their pet mongoose. There's not a ton of plot, plenty of mystery, and, typical for Oyeyemi, plenty of topsy-turvy fairy-tale vibes.
Oyeyemi's writing tends to be bewildering and obfuscating, and demands a great deal of trust from the reader. Early in the novel there is a discussion of the four ways one can watch a marionette show: by watching the puppets, by watching the puppeteer, by watching the faces of the audience members, or by watching the strings. Peaces is definitely a novel for those who like to watch the strings.
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To be honest, if you haven't read any of Oyeyemi's work and are looking for a place to start, Peaces probably isn't it. I'd suggest starting with her collection of short stories What is Not Yours is Not Yours which is a great introduction to her very particular style of storytelling.
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#NetGalley #peaces #peacesnovel #helenoyeyemi #fairytale #whatisnotyoursisnotyours #hamishhamilton #penguinrandomhouse #alwaysreading #bookpost #bookreview

It is always a wild ride with Helen Oyeyemi and Peaces is no exception. I find you just have to let go a little bit and let the story carry you, in the end she always wraps up the plot in a way you never could have guessed. A meditation on being seen...with mongooses.

› Honza and Otto had an easy breakup. Now, Otto, his husband Otto, and their pet mongoose, Arpad, are having a non-honeymoon on a very strange train called The Lucky Day. There are five passengers: Otto, Xavier, Ava Kapoor (and her pet mongoose Chela), Allegra and Laura (train conductors). Laura instructs Otto that he and Xavier are not allowed to speak to Ms. Kapoor or Chela. Otto doesn't listen to her of course. Some aren't who they are appear to be. Some unknowingly know each other. The passengers compare notes to try and figure things out before they read their unknown destination. Peaces is a bizarre train ride down the rabbit hole.

› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: The characters were not well-developed. I didn't understand their goals or backstory, but I do love to see the LGBT rep. 4

› Atmosphere: The descriptions were lacking, but the train setting was well done. I didn't feel anything. 5

› Writing Style: The dialogue was great, but the writing style itself is incredibly confusing. 6

› Plot: There isn't really a plot. 4

› Intrigue: Although Peaces lacked a real plot, I did want to keep reading. 7

› Logic: Absolutely no logic here. This story did not make sense, it was extremely confusing. 6

› Enjoyment: I didn't like the characters, atmosphere, plot, or logic, yet I did find myself intrigued and turning pages. I'm having a really hard time putting a rating on this one. 7


Average 5.6

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★

› Final Thoughts
• Meandering, whimsical, nonsensical, Peaces is a very bizarre story that will leave you feeling confused, yet oddly entertained. The strange train compartments reminded me of Snowpiercer, the magical realism gave me Anna-Marie McLemore vibes (but McLemore does it better).



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.



*Quotes taken from an ARC copy and subject to change*

Peaces tells the story of Otto and Xavier Shin who set out on a mysterious train trip with their pet mongoose for a non-honeymoon honeymoon (they’re not married but they are committed). Somewhere on the empty train is Ava Kapoor who also has a pet mongoose and plays the theremin (because, of course). They catch a glimpse of her with a sign that says either “Hello” or “Help” and this is the first of many mysteries that they will have to contend with on their destination-less journey.

These are not words I could ever predict would end up in one paragraph, but I was willing to go along for the ride, as it were, as Peaces sounded like it might be a fun change from the rather serious books I’ve been reading lately. I like the challenge that authors set themselves when they essentially trap their characters in a location. The films and books, and especially plays, that do this are diverse but it works especially well with mystery, fantasy, and horror. Think: Jane Eyre (much of it), Murder on the Orient Express, Snowpiercer, Reservoir Dogs.

So I was inclined to be interested in Peaces. It’s definitely an unusual book. It “starts right in” with hardly any scene setting: Otto and Xavier and their mongoose are on the platform and, in short order, on the train. After this abrupt beginning, Oyeyemi layers in one odd element after another, with occasional flashbacks, becoming increasingly complex by the end. Some of the connections between past and present were interesting and set up the main mystery which ultimately drives the plot, but I started expecting a particular plot point to pay off but it never really did (and that’s really on me as the reader). At any rate, at the end of the book, when Otto and Xavier get off of the train, the trip is over, but for me, the story just didn’t quite feel concluded.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC in exchange for what is probably a much more honest review than they would have liked.

Delighted to include it in the April installment of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month's top fiction for Zed, Zoomer magazine’s reading and book club vertical (full review and feature at link).

PEACES by Helen Oyeyemi is a weird and unique novel. This story begins with a gay couple who takes their pet mongoose on a train ride. This book is one wild journey as is their train ride. The storyline is meandering as we meet different characters from the past and present. The writing is fantastic in the descriptions and the vivid storytelling that really propelled me to keep reading. I read this book really quickly. It was not a traditional plot line and nothing truly happens but it’s a strange and wonderful journey nonetheless. I felt a bit disconnected to the characters and it was hard to tell if this book was fantastical or not. I am definitely interested to read more from Oyeyemi!
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Thank you to Hamish Hamilton and Penguin Random House Canada for my advance review copy!

Helen Oyeyemi does train mystery! This is a perfect book. It keeps getting weirder and weirder, which is exciting, and it's often devastating in a quiet, curious way. I feel like people don't mention enough how funny Oyeyemi is, but this book is also really easily, seamlessly funny.