Review - 'A Ladder to the Sky' by John Boyne

"What's the most irritating question that a writer can be asked? . . . it's Where do you get your ideas?"

You guys, I don't know what I thought I was getting with A Ladder to the Sky, but I certainly wasn't expecting to be completely gobsmacked.

Maurice Swift has always known he wants to be a writer. And not just any old writer that no one has heard of. No, he wants to be famous and celebrated in the literary world. The only problem? He may be a little short in the talent department. But that won't deter a man as cunning and ambitious as Maurice, especially when he's willing to do anything to achieve success.

First of all, I wouldn't say this is a premise that grabbed me right off the bat. Honestly, it sounds like a cross between a dark tale of embarrassment and possibly a bad psychological thriller, both of which I avoid like the plague. But no, thankfully, it's nothing like that at all.

Instead, it's a tale so masterful, I'm left in awe. The writing, the plot, the characters—it was all so razor-sharp, everything just leapt off the pages.

At the center of this story is the character of Maurice. He's self-centered and manipulative, with zero regard for others, but the way he's portrayed not only makes him feel authentic, but also compelling and oddly sympathetic. I'm intrigued, and I want to know more. He's the perfect antihero, immoral and deceitful, and I just can't look away as destruction and ruin follow along his wake. And pretty soon, I'm neglecting sleep and the real world, wanting to read just one more page.

But it's not just the characters. The plot takes one surprising turn after another, gluing me to the edges of my seat. Honestly, it's got more twists and turns than a thriller. And the whole time, the writing is just so precise and sharp in its delivery, it draws you in with each and every sentence.

If all that sounds a bit too serious, I assure you it's not. The story has a vein of dark humor running throughout, with its slightly irreverent take on the literary world and the publishing industry, and it even manages to poke gentle fun at authors too. It made for a jolly good time.

Recently, I did a reread to see if I still love it as much as I did, even now that I know how the story unfolds. And my answer is a resounding yes! If anything, the second time around was even better, and I gobbled it up all over again.

I feel like I can just gush about this story all day long, but I'll stop here. I won't say any more for fear of spoiling this amazing book. You should go and read it if you haven't yet. And I need to go and check out more of John Boyne's works.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.