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Cy Forrest lives in the south west of England with a very patient @grumblecat. He doesn’t know much about books but he knows what he likes. He’s a regular visitor to Dorset, England, where his 5 Star Readers’ Favorite book is set.
He signed up for a one year MA at Goldsmith’s, University of London. On the MA, Booker prize winner James Kelman (How Late It Was, How Late, Dirt Road) inspired him with ideas about narrative and the vernacular.
His first novel in twelve years, The Punished (Crooked Cat Books) is out now.
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
The Punished by Cy Forrest is a novel that features intrigue, romance, and the unusual transformation of the lives of characters involved in a delicate and deadly plot. The story is multi generational, with strong and interesting characters and a political setting that is constructed with traps around every corner; a plot that is built around a deadly chemical weapon called BLISS and the way it affects the lives of the characters. Eighteen-year-old Jack is entrusted with the very important task of handling the BLISS and soon finds himself falling head-over-heels in love with the radar operator, Gin. Gin has also caught the interest of Commanding Officer Hulford-Prandy, who entices her into the Special Operations Executive and sends her on a mission to destroy a factory in France. But she doesn’t return; she gets captured. Read on to discover what happens to her and what becomes of these characters forty years after.
Cy Forrest has crafted a story filled with intrigue and surprising turns and once the reader is introduced to the characters, there is no way they’d want to miss a moment with them. I was most attracted to Gin, a well-developed character, and readers will be interested to discover her subtle transformation from an effervescent young woman to one more mature and calculating, risking a lot for patriotism. The writing is awesome and the pacing measured. I enjoyed the dialogues, the well-developed setting, and the balanced and deft writing. The Punished is, without doubt, a work of great entertainment, a book with great psychological allure and emotional depth.
