Murmuration Paperback – 5 Nov. 2019

I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. It would ruin it. So, you’ll just have to trust me. Go in blind. Read no reviews. Just read the book. I dare you not to love it!

Waking up lying on his back in the middle of the road, dazed, with faint impressions of breaking glass somewhere at the back of his mind, and not too sure who he is, the reader has to work hard to get his/her bearings at the start of this book. What is this all about? We are inside the mind of a disorientated man who has only too few clues as to who he is and what has brought him to be here. Why can't he whistle? Why does a horse suddenly appear at the side of the road? We could be dreaming, or perhaps a victim of a hit-and-run driver.Before long, with Mike, we are walking into a small town that presents itself as warmly welcoming all travellers, and in spite of fleeting after-images of falling and breaking glass and twisting metal, we discover that this is where we live, are known and welcomed back, and have a business, an identity and a cat named Martin. It all begins to come back to Mike, Mike Frazier: his home, his contented life and his friend Sean. Armorea is the kind of town with an almost Utopian sense of community and and atmosphere of concern by all for all the inhabitants. As his memory of the place returns to him, so his friends and neighbours gather around him to make him feel at home again after his brief (brief?) absence.Armorea is the sort of place people find it difficult to leave - nothing appears to threaten its security, and though it may be a little old-fashioned, that seems a small price to pay for the sense of community and trust that perhaps permeates even the more querky inhabitants.Mike may have arrived home and found a contentment to remain settled there, but we, the readers are only beginning a journey that takes us through a series of oddly inexplicable, albeit trivial, moments that scratch away at the back of our mind, suggesting that something is going on - something that does not quite stay in tune with the friendly self-sufficiency of Armorea.A murmuration of starlings is a wonder. As the flock swirls and turns and spreads and dips and collapses, crowding together and then flinging apart, so the phenomenon seems to be an impossibility (But then from Into This River, we know that TJ is at ease with the impossible). With never an accident, never a collision, the thousands of birds behave more as if they were being directed by a single mind, yet they are undeniably individuals, somehow impossibly working together in a harmony that has to be seen to be believed.What has this marvel of nature got to do with this book? A few starlings do make an appearance now and then, and Mike does watch a murmuration at one point near the beginning of the book, but can this really justify the title? Or am I missing something? Is there something more there, remaining at the very edge of my vision, something recognized, but hardly available to thought?T J Klune is the master of the tease, stringing the reader along with oblique references that hint only, and avoid declaration. He is also a master of language, confidently walking the fine line between saying too much and too little; somehow he manages again and again to pick the very word that resonates in the mind and sets up vibrations that carry the imagination so much further than just the letters on a page. The story is good - the developing relationship between Mike and Sean keeps the reader turning over, but it is much more than this. There is some other plot going on in parallel to this story . . . . or is there?If I were to say more, you'd have to kill me.

I had to put this nook down at one point because I didn't think it was going to go the way I want/ had expected it too. It did, however and I enjoyed the journey and the complexities of the story and situation.

At the start l was unsure if l would like this. That changed. It is a cracking book full of twists and turns. Read it, you will not want to put it down

Another brilliant work from TJ , I love his books and this is no exception, no spoilers as requested but completely unique and mind blowing. A must read

I really liked this book. I loved parts of it - the writing was sublime (and very Wolfsong-esque) and it was a great story - but I felt I had to wait just a tad too long to know what was going on, so I can't say I loved the book.It's almost impossible to write a spoiler free review, but the romance was charming, it made me smile and I loved Sean and Mike. I'm glad I read it, but doubt I'll reread.

You can't miss this one - it's amazing. Incredibly romantic but so engrossing. Every time you think you've figured it out, it changes! Loved it!

**Here be spoilers of a sort**Imaginative and compelling, yes. Unpleasant and depressing, too.Some might say that it's inspiring and lovely, that we all have better selves and look how happy people can be. I just can't feel that way. You however, might.Klune has been a favourite of mine for a while and he's been very tight lipped about this one, so I went in basically blind. Sometimes that's amazing and sometimes you end up with something that hits all your squick buttons. For me, I guess this was one of those.The story centers on Mike, and his relationships, firstly with Sean and secondly with the town of Amorea.Things aren't quite what they seem and Mike starts to get concerned, which only increases when he realises he's the only one concerned. He does finally figure out what is going on but it tears him away from Sean and exposes some truths about himself, Sean and the town itself.So far I was intrigued and totally hooked. The writing is beautiful.The truths are, in order, ambiguous, sad, and nasty. There are logical reasons why the doctor, the catalyst, does what he does and makes his choices, but they are based on who is available and won't be missed. But there are the dregs of society as people would normally think about it, and then there's some digging to do and that's where the doctor found his raw materials.I liked Mike. I liked Sean. I had sympathy for Mike's flashbacks, right until Greg's side of the story is told, along with the rest of the town.I hate the doctor. I hate his project. I hate the stories behind every person. I hated Greg. I hated what happened to Sean.Mike makes it his mission to get back to Sean and *spoiler* he does, but at the cost of proving he really does belong in that town.At this point I didn't care if he won Sean. I was feeling mildly icky about myself but thankfully the book ended shortly afterwards.I don't know what would have made me feel more prepared for this book, a more detailed blurb or some trigger warnings or something. Reading the sample is probably not enough as the twist becomes clear about halfway / two thirds through the book.

It's an insanely amazing book! Full of surprises, passion, love and nostalgia. If you want to enjoy the plot as it develops throughout the story, do not, by any means, read the author's notes or past chapter XX. It would spoil your reading experience!TJ Klune just rocks - there's nothing more to say!

This book blew me away. Still not sure what to think because there is soo much to think about. It's sweet, scary, heartbreaking, romantic and ... i think it ends happily ever after.

What an absolute talent TJ Klune is! I’m in awe.This book was utterly perplexing. I tried out so many possibilities as to what was going on as I was reading and it wasn’t until “it” was revealed that I understood, and even then… 🤯The love story of Mike and Sean was stunning, this was a beautiful, sensational, mind boggling story!Unforgettable and incredible!

I simply could not put this book down! It's one of the best blends of science fiction and romance I've read. The characters are well-developed, the pacing is steady, the emotions sincere, and the story well thought out.The story opens with who we will soon find out to be Mike Frazier waking up on the side of the road with no recollection of who he is or where he comes from. All he knows is that he wants to follow the sign to the sleepy little town of Amorea nestled in the snow-capped mountains. Upon entering the town, his mind clears, the memory of the event fades, and all is right in the world. He will tend to his bookstore and maybe even formally ask Sean, the man he adores, out on a date. The whole town has been encouraging him as it's no secret the two are crazy for each other. But as their romance is starting, Mike starts to think that there's more.... something. He has no recollection of life before he came to this town three years earlier, he occasionally hears voices talking and sees things that don't make sense, and certain things simply don't add up. Like the fact that nobody ever comes or goes from Amorea. But why would anyone want to leave when they all know Amorea is the best town on Earth, even though they don't really know of any other towns. Besides, Sean is here, and wherever Sean goes, so will Mike.There's a mystery that slowly unfolds, and the reader doesn't know until very far into the book exactly what is happening. Yes, we have clues and can make deductions, somewhat early on, but the purpose and reason for the characters' setting is a mystery, and the reader doesn't find out until far into the novel if it's benevolent or malevolent. There's science fiction, but it's all accessible and the story is centered more heavily on the romance and mystery. There is vague tang of bittersweet to the story, but the sweet far outweighs the bitter, and the love between the characters wraps itself around your heart.Occasionally I buy a book that unexpectedly rises far above what I expect. This is one of them.

Just getting into this author at a friend's recommendation . Great plot and I can't wait to read more of his books.