Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

This is another one of those books that I find myself having a hard time writing a proper synopsis for. But I will tell you the general idea of what Child 44 is about.

It is a fiction story written by an incredibly talented and skilled writer, who has set his story in the 1950s, during the time of the Stalinist Soviet Union. He then mixes some aspects of the factual and real case of Soviet serial-killer, Andrei Chikatilo. With these haunting elements, comes a well-written historical thriller, "serial killer" type of a book.

Review: I liked Child 44 a lot! First off, I thought that the setting itself was very original. There are other novels set during this time period, but honestly, I can't think of any that was up to par with this one. The best thing about it, simply, is the writing. The flow of words made it also surprisingly easy, despite the heavy topics. And the way he writes his descriptions, details, setting, events, and his characters; very vivid, believable, honest and authentic.

I won't go on about it more, all I can say is I really liked this book. It is also one of my top choices for 2009. And also, I would recommend this to anyone who loves to read, wants fresh literature, and to those who like historical fiction. Great book.