Review: Dice - Claire Baylis

Review: Dice - Claire Baylis - January 2023

As someone from New Zealand, I have to admit when it comes to New Zealand fiction - I either end up DNF'ing it or the ones that I do finish, I end up loving and enjoying. There tends to be no in-between for me. Like UK Fiction, NZ fiction can be quite slow-paced and this book was no different as it does take a long time to read and that's coming from someone who is normally quite a fast reader though it was good, I felt in parts that it did drag on and since it was set in a courtroom trial - there was a lot of repetition from the witnesses and the people on trial, etc. The book is set in Rotorua which I loved as since my partner is from there and I have been there quite a few times, I was able to visualize and imagine the location of where the story was set and some of the places mentioned in the book - I too had been there a few times like The Fat Dog Cafe. Dice tells the story of a teenage sex game that has been created between four high school boys. Each number on the dice represented a sexual act that they were to do with their chosen girl. Some of the girls participated freely, but then for others like Maia and Amy, the game went too far and ended up in rape and sexual assault which is what these twelve jurors will now have to decide which party is telling the truth and what should be or shouldn't be charged as like most cases including rape, without evidence it becomes a he said/she said case and there is always two sides to a story. If you love courtroom dramas and thrillers based around the #metoo movement and even better a New Zealand fiction thriller, then check out Dice by Claire Baylis as this will be one everyone will enjoy just as I did.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4gDHWqz