When you need to be completely absorbed
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie caught me by the throat and sucked me right in. It is a powerful book about identity politics and the increasingly hostile and polarised times we are living in. The characters are compelling and the story stays with you even after you put the book down. The book was a visceral read. The way Kamila built the tension increasing the pressure as we got closer to the climax had my body coursing with adrenaline even though I was doing nothing more active than lying in bed eyes glued to the page. The unpredictability of the narrative, the pace and how she laced even the tensest bits with a dark and derisive humour was what made this novel for me.