Tin Man by Sarah Winman

*Many thanks to the publishers for my stunning hardback review copy*

About the book:

It begins with a painting won in a raffle: fifteen sunflowers, hung on the wall by a woman who believes that men and boys are capable of beautiful things.

And then there are two boys, Ellis and Michael,
who are inseparable.
And the boys become men,
and then Annie walks into their lives,
and it changes nothing and everything.

My thoughts:

I tend to avoid books that deal with love, loss, romance, grief and so on. I don't know why, I just don't like to read them. Lately though, I have been reading books that challenge my perceived notion of the genres I avoid, and Tin Man has been on my radar for a while now. I was lucky enough to get a copy from the publishers so I added it to the July TBR, and it broke my heart…

For such a small, colourful, beautiful book, it packed an emotional gut punch. I genuinely wasn't expecting it, and I was left more than a little shook when I finished it.

Tin Man begins with a painting won at a raffle. This may sound innocuous, but it is the beginning of a haunting and evocative narrative that takes the reader on quite a journey. At less than 200 pages, it is not a long book, so its hard to discuss it fully as I don't want to take away from it.

Sufficed to day, the story is truly captivating. The characterisation is perfect. Ellis, Michael and Annie are beautifully written and fully developed. I loved reading about them, and I was sad to close the book at the end. I got completely immersed in the book while I was reading it.

Tin Man is an eloquent and highly descriptive book. It is full of colourful and flowing prose, which made it a joy to read. In terms of books outside of my comfort zone, this is definitely one of those, but I am so glad I read it.

Highly recommended!