The Singer’s Gun by Emily St. John Mandel

Slipping in and out of different points of view and different spots on the timeline, Mandel penned a plot for The Singer’s Gun with a short roster of characters and filled with her gorgeous writing.

Anton Waker has been brought up under interesting circumstances. His family lives a life made possible by crime, but his parents have raised him with the same mindset afforded to many children of this era — you can be anything you want to be. Mandel writes Anton with a kind of weightlessness as he floats through his upbringing and unwittingly becomes quasi partners with his cousin, Aria, as she too begins a life of earning an income from business outside the law.

But Anton slowly comes to the understanding and acceptance that he wants to live a normal life, inside the law, in an office job, and sets himself up in New York City with fake credentials and a fresh start. Or so he thinks.

Mandel's structure is set like those acrylic cubes with slots for outward-facing photos...each side revealing more about the story and the characters as she turns the cube over and around and back again. As the story unfolds and elements fall into place, a climax builds on top of a foundation of decisions.

Another brilliant character study, Mandel puts Anton through the paces and forces him into a spot that helps him figure out who he is and where he wants to go…and suddenly that weightlessness is gone and Anton becomes grounded, anchored, and known.

Not only did I find Mandel's characters incredibly interesting and knowable, but the tension in the story builds to a peak that made this book difficult to set aside. There was a point of view I thought could've been left out and the ending was a little sticky — in fact, the book felt as though it nearly had two endings...like a false door, but overall another winner from Mandel. I will definitely have to delve into her other backlist titles while we all await another gem.

Audiobook, as narrated by Morgan Hallett: I may have found a new favorite narrator. Hallett's voice was absolutely absorbing and an example of near-perfect delivery. Not only would I not hesitate to listen to another narrated by her, but I might just be interested in seeking them out.