What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

 

The Last Word Review

 Ambitious mix of short stories that are captivating and will catch your literary imagination. A gifted young writer.

 

Keys play an integral part in Helen Oyeyemi’s collection of short stories, in fact they are pivotal to all nine stories. Oyeyemi was named as one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists of 2013 now returns with What is Not Yours is Not Yours a fascinating and wondrous collection of stories that just plays with the reader’s imagination with stories akin to fairy stories and a strange and beautiful playful mix of stories and characters.

Starting with the first and my favourite story is ‘Books and Roses’ and starts as many fairy story might ‘Once upon a time in Catalonia a baby was found in a chapel.’ The story about two women both seeking those that should be closest to them but abandoned at birth. Central to this story is a key to a locked garden and to a library. This story is work of a genius, superbly written and conceived from start to finish.

With each story involving secrets and locked doors and keys What is Not Yours is Not Yours is unique and fresh like nothing I have read before and I am a lover of short stories and many will treasure like me each one. Many will have a personal favourite and I will not spoil it for you about the remaining eight but they are just a short story aficionados dream a collection of masterful writing of searching, supernatural puppeteers and of sexuality all appear and there are tentative links with some characters appearing from one story to another, but the reader must pay attention to each story.

The beauty of Oyeyemi’s writing is that it shifts so eloquently from one story to the next seamlessly spellbound at every new story. Like a rather good bottle of wine you just savour every moment of each story to the last.

I have read What is Not Yours is Not Yours twice since receiving it a few months ago and I was truly absorbed in each story and left emotional both times at its end. My recommendation is go and but a copy on its release and I promise you will be captivated by each story and the characters you will encounter.

Credit must also go to Picador for the stunning finished copies that will be appearing in bookshops on its official release day, one of the most beautiful books I have come across, when you hold a copy in your hands you will not want to leave the bookshop with a copy.

My thanks to Sophie Jonathan (Picador) for an advanced review copy.

What is Not yours is Not Yours written by Helen Oyeyemi and published by Picador on 21 April 2016. Available through Waterstones and all good bookshops