Name: Itzel's review of The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley
Item: The Half Life of Valery K
Rating: 4
Author: Itzel

Natasha Pulley

From the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and The Kingdoms, an epic Cold War novel set in a mysterious town in Soviet Russia. In 1963, in a Siberian gulag, former nuclear specialist Valery Kolkhanov has mastered what it takes to survive: the right connections to the guards for access to food and cigarettes, the right pair of warm boots to avoid frostbite, and the right attitude toward the small pleasures of life so he won't go insane. But on one ordinary day, all that changes: Valery's university mentor steps in and sweeps Valery from the frozen prison camp to a mysterious unnamed town that houses a set of nuclear reactors and is surrounded by a forest so damaged it looks like the trees have rusted from within. In City 40, Valery is Dr. Kolkhanov once more, and he's expected to serve out his prison term studying the effect of radiation on local animals. But as Valery begins his work, he is struck by the questions his research raises: why is there so much radiation in this area? What, exactly, is being hidden from the thousands who live in the town? And if he keeps looking for answers, will he live to serve out his sentence? Based on real events in a surreal Soviet city, and told with bestselling author Natasha Pulley's inimitable style, The Half Life of Valery K is a sweeping new adventure for readers of Stu Turton and Sarah Gailey.

The Half Life of Valery K

Yash

Itzel

Every time I start a new Pulley book I go in thinking "surely this won't make me an emotional mess", and every time I'm proven wrong.

Zita Azlina

All matter is forged by nuclear fusion reactions in the hearts of stars. They take hydrogen atoms, which are the littlest bits of the stuff the world is made of, and they bolt them together into bigger and bigger atoms – helium, oxygen, carbon, everything. All the atoms that make you. You’re star dust.


Hey. Look. Fav quote. Straight up. Damn. PEOPLE SHOULD WRITE MORE.



Bit iffy to give this 4 stars, because it is, in fact, plot-wise, deserve all the stars in the cosmos. But then I roll with it anyway, because there is a line you can't cross and there is a distaste you can't undo.

We are going to talk about all the positive things this book offered: first of all, was the accuracy and clearly well-researched material of everything related to the nuclear chemical structures or historical data/research paper of what this City 40 was based on in real life. If I wasn't bored on the commute I took to go home after grabbing this book in the bookshop and decided to read Pulley's biography, I think it would take me exactly three glances to make sure that no, Pulley didn't have a degree in Russian historical mystery (not that it was a real degree), and neither on nuclear engineering nor biochemistry (surprise, surprise). I know plenty of books with heavy research like this that gave away the passion of the author's (in a way that sounds like 'Look, I write this book and I genuinely like the topic it discussed very much. Here was my favourite part of the topic told my characters, only somehow the only voice you could hear is mine') and as someone who are only ever interested in Passion (and never a person), I really like that kind of book.

This book, though, didn't have it. There is no room for Pulley's voice, so distinct it was obvious. The passion didn't leak and certainly never reach to me. Which is a bit disappointing, duh, with how much, again, I looked up to Passion, but that's okay, because there is an advantage in distinguish your own voice in your fiction book too. This book feel a lot more academic and serious than book with, what I would say, Leaked Passion. It felt like it was actually written by a nuclear engineer, someone who have experienced the blast, or someone in engineering field at least, or a chemist, someone who actually studied it for years and had a degree for it. So it was not obvious that this was just a written book with only like... A crammed research done by an author with English degree. What is good about is the fact that makes the character realer, livelier, louder. Connecting with a passionate author is good, indeed, but connecting with a passionate character was as good as much!!

Another thing was the writing. It was flowy, nicely phrased, without having to be overly poetic in a way that's revolting. I love The Kingdoms, so of course I'd love the writing. It was the kind that had all essence of english beautiful words without making it too sophisticated you know. Like elegant, in a simple way.

The storyline? Don't get me started. I dont think I have ever found a book so DAMN interesting? Who the fuck would thought of writing about a secret nuclear research facility? In a country where government oppression is a clarity? Amidst a cold war where every word is a bullet to hole your forehead? FUCKING god tier plotline. TOP NOTCH STORYLINE. The pacing? Nicely done. The flow? Patchy, well, but makes sense.

But it will always irks me, the characters were. I cared for them. I didn't hate them, and the relationship is an integral part of the whole drive. But most of it are so fucking unnecessary. Like what is the point of that. Like why is it never talked about. OR, why is this A CHEATING TROPE BOOK? look, I really am in love with storyline yes. But the cheating trope? RUINED THE WHOLE THING. I don't know. They could have divorced long before Valery. That would have been far better and still makes sense. This fucking trope ruined everything, my mood, and I can't even properly connect with the MC because he talks less about nuclear at some point and more about the ML. Okay, cool, they look cool, but then that's that. Their relationship didn't even go deeper than that.

The ending is also pretty rough. I hated it so much I could die. Why, why, what is the thought process behind patching a wretched relationship like that?

This book has potential, far beyond known, but there are things that were only there to ruin it, and it kinda cancel out one star pretty easily. What a pity, this book had a potential to be a greatness, but one blunder is enough to send it to the blender. 

Still grateful for finding this book though.

I mean hello, 371 in like.... 10 hours at most for a book that is kinda heavy is pretty nice then.

4/5 <3

George

Katharine Shebesta

Questions of individual psychologies, ethics, the pursuit of scientific knowledge, and survival surround this read where Dr. Valery Kolkanhov is assigned to work in an irradiated western Russia, City 40 in 1963. 

Adored this book, science and ethics battle it out among the characters and pull you in for an exhilarating read.

zilver 

i love love love pulley's way of developing the relationships between her main characters, which happens quietly, without grandeur and dramatics, but with a heart-achy truth to it. even after reading only two of her books it's clear there's a style to it, but she pulls it off. and valery is a wonderfully compelling character. honest and real and kind and so dedicated to reducing suffering despite all he's been put through. you just want to hug him through all of it (carefully). 

the issue i take, which is something i also noticed in the kingdoms, is the sudden... disappearance of women from the narrative. SPOILERS! in this book in particular i don't think i can really make a good case for why anna and the kids had to be left behind. we did not get to spend nearly enough time with valery and shenkov afterwards to process the meaning of that decision and the impact it must have had on shenkov, and because of that it feels just a little bit too easy to whisk the woman away. i appreciate pulley's dedication to giving her queer characters a somewhat safe and happy ending. i just don't think that has to be nor should it be at the cost of the women.

Yash &
The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

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The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley