Journey

by Jae Watson

'Journey was a fascinating read that kept me intrigued to the end. It is a novel that defies expectation and provides no cosy solutions.' Writewords.co.uk

'Must be a winner. Books, after all, don't just furnish a room. They fit very neatly into backpacks.' N16 Magazine

Following the break-up of her relationship and unsure of her life's direction, Marianne leaves London still reverberating from the terrorist bombings to travel for a year with the mysterious and beautiful Sara. However, deep into the heart of chaotic and mystical India, events take a dramatic turn and, in the Holy City of Varanasi, Sara's body is discovered floating in the Ganges. As the investigation ensues, unexpected and shocking revelations cast a new light on Sara and take Marianne on a painful but vital journey to uncover the truth about her friend and also her own life.

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2007

Reviews

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by the Book Club I belong to. Initially, I was hesitant about reading it; for some reason books with a background of India do not appeal to me. Also the fact that I could not enough reviews of it added to its lack of appeal. Nowadays, because I can't pick up a book in a bookstore and browse through it, I find I need readers' reviews to give me some idea. Still, I felt duty bound to make the effort and so I purchased it and began reading.

It started promisingly enough, with the characters practically jumping from the page as did descriptions of vibrant places and people and smells and colors.

For some reason I lost focus from the time Sara started behaving erratically to the time she was discovered in the Ganges, dead. Was it due to the essay-like discussions about faith, love and the like from Marianna's point of view (or were they passages quoted verbatim from other books)? Was it due to my inability to concentrate on what I was reading and therefore my fault? I can't say; I struggled to continue, because I wanted to see what the author was getting to.

As I continued to read, I was pleased to find out that the story truly picked up from the discovery of Sara's body to the end, with a plausible storyline, interesting plot twists, and tight writing, which I thoroughly came to enjoy.

[Philip Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am afraid that I found the narrator, Marianne, very irritating. I found her to be irrational and in many ways silly. It is perhaps an example of a book that is difficult for men to understand. At first I was irritated by her being so vulnerable and jealous of her friend Sara but also so accepting of someone she knew so little about. Then she started speaking like a text book on relationships and the different types of sex. Every so often she pontificates. The location and the element of mystery were what carried the story along for me. However when all was revealed I felt that Sara's character which is fundamental to the plot was also a bit of a stretch. I couldn't really relate to the way she behaved and so ultimately I found the book unfulfilling.

[Awehla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about an ordinary 20 something Marianne trying to figure out what she wants in life who ends up going on an adventure with her friend Sara. The back of the book kind of spoils it for you so don't read the back just start reading the book. I thought the characters were well constructed and there are enough twists and turns to keep you reading. The only odd thing was the exposition given as dialogue by characters that sounded like they were reading out of a book, but I don't know it kind of amused me.

[Mesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing loved the writing style. Once I started I couldn't put it down and read within a day.

[Gillian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated the narrator's voice and felt the book was badly written so not enjoyed.