An oddity- mercury sliding on a silver plate- like a scallop prized from its shell, it needs to be swallowed whole and at once. A nightmare. A dream of a nightmare. Curious, curiosity- like falling down a rabbit hole. "Nights were different. Nights were tangles of what-might-have-been, of awful possibility." Fear is everywhere. Afraid of the dark, not the dark dark, but what lurks in the dark. "We called it the Borak, I said. That's what we called everything we were afraid of." When sometimes what we are afraid of is ourselves. We are not scared. We scare ourselves. There is what we allow ourselves to see, feel, read, touch, understand and then there is Everything Under.

My third book from the 2018 Booker longlist, this really is a vibrant first novel from a very talented young writer, which thoroughly merits its inclusion on the longlist and could be a potential winner. On the face of it I should hate this book, as I normally struggle to relate to stories with supernatural elements, but Johnson writes so well and her storytelling skills are such that I was still gripped and frequently surprised. To some extent the basis in Greek myth and folk tales dictates some of the surreal elements, particularly the prophesy and fate parts, but Johnson writes very well about language and landscapes, especially rivers and canals, and her characters are vividly realised. I won't even attempt to describe the plot - though this book would almost certainly reward multiple readings I wouldn't want to spoil - this really is a book that you should read for yourselves. I will certainly be seeking out a copy of Fen once the Booker longlist is out of the way.

A phenomenal debut from a hugely intriguing author who manages to combine myth, horror, fantasy with a believable and authentic story of family, love and loss. The novel meanders like its river setting, twisting and turning throughout, cascading towards a dramatic, heartfelt conclusion. Filled with memorable characters and plenty of mystery, this should be considered a modern classic of storytelling. Could not recommend highly enough.

Wow, astonishing. This story ebbs and flows, swirls into torrents and gently carries you along in turns, just like the river it is set on. It collects the story like a river collects debris, until you think you have the whole picture, but then you lose pieces that appear further downstream. It's about the tangle of memory- remembering and forgetting. It's pace is perfect, the rhythm of the sentences musical and the imagery sublime. It has a human story pieced together with magic and myth. This story should be read out loud, it is about language but its language rolls around and melts in your mouth. Lauren Groff said that 'Daisy Johnson is a new goddam swaggering monster of fiction' and she is spot on!

I bought this book out of interest for something a bit different from my usual loved thrillers. I was curious about this book from reading the synopis as it is very vague but I can’t tell you how glad I am making the choice to pick this book. I love everything about it, the mythical language daisy johnson uses throughout is unlike anything I’ve read, it makes it so interesting and capativing. The storyline unfolds through different characters narratives, so it keeps you wondering till the end. I enjoyed the diffucult relationships of the characters also, everything is not as free flowing as you would like which is true to life and conveys throughout this book to make a wonderful, enjoyable book to read. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for something a bit different. This is also the first review I’ve wrote about a book so that just shows how happy I am with this purchase!