Book Review: Unfeeling

Book Review: Unfeeling
By: Ian Holding

This literary novel is set in Africa. While this story is fictional, it speaks truths and is based around true events.

White, 16-year-old Davey witnesses his family being murdered by a Black militia who has come to reclaim the land his family has farmed for several generations. Davey, who survives the attacks by hiding, is taken in by the nearby farmers who have always acted as a second family to Davey. After a few weeks, he is sent back to boarding school where he is expected to heal. He doesn’t. Instead, he forms a plan to reclaim his family farm and runs away from school. Days later, sunburned, dehydrated and beaten, he is finally able to put his violent plan into play.

Then comes the cover up for his actions. Or is he too late? (I won’t reveal the twists.)

While this book covers difficult topics and has brutal scenes (how could it not?), the way Holding portrays the story and the characters, the reader is far enough removed that the ensuing brutality becomes thought provoking, but not so disturbing that one has to put the book down. For example, I didn’t have to put it down. And I’m a big sissy pants.

Holding does an amazing job of creating a tight timeline that jumps forwards and backwards, withholding facts until the reader absolutely needs them, and in all, creating an incredible story.

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