Quicksand

The opening chapter of this book caught the scene well for me. Maja is there in the classroom, the only uninjured person, with her boyfriend and best friend lying dead after a mass shooting. The main part of the book starts when Maja, having been in prison for 9 months, appears in the courtroom charged with murder and inciting murder. The story deals with the time before the shooting and the time after as well as the court case.

The question is what really happened in that classroom. Various aspects about the case and surrounding it are gradually revealed. Initially I found Maja's voice (and it is all told in her voice) rather "matter of fact" story telling which I initially liked. It was somewhat understated and equally had a feel of being uninvolved. A combination of that and the rather disjointed nature of the chapter content did make the book feel it lacked pace in the first half.

For me the story became more interesting/compelling around half way through. The courtroom drama once it got going was good. Around this time the peripheral narrative dealing with Maja's life leading up to the shooting seemed far more alive and relevant than earlier on.

This is certainly not a book I would have given up on. Other than the pace early sadly none of the characters really appealed to me in any way and some really didn't get me interested at all with the exception of Samir. 3.5/5 I think

mystery and intrigue in its purest form. Great book, recommended to all

This book was a fascinating, often uncomfortable, but thoroughly engrossing read.

There are so many talking points raised throughout the book ; trial by media, social media and its impact, wealth and moral corruption, women in a patriarchal society, Economics and immigrants,
Petty rivalries and deep seated prejudices, but never to the detriment of the story.
Maja is a precocious teenager and whilst not initially likeable, as a reader I started to understand her life and all the supposed freedom that wealth and privilege has brought her, but also the weight of expectation on her shoulders.
Her boyfriend Sebastian is never really given a voice in the book, and this cleverly shows how no one really wants him to have a voice. He has been put on a pedestal by both his peers and the parents of his peers and simultaneously has been dismissed by his father. We as the reader are complicit in this by the very nature of the book.

Nothing is straightforward or black and white in this book and it is sure to be a hit with book clubs for that very reason.

There are no happy endings and Maja herself acknowledges that the results of the trial are in some way immaterial.; she will always be remembered by what the press has reported about her.

A really powerful book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

A fast-paced and intriguing mystery that was easy to read and kept me turning the pages. With a teenage protagonist, I think this has crossover appeal and I would recommend it to older YA readers as well as lovers of psychological thrillers.