the reckoning

by James Jauncey

Standing on the beach watching the early morning mist roll in off the sea, Fin is thinking about the day when he can escape to the mainland. His sister got away but now no one has heard from her in two years. Fin's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a car on the bridge above him. He hears doors slam, voices, a scream and then, for a brief moment, he glimpses a figure falling through the fog. It's a teenage girl and she dies in Fin's arms. Did the dead girl jump or was she pushed? Sceptical of the official suicide verdict, Fin is determined to find the truth, a hunt that will lead him closer to his missing sister and to a shocking secret at the heart of his island community.

Genres: Book Club, Young Adult

345 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

James (Jamie) Jauncey is a Scottish author and great-great-nephew of R.B. Cunninghame Graham. He has published five novels and has contributed to several non-fiction titles. He is a co-founder of Dark Angels, the Creative Writing for Business programme, and served for many years on the board of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He is also a musician.

Reviews

[thelastword · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is good. The author has an extensive vocabulary and puts it to good use.

However, the story drags too much in the beginning for too long and some of the characters were expendable, like Sally and Albert. Some chapters too; it could have easily been a 100 pages shorter without hurting the story.

The look into the mind of racist was well done, especially of those who have relationships with the people they believed to be inferior.

As for the ending, I can understand some finding it disappointing but I personally didn't mind it being anchored in realism like that. I had bigger issues with the Maia/Danny end.

All in all an interesting read.

Oh! and one more thing - white policemen were almost never taken to task for what they did to black and coloured women in Apartheid, so that was kind of unrealistic.

EDIT: The cover was well done and actually encompasses real elements of the story. I appreciate that.

[Helen Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, suitable for older teenagers and adults. The Scottish Island setting adds an interesting ambience to the story. The juxtaposition of the peaceful Island life with the intrigue and terror of the outside world butting in makes a great mix. There are so many layers to this story that it works on many levels. Characters are interesting, likable, and well developed. The plot kept me turning the pages. As soon as I'd finished this, I ordered the author's title The Witness. Highly recommended.

[Jacob Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book. Ending wasn't that good though.

[Robert O Mahony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this, it was incredible. The characters and plot were great, and the plot twists were shocking and even moving at some points. This book really makes you think, loved it!

[Aman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could do with a better ending otherwise this book was ok... But I were picky I think that if you have a bad ending the book is a basic waste...

[Pamela Morgan]

Standing on the beach watching the early morning, Fin is thinking about the day when he can escape to the mainland.