'Mondays Are Red' by Nicola Morgan - Review

After reading 'Write to be Published', I was extremely keen to read 'Mondays Are Red', particularly to discover Nicola Morgan's fictional writing style and to see how she puts her own advice to practice.

Before reading the book, I hadn't the faintest idea of what Synesthesia was, nor had I even heard of it. I'll even admit that towards the beginning of the book, I idly found the concept unrealistic. However, I now take full blame for this, as it was purely through my own ignorance and not knowing that the condition actually exists, rather than Nicola Morgan's writing, which I felt portrayed the condition excellently (I don't have Synesthesia so I can't say that through first hand experience, but from my research I can say it with some confidence).

What I loved most about 'Mondays Are Red' was, inevitably, the myriad use of senses and how they are written in such a casual tone as to make the reader feel comfortable listening to Luke, and as though they share his condition. Even though I couldn't directly relate to the sounds, smells and tastes that Luke experiences, they still triggered my own interpretation of them. For example, in his love poem written about Seraphina; although I didn't relate to his exact sensations, I adored the poem with its utter randomness and highly imaginative descriptions. I also felt that it perfectly reflected what love does to the way a person feels and gives them inexplicable emotions.

Another thing that intrigued be about the book is Luke's character, and how he presents himself. Although I completely felt at ease with him, and definitely knew the perfect amount of information about him to understand the story without knowing too much, I also felt that his character remained somewhat of an enigma. Perhaps this is just a single opinion, but nevertheless I found that Luke described very little about his appearance, and because of this I found myself picturing his appearance differently depending on the situation he was in. What was even more extraordinary was that I often found myself tasting and smelling the things he describes, and sometimes doing this with my own creations when thinking about Luke's appearance at certain points.

Overall, I think 'Mondays Are Red' is a highly recommendable book for any teenager, and I'll definitely be recommending it to my friends. I admire the way Nicola Morgan uses such a vast range of senses and imagination to connect with her readers, and ultimately educate them on what is a real-life condition.