Orbital | Samantha Harvey

The winner of this year's Booker Prize, Orbital is a meditative novel that is set onboard the International Space Station. Told over the course of a single day, the novel literally floats through the thought and observations of the six astronauts as the look down on Earth, reflecting on life, science and humankind's place in the universe.

There is no denying the beauty of Harvey's prose, and the writing is exquisitely poetic. The descriptions of Earth from orbit are incredibly descriptive, and a tone of serenity is created which reflects the stillness of space.

Despite the beauty of the prose, Orbital, didn't quite do it for me. While I really appreciated the novel's ambition, atmosphere and sheer beauty, I found myself unable to get attached to any characters or the narrative as a whole. I found the pacing slow and boring at times and was waiting for something to happen, even a spark of tension or something more emotional, but it never arrived. 

I'm sure that Orbital will resonate with readers who enjoy slower, contemplative fiction and stylistic prose, but if you're looking for a novel with a strong plot or a character-driven drama, then this may not be the right book for you. A beautifully written book which felt more like drifting than discovery for me personally.