Saturday 14 December 2013

The One plus One by Jojo Moyles

I have to be honest and say I have no idea how she does it. Jo Jo Moyles takes a storyline, which in many other writers’ hands would become bland, mundane and predictable, and effortlessly weaves it into a brilliant novel. Her latest novel, The One plus One, proved to be just as irresistible and enjoyable as her previous other books.

Jess is a single mother, with two kids and who is struggling to make ends meet. Tanzie, her youngest and a maths genius, has been offered a scholarship to a private school where her love of all things numerical will be nurtured. Nicky, her ex-husband’s son, is going through his own private hell, as he tries to avoid the local bullies on a daily basis. Enter Ed, a rich business man who has just been charged with insider dealing. He ends up taking Jess, Tanzie, Nicky, and their flatulent dog, Norman, to Aberdeen, to give Tanzie a chance of winning a maths competition.

Needless to say, this book was absolutely brilliant. Told through each of the character’s view points, we get to see events through different eyes. Never too obvious or sentimental, the story still manages to tug at your emotions in all the right places (there may have been a tear or two at the end) and leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, and yet strangely bereft at having to leave the world of Jess and Ed.