Tuesday 15 August 2017

Review - Yesterday by Felicia Yap

Yesterday by Felicia Yap
Publisher: Wildfire [Headline]
Release date: 10 August 2017
Rating: *****
Back cover blurb: A brilliant high-concept thriller - a debut with all the intrigue of Gone Girl and the drama of Before I Go To Sleep - just how do you solve a murder when you can only remember yesterday? There are two types of people in the world. Those who can only remember yesterday, and those who can also recall the day before. You have just one lifeline to the past: your diary. Each night, you write down the things that matter. Each morning, your diary tells you where you were, who you loved and what you did. Today, the police are at your door. They say that the body of your husband's mistress has been found in the River Cam. They think your husband killed her two days ago. Can you trust the police? Can you trust your husband? Can you trust yourself?




Yesterday is a very clever novel. Possibly the most intriguing novel that I've read this year so far.
 
Imagine only being able to remember what you did yesterday, and having to diarise everything you did the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that, in order to be able to live your life.

This is the world that we inhabit in Yesterday, and although it's an alternate reality to me it seems plausible. I mean who really remembers every single little thing that they did two days ago, or last week?

There are two "classes" of people in Yesterday, Mono and Duo;

Being a "Mono" means that you can only remember yesterday, and nothing from the day before, or the day before that etc.
 
Being a "Duo" means that you can remember within a 48 hour period, so you have the advantage on a Mono in that you can remember what you did yesterday and the day before...
 
But no one can remember everything. Sophia however believes that she can remember everything. That she is neither Mono or Duo. Those around her say that this is impossible, that Sophia is unhinged. But Sophia can remember, and is determined to get revenge on those she perceives have ruined her life to date.
 
Claire and Mark Evans are in a mixed mono/duo marriage. Happily married for more than twenty years they have no idea that the discovery of a woman's body is about to bring their world crashing down around them.
 
Told from Sophia, Claire, Mark and (investigating murder) Detective Richardson's perspectives in alternate chapters, Yesterday could be hard to follow, but it isn't. It's a delight to read. An amazing debut - I can't wait to read more from this author.
 
Yesterday is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who invited me to view this title via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
 

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