The Electric

Kirsty
So sorry after trying a few times I just couldn't get past 100 pages on this one. Not for me

Rachel
I found this quite an unsettling read. I thought the beginning was very strong, and I was drawn into the story immediately. I really liked the character of Daisy. I quite liked Paul, although he seemed a bit two-dimensional. He seemed to exist just as a love interest and not much else. I couldn't stand Robert, and don't really understand why Daisy decided to stay with him. I thought the love triangle between Mike, Cassie and Lucas was very strange. The bizarre friendship between Mike and Stephen, however, was very compelling. Overall, I think I liked it. 7/10

Carolyn
The Electric was easy to read although it did flick about from person to person and back and forth through time. There were a lot of characters who all seemed very troubled. The parts where Mike was being beaten were uncomfortable to read. I liked Daisy, she came across as a strong person and I felt for Lucas who because of being deaf had difficulties fitting in at school. I didn't really like or dislike it. I give it 5.

Cat
I thought the characters were great. The story was interesting but didn't fulfil my expectations. I didn't really feel like there was a plot arc. It all felt on a similar level of sadness from beginning to end. The ending felt anticlimactic but also fitted in with the rest of the book. 5/10

Eve
I found the book easy to read. The characters and the story seemed rather bland. There were aspects of the story that could have been interesting, but we're glossed over. I felt for the deaf boy trying to learn in a mainstream school. The fact that some of the teachers had beards was something I had not thought of before. It also seemed unkind of his mother not to want him to use sign language. The book was quite short, so I feel it could have been extended to make a more exciting read. I would like to have read more about the policemen at the beginning of the story. I would give it a 6.

Yvonne
A well written book dealing with the ups and downs of family life. I was drawn to Daisy and could empathise with her struggles as a policeman's wife and the need to escape from time to time to the glamorous world of films.Also, Lucas's experiences of being a deaf boy in a main stream school setting and his coping strategies were very credible. Here was a family across many generations dealing with trauma and loss.I found the time span, from the Fifties to the Nineties unsettling at times. A book of intrigue moving from reality to fiction with ease.
I give it a 7.

Arleen (from the best of her recollection and from her sickbed!)
I enjoyed the book very much but got a bit confused towards the end with the different characters. 8 out of 10

Sonia
I really enjoyed this book - it was well written and the characters all well drawn. I enjoyed the parts about Daisy, Robert and Paul more than the stories around their children Mike and Linda but the grandson Lucas brought my interest back. The contrast between Robert in the first part where they were in Brighton and he was a loving, kind and caring man and the Robert that he became after their move to London was stark and you could feel how his character slowly deteriorated with his desire to make more money and have more power. Daisy's love of the cinema and the rekindling of her early friendship with Paul was fascinating to follow and the way in which they became her saviour and joy was moving. Similarly Lucas's struggle with his deafness and the differing expectations of his grandmother, parents and then the teaching assistant Cassie was well written and touching. The storyline of Mike and Stephen and their violent encounters was difficult to read and I found a little too unpleasant. The story of the Daisy and Robert's death and the eventual uncovering of the truth was well handled and believable. Altogether an enjoyable read, holding my attention throughout and I give it 7 out of 10

Average score 6.5