Wednesday 23 November 2016

The Little Voice by Joss Sheldon


The Little Voice by Joss Sheldon
Self published today, 23rd November 2016.

Where to buy this book:
Buy the ebook from Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk

How I got this book:
Received review copy from the author

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?”
Dear reader, My character has been shaped by two opposing forces; the pressure to conform to social norms, and the pressure to be true to myself. To be honest with you, these forces have really torn me apart. They’ve pulled me one way and then the other. At times, they’ve left me questioning my whole entire existence. But please don’t think that I’m angry or morose. I’m not. Because through adversity comes knowledge. I’ve suffered, it’s true. But I’ve learnt from my pain. I’ve become a better person. Now, for the first time, I’m ready to tell my story. Perhaps it will inspire you. Perhaps it will encourage you to think in a whole new way. Perhaps it won’t. There’s only one way to find out… 
Enjoy the book,
Yew Shodkin

One of my most highly anticipated bookish experiences is discovering a new favourite author and I am especially happy when they are indie authors. If you read my Month In Books round-up posts on my Stephanie Jane blog you will already know that I made such a discovery in October with the superb Occupied by Joss Sheldon earning my Book Of The Month accolade. I was delighted therefore when Sheldon got in touch again to ask if I would be interested in reviewing his new book, The Little Voice. I was only too pleased!

Sheldon has a talent for observing aspects of society and mirroring them back to readers in a thought-provoking way. Occupied looked at immigration. The Little Voice examines how we condition our children. The book is written in the style of a memoir with Yew describing how a little red creature in his head was the cause of much of his 'bad' behaviour as a child. Parents and teachers encouraged him to overcome the red creature's malevolent influence, but was the resultant well behaved automaton really the best Yew that Yew could be? Is creating an ordered society more important than allowing individual happiness?

I liked how sociological and psychological theories and experimental results are included within the text and loved Sheldon's portrayal of young Yew. I found myself wishing I had had his nerve as a child - those classroom settings were certainly similar to my own experiences! Fiction that makes me think deeply isn't always the most convincingly written as characters can become overly preachy, but I thought The Little Voice had a good flow and pace throughout. I could understand and appreciate why Yew made the choices he did and his ultimate destination is certainly enticing.


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Joss Sheldon / Novellas / Books from England

1 comment:

  1. Joss Sheldon has linked to my The Little Voice review from his website!
    See it here!

    ReplyDelete