This book was described as a bold revisionist take on the American frontier novel and I don’t think there are truer words.

What a marvel this novel by Paddy Crewe is, what an unlooked-for firecracker of fury and beauty and rage and hope. Owen Meany meets Days Without End meets Django Unchained…although comparing My Name is Yip with these titles may be a bit too much praise. Other than my objection to the style which is only personal preference, the story is interesting and original.My Name is Yip’ is a Gothic Western, an adventure story and a compelling psychological and symbolic drama.

I am looking forward to Paddy Crewe's second novel which, one suspects, will be a sequel, filling in the details of Yip's adventures, marriage and later life. The biggest problem for me was the pacing, which I found too slow as we have to wait more than 100 pages for the story to actually start. Both an entertaining tale of gold, murder and the impulse for revenge, and a tender coming-of-age story amid the lawlessness of the American frontier. I love the compelling narrator… somehow a cross between Charles Dickens's David Copperfield and Charles Portis's Mattie Ross. However, the multitude of events and characters painted a colourful and brutal picture of the American Midwest.This book tells a story which is both moving and filled with some really emotional moments, and punctuated with a sprinkling of humour, which lighten some of the tougher moments.