Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet Review

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

“History is the heavy traffic that prevents us from crossing the road. We're not especially interested in what it consists of. We wait, more or less patiently, for it to pause, so that we can get to the liquor store or the laundromat or the burger bar.”- Life: An Exploded Diagram, Mal Peet

Can love survive a lifetime? When working-class Clem Ackroyd falls for Frankie Mortimer, the gorgeous daughter of a wealthy local landowner, he has no hope that it can. After all, the world teeters on the brink of war, and bombs could rain down any minute over the bleak English countryside--just as they did seventeen years ago as his mother, pregnant with him, tended her garden. This time, Clem may not survive. Told in cinematic style by acclaimed writer Mal Peet, this brilliant coming-of-age novel is a gripping family portrait that interweaves the stories of three generations and the terrifying crises that define them. With its urgent sense of history, sweeping emotion, and winning young narrator, Mal Peet's latest is an unforgettable, timely exploration of life during wartime. 

I remember going on Goodreads about two years ago and finding out that Mal Peet had died. I had an odd reaction to the news of his death, feeling like I had been shocked suddenly. I wasn't sure why, given that I had only ever read one book by him, Tamar, which I really enjoyed and think it deserves a lot more recognition. I didn't even know much about the author himself, so I had no idea why I had such an upsetting reaction to his death back in 2015.

I actually bought this book a couple months ago, when I thought I was on a Cold War kick after reading Sekret, but that didn't last very long and my thriller obsession took over. I finally, and rather reluctantly, started this book after I wasn't sure what else to read. And I ended up absolutely loving it.

This is barely a fiction book. It reads more like a memoir. More specifically, it reads like a Bill Bryson book, especially The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. The way this book was written and the mature narrator and the blend of nonfiction with fiction made me think it was meant for a much older audience than it was published for. While I wasn't entirely thrilled with the odd first person to third person POV transitions, I still loved the innovative method Peet chose to tell the story, to the point where I had to keep reminding myself it was in fact fiction. It is a welcome stand out in the sea of YA historical fiction, a genre plagued by sameness in subject content, storytelling, and character diversity. 

It was so easy to fall in love with this book. Clem was a wonderful narrator, funny in a very British way. He is an unapologetic sentimentalist, and is an unreliable narrator as a result. Yet I happened to like his sentimental view of youth and young love and surprised myself by cheering him on in his quest to get laid by the lovely Frankie in the face of impending nuclear destruction. There are shades of Cameron Wolfe in his character and view of his homelife. While the book didn't hit me as hard emotionally as the Underdogs books did, I did find myself getting a little choked up at some points, and as a whole I think Clem holds the same appeal for me as Cameron did, being a funny, sentimental dreamer. 

I am also impressed by Peet's writing, especially his dialogue. I love how he was able to capture the sound of their accents on page. I always love books written in various parlances and I wonder if Mal Peet is in fact from Norfolk, which makes that more impressive. I don't know about you, but I can't really hear the accent I grew up in. Perhaps it would be easier if I had, say, a Southern accent, but then again maybe not. 

The ending was perfect in its own way, though fairly predictable, at least to a Yankee like me. When I hear 2001 in conjunction with New York, along with many others, my mind always goes one place. The book went there, but in a way that leaves you hanging, unsure as to what's going to come next. I would beg for a sequel, but unfortunately Peet has passed, and I'm not entirely sure we'll get one even if he didn't. I'm not entirely sure I would want one, anyway.

My reviews for books I love are always fairly short, because I feel as if I don't need to rationalize why I loved something as much as I why I didn't. I will say this, though, I'd never recommend this book to a newbie at historical fiction. They wouldn't understand it and would get bored. I'd give them Tamar instead. But for someone like me, an amateur historian and someone bored with the sameness of YA historical fiction, don't miss this one. Don't be fooled by the fairly cliche, been there done that romance synopsis- this book is so much more than that. It's a history lover's dream. It's rare that I can call a book unique, but this one is completely in a class by itself.

8.5-9 out of 10