A selection of reviews for Devastation Road
Images: Taken by the author during his journey following in Owen’s footsteps
“A truly absorbing read, the kind you finish in a single sitting... Hewitt’s novel has a superbly authentic sense of time and place”
‘profoundly moving’
Publishers Weekly
“Conjures up the confusion and terror of war in which Hewitt’s central character struggles to reclaim his sense of self”
“Adventurously constructed and often-moving….Hewitt’s portrait of postwar Europe and its newly repurposed concentration camps is vivid, and his narrative technique provides a fresh way of viewing a familiar subject.”
“There’s a world of suffering in this story, sincerely portrayed... As in his debut, Hewitt delivers an intriguingly structured sidebar to World War II”
“Hewitt’s profoundly moving thriller charts the harrowing journey of Owen, a British flight engineer suffering from amnesia, across war-torn Europe during the last days of WWII”
“An intensely moving and atmospheric novel - subtle, powerful and beautifully written. It’s a devastating journey at times, but a compelling one”
“Utterly magnificent. A passionate, intelligent and lyrical book, whose characters are compelling, intricate, complex, surprising people”
“A wide-reaching and poignant evocation of WWII and its land-swept aftermath. Told in exquisite prose, Owen’s journey builds to a powerful and yes devastating - finale. The most moving and gripping novel I’ve read in a long while
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“A hypnotic and heartrending tale of fragmented wartime memories. Beautifully written”
“A haunting journey across the shattered landscape of a still-burning Europe. Beautifully written and full of twists and secrets, it gripped me from the first page to the last”
“Compelling, beautifully written and atmospheric, Devastation Road is lyrical and powerful. A memorable read”
“A beautifully written story about loss, identity, how you survive and reconstruct yourself when you are totally unmoored; and how you can find yourself again. All told in a quiet, true voice that is, in itself, utterly devastating.”
“A stunning read... The narrative is rather like a flower that unfurls petal by petal, as Owen’s memories return, to create a work of beauty... Ranks with the best books I have read since starting this blog. If readers have enjoyed the Pat Barker Regeneration series or Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong then they will adore Devastation Road. I cannot recommend it highly enough”
'Without doubt, one of the best books I have read'
LizLovesBooks
“A multi-layered story that will haunt the reader... The words are almost poetic at times, and the author’s compassion shines through in his prose... The writing is beautiful and the sense of place and time exquisite... A brilliant reading journey, and one that will stay with me for a long time”
“The writing has an immersive emotional and sensory quality that captures both beauty and horror; this is a heart-rending story with moments of tenderness and light amid the darkest suffering, desperation and brutality ”
“A lyrical and cinematic story of memory, redemption and the importance of belonging... One of the best novels I’ve read this year”
“A gripping novel that will stay with you long after you have read the last page”
“A thrilling and horrifying adventure... subtle and surprising... [that] takes you on a journey where you experience the extremes of war”
The only novel that had me in tears this year and I was bereft when it ended'
The Tattooed Book
“A haunting and thought provoking read... compelling and engaging... it’s timeless but contains memories you want to leave firmly in the past, yet there are glimmers of hope and redemption and right at the end one large tear rolled down my cheek and I let out a sigh of satisfaction which only follows a damn good read”
“Easily one of the best books I have read”