I found this book to
be the epitome of John Boyne’s writing – a masterclass in everything a reader
wants an author to be. (Review by Fiona de Goede)
Air is the final
novella in the Elements quartet – after finishing the book, I immediately
thought it was a pity the author only concentrated on four elements. He should
definitely consider expanding this series to the entire periodic table!
After the harrowing read that Fire offered, it was calming to return to relative normality with Air.
We first meet Aaron Umber as the young intern mentored by
Freya Petrus – now it is several years later and Aaron, just turned 40, has a
14-year-old son, Jake, and they are traveling thousands of kilometres to meet a
woman that is not expecting them.
Being 30,000 feet in the air, with no escape, forces Aaron to come to grips with many aspects of his life.
His relationship with Jake is challenging and he feels out of his depth on how to get through to his son without alienating him even further. It is the typical teenage angst scenario but deftly handled as only Boyne can.
The various facets of trauma and love and the ultimate act of forgiveness is superbly highlighted in this little gem of a book. The supreme gift one can give oneself is self-forgiveness and being content with what life has in store for you.
I found this book to be the epitome of John Boyne’s writing – a masterclass in everything a reader wants an author to be. - Fiona de Goede
Published by Amazon: ISBN 978-0-8575-2985-5
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