I’ve been enjoying this monthly series of short e-books – the only caveat being that it would be nice if they were a bit longer - but I was particularly looking forward to May’s offering, since it’s by the fabulous Patrick Ness, author of A Monster Calls and the Chaos Walking trilogy. This being the fifth month, we’re in the company of the Fifth Doctor, and advance publicity indicated that the title would be Tip of the Tongue and the companion would be Nyssa. (It's noticeable that all the Doctors so far in this series have been accompanied by just the one companion – Susan, Jamie, Jo, Leela and now Nyssa. I’m not sure if that’s intentional or perhaps a consequence of the fairly short length of the stories.)
Anyway, we’re not actually in the company of the Doctor and Nyssa that much in this story, which largely focuses on two young people in the small Maine town of Temperance, 1945. Both Jonny and Nettie are more or less outcasts – he of German Jewish parentage, she the only mixed-race girl in town. A new craze for Truth Tellers has swept the town, especially the teenagers – people are hearing what others really think of them, or where their affections do, or don’t, lie…… with inevitable consequences. Then, a strange man and woman appear….
I really enjoyed reading this. Unsurprisingly, since it’s Patrick Ness, the characters emerge strongly, particularly those of Jonny and Nettie, and the small-town atmosphere is well conveyed. Apart from a couple of brief scenes, the Doctor and Nyssa are mainly seen through Jonny’s eyes and there is little in the way of continuity, though there is a reference to recent companions. I rather liked the fact that the Doctor and his companion remain rather mysterious figures in this story - it sometimes seems like we know so much about him nowadays that it is good to see him as the enigmatic figure he once was - dropping in apparently from nowhere, and disappearing just as quickly. The plot is original, and I didn’t expect the denouement.
I’d probably rate this, along with last month’s Roots of Evil, as my favourite in this series so far.
Quote of the month: “The decent people of this town speak highly of you and the indecent…. speak very badly indeed, which counts for just as much.”
Anyway, we’re not actually in the company of the Doctor and Nyssa that much in this story, which largely focuses on two young people in the small Maine town of Temperance, 1945. Both Jonny and Nettie are more or less outcasts – he of German Jewish parentage, she the only mixed-race girl in town. A new craze for Truth Tellers has swept the town, especially the teenagers – people are hearing what others really think of them, or where their affections do, or don’t, lie…… with inevitable consequences. Then, a strange man and woman appear….
I really enjoyed reading this. Unsurprisingly, since it’s Patrick Ness, the characters emerge strongly, particularly those of Jonny and Nettie, and the small-town atmosphere is well conveyed. Apart from a couple of brief scenes, the Doctor and Nyssa are mainly seen through Jonny’s eyes and there is little in the way of continuity, though there is a reference to recent companions. I rather liked the fact that the Doctor and his companion remain rather mysterious figures in this story - it sometimes seems like we know so much about him nowadays that it is good to see him as the enigmatic figure he once was - dropping in apparently from nowhere, and disappearing just as quickly. The plot is original, and I didn’t expect the denouement.
I’d probably rate this, along with last month’s Roots of Evil, as my favourite in this series so far.
Quote of the month: “The decent people of this town speak highly of you and the indecent…. speak very badly indeed, which counts for just as much.”
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