Reading progress update: I've read 148 out of 298 pages.

The Amber Fury - Natalie Haynes

This may not be the best psychological thriller I have ever read but I am thoroughly enjoying it. 

 

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I DNF'd my RL book group's book about the school shooting set in Edinburgh because it was really, really stupid? 

 

The Amber Fury is the book that All the Hidden Truths should have been. Why, oh why, doesn't my RL book group ever pick a book like this one?

 

This is not about a school shooting, btw. It's set in a school, it's also set in Edinburgh, and the plot is gearing towards something big happening, but I have no idea what this is, yet. (I am eager to find out, tho.)

 

Alex is a drama teacher at a school for teenagers with behavioral problems who have dropped out of the normal school system. Alex only took the job and move to Edinburgh after tragedy struck in her life in London. 

 

The fantastic thing that strikes me about this story is that it really reminds me of Atwood's Hag-Seed, but set in a school setting where Alex teaches classic Greek drama (Sophocles etc.) to students rather than Shakespeare to inmates.

And of course, Haynes' book was published a couple of years before Hag-Seed, so it wasn't inspired by Hag-Seed (and I doubt that there was any inspiration the other way around either). So, by pure chance I've met two books that use drama as a way to "reform" delinquents.  

 

Anyway, I really like this so far. I hope the second half is as engaging as the first.