Every year, there’s that one book that everyone’s talking about. A few years ago, it was Llyfr Glas Nebo, and this year, it’s Tu ôl i’r awyr. Whatever your thoughts on it, you can’t say that it hasn’t made an impact. There’s been a lot of talk about it on social media, and it’s clear that the book has had such an effect on people, who felt so strongly after reading it, that they took the time to spread the word online. Everybody wants to read it, and everybody wants to say they’ve read it. From a book reviewers’ point of view, its great that there’s such passion and open discussion about our Welsh literature.
During the book’s virtual launch in November, Marged Tudur, who was chairing the talk, said:
“There are those books sometimes that just stay with you more than others, they change your way of looking at the world. This is one of them.”
Watch the whole launch here on Lolfa’s AM channel
The author has a fresh voice and a very original way of writing, both witty and intense at the same time, and never failing to grab our attention. It all comes together to offer an unique reading experience in Welsh.
The characters are believable, and their raw feelings and emotions are so much more than words on paper. Megan succeeds in delving into the minds of the characters and presents the voices of young people in Wales in a very authentic way. It’s quite an achievement to sustain two separate and very distinct characters throughout a novel like that. Anest’s way of recording her thoughts is very colloquial and informal and completely disregards rules of grammar and punctuation. Although exaggerated at times, this verbal, familiar way of writing replicates how many young people speak on a day-to-day basis through messaging apps and with friends and they will really identify with this. It conveys the chaotic thoughts racing through her head, and whilst it is very effective, it won’t be to everybody’s taste…
Anest and Deian become friends and it is their mental health that acts as the main focus of the novel, but a number of other themes are also discussed such as friendship and love. Deian and Anest experience similar challenges and difficulties, yet, in very different ways to each other. Both feel that they aren’t good enough, and that they don’t belong to the same world as everyone else – but their affection for art and music brings them together and they find refuge in each other’s company and supporting one another.
Whilst mental health is at the heart of the novel, it’s success is that it does not forget about the real people behind the illnesses. Different conditions as as anxiety and depression are mentioned, yes, but the main focus is on the individuals, their thoughts, and how they try to cope with and overcome the challenges that arise when a person is living with a mental health issue.
To think that we’re in a pandemic, 2020 was a good year for publishing quality books. There was a growth in the number of crossover fiction that were published. These are books that may be listed as adult books, but are very suitable and appealing to young adults. I’ve even heard the term ‘new adults’ used too! These books act as a bridge between YA and adult literature and I’m sure the buzz surrounding Tu ôl i’r awyr will mean that some teenagers will choose to read it. For that reason, I think it’s only right to make it clear that the book contains some very difficult themes, which could be triggering or upsetting for some readers. You may not quite get a clear picture from the blurb. We at Sôn am Lyfra probably wouldn’t don’t recommend the book for under sixteens on the whole, as the book discusses suicide and self-harm. Of course, we recognize this is a personal choice and people have differing views of what is suitable and what is not. Younger readers will need some reading stamina anyway as it’s quite a hefty book.