This Week I am Reading ... Mrs Claire Twist

Mrs Claire Twist is Class One teacher at Elmfield, in addition to giving groups of individuals from Classes Two to Six specialist Literacy teaching. Claire shares her review of Year One by Nora Roberts below.

I am currently reading a book called Year One by Nora Roberts, a successful American author, who has written more than 225 romance novels. Romance is not my usual genre of choice. However, I stumbled upon one of Nora’s books whilst I was staying in a Mongolian yurt in the beautiful countryside of South Wales. Whilst rummaging through the cupboards and drawers, I came across the book ‘Liar’ and ended up being completely hooked. I read it throughout my short break, unable to put the book down and going to sleep as late as possible in the evenings to get through the pages before our holiday came to an end.

After the short holiday, my husband decided to buy the current book I am reading: Chronicles of The One, Book 1, Year One by Nora Roberts. This book is not a romance but a very different style from Nora's usual work.

I must admit the book did not hook me in the same way that ‘Liar’ did initially and due to my work and studies has taken me much longer to finish. Nevertheless, it has still been a good read.

Year One is the first of three books in the trilogy. It is an apocalyptic fantasy about a group of people who are escaping a sickness, which begins in the Scottish countryside and spreads, causing billions of people to die throughout the world. It has been quite ironic to be reading it during the Covid pandemic.

Nora describes the sickness affecting people differently: many die within a couple of days, others are immune and some discover they have strange and unusual abilities, survivors known as the Uncannys. 

The book is filled with danger, horror, chaos and adventure. It follows individuals through times of sadness and despair as well as joy and hope as they begin to slowly rebuild their lives after fleeing their homes. It is a tale of good and evil, love and loss and portrays humankind's determination to survive, to be with others and to rebuild a community.

I am almost at the end of this first book in the trilogy and already have the second, Book 2, Of Blood and Bone, waiting patiently by my bed to continue the story of the pandemic thirteen years after the pandemic began.