Erosion

by Ruth Estevez

During her first storm swept night in a run-down chalet park on the North Yorkshire coast, a terrified Lizzie Juniper witnesses a building's rumbling collapse into the sea. Unable to save its inhabitants, she watches in horror as an old couple and their teetering home crash into the pounding waves hundreds of feet below.

The next day, the few remaining residents are given seven days to vacate their chalets yet it seems strange they are in no rush to leave...

Lizzie soon finds out there are worse things than an eroding coastline and that everyone has a choice about their future and when you have nothing left to lose, that choice can be surprisingly liberating.

November 5th approaches with a run of unusually warm days. A firework display is poised to ignite, a smuggler's tunnel is reopened and Lizzie discovers no-one is as they at first seem.

Erosion is about more than a subsiding cliff face; it is about the disappearance of a way of life and the discovery that people living on the edge can make extraordinary choices.

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2012

Reviews

[Louisa Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Estevez is a brilliant writer. I loved her novel for young adults, Jiddy Vardy, and I was totally engrossed by this story, too - and so intrigued about where it was going. There were moments that took my breath away - quite literally - as the characters' met their various fates. As ever Ruth writes about the landscape and the power of the sea with great force and detail, and she creates characters who seem completely real. Original and fascinating. 5 stars.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book! Erosion is a beautifully written novel that really captures the unforgiving temperament of nature. Lots of unexpected twists which kept me hooked with beautiful descriptions of the landscapes and immersion of being on the wild coast. It also really questions how society treats people living on the periphery where it can feel there are little to no options to choose from. Such a good read, would highly recommend.

[Estelle Maher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Ruth’s descriptions of the landscape and environment are not only raw and intense but are deeply absorbing. The believable characters engaged me straight away who then propelled me into gasping and shock as they developed through the story. There were a lot of surprises in this book which were written incredibly well.
This book was a sheer pleasure to read.