Book review: Sunset by Jessie Cave
Sometimes I love a book while I’m reading it but two weeks later I have largely forgotten it. In other cases, I not only remember details but find myself reflecting on them day after day. Sunset by Jessie Cave falls into the latter category: a highly enjoyable but also profound novel.
I really want to share this recommendation with everyone, but it’s going to be tough to talk about Sunset without spoilers. Even my one-sentence review on Instagram arguably included a spoiler! So I’m going to do a brief spoiler-free review, then a very clear spoiling warning before delving into the key subject matter. (The plot summary on Storygraph does an admirable job of getting the essence of the book while remaining spoiler-free.)
This is the story of sisters Ruth and Hannah, narrated by younger sibling Ruth. They’re very different people but have maintained a close relationship into their late 20s. Hannah is grounded, always in a serious long-term relationship, has a career and runs a charity on the side that gives books to children who can’t otherwise afford them. Ruth’s life is…messier. She has been floundering since art school, working zero-hours contracts, mostly at fast-food outlets. She sleeps on a mattress on the floor and survives largely on caffeine and sugar.
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It can be disconcerting to realise which historical events were contemporaneous. The Aztec empire was at its height in 1519, the same year in which Leonardo da Vinci died and Catherine Howard (fifth wife of Henry VIII) was born. Japan ended its Sakoku period of isolation in 1868, the same year as the first bicycle race was held in Paris and the first traffic lights were installed in London.
I’m a little unsure how to feel about this book. 
Just when I’ve got used to the recent trend of memoirs written in the form of a series of essays, journalist and novelist 
