The Girl in the Well is Me - Karen Rivers

The whole thing feels like a prank at first, like something they planned - a joke with a punch line. Maybe, before I know it, one of the girls will tell me it’s really a joke and then they get me out of here. 

But then again, maybe not. 
I have a bad, bad feeling about this. I try not to panic. The first thing everyone says to do in emergencies - earthquakes or house fires of if, say, you fall down an abandoned well out in the wasteland behind town - is to stay calm. 

“Stay calm, Kammie” I tell myself. My voice echoes up the dusty shaft to where the girls are, safe on high ground. I kind of think of them as The Girls, with capital letters like that. I think that’s how they think of themselves. 

How pretty is this cover?!

Karen River’s novel is truly inspiring. It’s not something I would immediately have chosen to pick up but the cover definitely intrigued me and the plot even more so (quick thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this). The way I took to describing it to my friends at university was as a 127 hours-esque plot for children. I wouldn’t say this is a kids book exactly, it definitely reads very well for someone my age and it definitely would relate to someone I think much older. River’s writing style is incredibly engaging and therefore the story really resonates with whomever might choose to pick it up. 

The plot follows Kammie who has moved to Texas and is hoping to make new friends. At the beginning of the novel we aren’t really sure why she’s moved but this is later unfurled in an almost heart wrenching way. Kammie tries to make friends with The Girls, the popular group of Mandy, Kandy and Sandy, and they say that of course she can join, if she passes an initiation, one act of which is the reason Kammie ends up in an abandoned well. 

I really like our narrator Kammie. She’s 11 and moved to a new school and I think that River’s really captured that 11 year old mindset and it really made me think about how when I joined a new school and had to make new friends and it was a really relatable situation that she put our main character in which made us really care about her right from the start. I like how River’s jumps between Kammie’s understanding of her situation and the rational, with the irrational and the imaginative speculative part of the 11 year old mind. It really captures the sort of wondrousness of being a child whilst also being incredibly claustrophobic. 

The setting is pretty much what it says on the tin. Kammie is stuck in a well. She’s fallen into a well and throughout the novel she does slide further and further down into the well and the light above her becomes smaller and smaller. This almost matches her level of hope that she may be rescued. It can also be seen as almost an extended metaphor as, whilst Kammie slides further down, we learn deeper things about her as a character. We learn about why she’s moved to Texas, her relationships with her parents and her brother, and then her relationship with herself and what she thinks of herself. There is a wonderful exploration with this novel about how parents actions can affect a child. It’s not too psychologically charged. In fact it’s quite subtle. But what I think River’s does really well is make us connect so closely with Kammie as a character that when we find out what she has been a victim of, we automatically want what is best for her; ultimately we want her out of the well. 

I would’ve liked The Girls to be a little more well rounded as characters. They have physical flaws described by Kammie but their demeanours seem inherently mean, to the point where they leave her and Kammie believes that they won’t come back. However this could be a stylistic choice on behalf of River’s because Kammie hasn’t really known them very long. I think with this being a “middle-grade” aimed novel, character development away from stereotypical tropes isn’t always necessary but I feel like this would’ve simply added something else to this already enjoyable read. Another thing I would’ve liked a little better explained was her daydreams/hallucinations. As she starts to lose oxygen she begins to see a coyote who can speak french and believes that there are zombie goats beneath her. It was just a little confusing at times as i wasn’t sure if she could actually see these things or if she was just imagining them. 

Overall I think this is a really interesting concept for a novel. It has a very short timeframe with a really engaging narrative voice, good use of time and how the space is used, or lack of it for that matter. I think River’s has created a really enjoyable novel for people of all ages. Pick up “The Girl in the Well is Me” on March 13th. 

Total pages - 224
Total read time -  Untimed
Rating /10 - 6

Recommend - Maybe

The Ask and the Answer - Patrick Ness

I won’t be starting this blog post off with a piece from the book’s beginning because this is book 2 of 3 from Ness’ rather spectacular Chaos Walking trilogy. Some of the things I may mention in this could be seen as spoilers so if you’ve not read the book or are dying to, like I was after finishing The Knife of Never Letting Go, thank you for stopping by but I wouldn’t recommend reading any further. 

Once again a gorgeous cover for Ness' book! Love how it links so well with the story too
As I’ve mentioned already, this book is the second in the trilogy and follows on from Todd and Viola arriving at Haven, the army closing in on them. And boy does Ness just pile on the feelings onto my poor little heart from the very beginning to the end of this novel. The relationship between these two protagonists is tested throughout and the fact that they have been split up despite needing each other so badly is just heart wrenching but such a wonderful plot device. By splitting the two apart we get to see the two different sides to Haven, or New Prentisstown as it becomes, and it also gives us a chance to really get to know these characters on an individual basis. 

What I really liked about this novel in comparison to the first was that Ness changed from having Todd’s singular perspective to the dual narrative of him and Viola. Each chapter reads with a very different voice and the style is very different; Viola’s obviously more educated, reflected in the spelling and structure, whilst Todd is less so and the spelling that I found rather difficult to grasp came back to the second book but was actually a lot easier to get my head around. What I think having the dual narrative really does is show us how dependent the characters are on one another. Frequently we come back to the same questions like where is the other? What are they doing? Are they looking for me? Are they even still alive? I think seeing this really makes it so much sweeter when they are reunited briefly, and so much more heart breaking when they are torn apart. 

I didn’t think it would be possible for Ness to put any more action into this series after the tormenting travels of the first novel, but this holds its own in that department. Sometimes middle books to trilogies can feel like building blocks for a final fight but this novel is no such thing. Yes it provides information that is very important for the final book, which I am desperate to get my hands on when I’ve got some more money, but also it has it’s own story and its own conflicts within which are incredibly complex. Ness’ introduction of the women into society is really interesting to me, seeing as the first book is so heavily male. The new female characters are well rounded and well thought out, Mistress Coyle being a complete badass of a woman who I debate between loving and hating throughout. When I think about some of the actions in this book I can’t help but think of the Suffragettes and their violent response to wanting the vote. There seem to be some similarities between the women of this novel and their rebellion against Mayor, now President, Prentiss and the suffragettes, even if the actions in this novel are bigger and definitely more dangerous. It’s very clever and interesting and you are instantly drawn into the work that these women are doing, whilst also questioning if it is the right way to be going about things; going from being healers and nurses to being rebel activists, verging on terrorism, who set off bombs. 

Mayor Prentiss makes a return in this novel; and he’s still just as terrifying. I think what makes Prentiss such a good villain is the fact that you can almost see what he’s trying to do. It is possible to see how he thinks what he’s doing is a good idea, which then makes you think about if it is a good idea or not. He’s an incredibly complex character who I really like to examine when I’m reading scenes with him in. He can very quickly switch from warm to cold hearted in an instant which makes him unpredictable and therefore definitely more scary than a man like that should be. Also the amount of power and control he has doesn’t help with making him seem less scary. He’s definitely frightening, if only because you realise that people like him do actually exist in the world. 

His actions in this novel however are definitely frightening, especially towards the end where he finally allows Todd to see what happens with their prisoners. Yet even from the start we are wary of him as he convinces Todd that he’s not about to hurt Viola if he does what he wishes. And as Todd works for him throughout the novel we start to see real emotion coming from Mayor Prentiss. He even calls him his son, in front of his actual son Davy. 

Davy is not a character to be left out. I remember being a little frightened of the threat of Davy Prentiss in the first novel of this series, purely because it was his army that were following Todd and Viola and there was always that constant threat of him. Also what happened to Ben in the first book really can’t be forgiven. However throughout The Ask and the Answer, Ness really shows us another side to Davy. He seems to be a character pining after his father’s affection and this is something that I can see being really relatable. Also he doesn’t seem to have any friends of his own age so as the novel progresses and his and Todd’s relationship grows, you really start to get attached to him as a character. Especially when he brings back his mother’s book and tries to apprehend Mayor Prentiss for Viola’s sake. 

The Ask and The Answer is definitely a novel about free will under strict regimes, battling against what you believe to be wrong with underlying tones of rebellion and what happens to those who don’t wish to follow a new structure or order. It’s definitely worth a read if only for the, once again, spectacular cliff hanger that Ness leaves you on for the third and final instalment. 

Total pages - 517
Total read time -  Untimed
Rating /10 - 8
Recommend - Yes 

Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist - Sunil Yapa

The match struck and sputtered. Victor tried again. He put match head to phosphate strip with the gentle pressure of one long finger and the thing sparked and caught and for the briefest of moments he held a yellow flame. Victor - curled into himself like a question mark, a joint hanging from his mouth; Victor with his hair natural and braided, two thick braids and a red bandanna folded and knotted to hold them back; Victor - with his dark eyes and his thin shoulders and his cafecito con leche skin, a pair of classic Air Jordans on his oversized feet, the leather so white it glowed - imagine him how you will because he hardly knew how to see himself. 



In his debut novel, Sunil Yapa portrays the 1999 Seattle protests against the World Trade Organisation. There were over 40,000 protesters who gathered outside the Sheraton Hotel, where in delegates were waiting to be transported to the convention centre, a once peaceful protest became violent and lead to hundreds of injuries and over 150 arrests. The protesters were a mix of those rejecting cheap foreign labour, environmentalists worried about the pollution involved in shipping outsourced products and labour rights groups worried about foreign countries unsafe working conditions all mixed in with various people who simply wanted to vent about capitalistic actions. 

The plot of the novel follows seven characters over the course of this one day outside the hotel. Victor is probably who I would call the central protagonist. He is a 19 year old runaway intent on selling drugs when he comes across the rioters in the street. He is the step son of another character Bishop who is the chief of police, who is leading the police operation to apprehend the rioters. With Bishop are Ju and Park, two officers; one latina and one a typical american cop. Both have very different methods of dealing with rioters. Rioters like King and John-Henry, peaceful protesters with a romantic past between them, who take Victor in as one of their own. Between intense scenes is introduced Charles Wickransinghe, a delegate from Sri Lanka, trapped inside the hotel and impatient to get to his meeting with Bill Clinton. What Yapa does incredibly well with this is include all groups from all sides of the protest, all of whom are flawed but who have some redeemable qualities. Well some more than others. 

This novel is not for the faint of heart however. There are some dark scenes of real brutality which can really make you think that there is no good in the world. The treatment of the peaceful protesters by the police is unnecessary and yet the way that Yapa deals with such a dark situation is by showing the remorse that is felt by some of the police officers. For me this was incredibly important to know that some of the actions were not necessarily the ones they wanted to make. Even some of the actions of the protesters can be seen as poor decision making. King’s life is shown to be a little darker than her peaceful protester outset might seem, and Victor cannot be said to be completely without fault after running away from his stepfather. However I think giving characters flaws makes them all the more human and makes this novel even more thought provoking. There is no real saying in this novel who is right and who is wrong because there is pretty much no redemption for anyone. 

I think where this book failed to grasp me in the beginning of the novel was through the character descriptions. Some were lengthy, every action attached to an unnecessary adjective which really slowed down my reading time. I did however really start to get into it when the real action began and I felt like I was able to engage with all of the characters. The pace is really what I think makes this novel. It’s heart stopping and breath taking and it’s incredibly well paced. In the beginning it feels long but as Victor joins the protest the pace picks up and it’s truly inspiring to read. In addition to that the best thing about this book is the amount it made me think. I knew nothing about the riots but really you don’t need to to start this novel. There is enough written for you to understand it but really, you can transpose any riot that you know of onto the story. The police brutality and the idea of a peaceful protest turning violent is something that is becoming more and more universal. This novel is a really interesting look into the way the police deal with riotous situations as well views from within the situation, without looking too much at the political or economic issues surrounding it. 

Yapa’s debut novel is a triumph if not for its character development but as it’s ability to start discussions about our culture, our nature as a globalising world and about the ways that we deal with situations in our society that we are not happy with. 

Total pages - 320
Total read time -  Untimed
Rating /10 - 6.5

Recommend - Yes if you’re interested in a story based off true life events

(Book received through Net Galley as an advanced reader copy)

Lumberjanes - Stevenson, Ellis, Watters and Allen


I read “Nimona” by Noelle Stevenson was the first real graphic novel I’d ever really read in full. On searching for a copy of my own, as I’d borrowed mine from a friend, I came across this one. Lumberjanes follows the five girls from roanoke cabin at Miss Quinella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. Let us just stop for a second and admire this wonderful setting name. It’s probably one of the funniest I’ve ever come across in a novel of any kind and I am thoroughly impressed. I knew that this was going to be imaginative and creative from that moment on. 

So we follow the girls; Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley at this summer camp. However not is all that it seems when they encounter three eyed foxes, a secret cave and a very intriguing anagram. However this will not be standing in the way of their incredible summer spent together. All of the girls have a talent that they can bring to the group and all are valuable members of the team. They’re even awarded badges which correspond to their actions. They work together in harmony in order to battle their way through their problems, showing that togetherness is important. The narrative is split up by pages from the Lumberjanes manual which I think is incredibly funny, showing the actions a lumberjane must perform to receive a badge, which often corresponds with the actions in the chapter. 

The art in this novel is very reminiscent of the art style in Nimona. All of the characters are very different in appearance which therefore makes the story easy to follow and remembering the characters is very easy. The colours are vibrant which makes it very enjoyable to read and I loved that each and every pane is jam packed full of colour and action. It’s all just very appealing to the eye. I’ll definitely be picking up volume two soon, and hopefully I can convince some friends of mine to cosplay with me at some point. I desperately want to do a cosplay of April. She’s definitely my favourite character of the bunch - red hair with a white bow, purple jacket and pink shorts. Super cute and girly with a kick ass attitude. 

Overall a very quick and enjoyable read. Will definitely be picking up the next volume to continue on this story, and find out what on earth is going on. 

Total pages - 127
Total read time - 30/45 minutes
Rating /10 - 7.5

Recommend - Yes

The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells - Virginia Macgregor

Dear Adam,
I’m sorry. 
I have to go. 
I love you. Tell Ella and Willa I love them too. And take care of Louis. 
If you need help, ask Fay, she’ll know what to do. 
Please don’t try to find me. 
Norah



There is something about the way that Virginia Macgregor writes characters that makes me fall in love with each and every one of them. Her writing style is effortless and her novels are a joy to read; a real breath of fresh air despite tackling some really hard issues. This is the second novel of hers that I’ve had the pleasure to read through NetGalley, and I can honestly say she’s quickly becoming one of my favourite authors to read. 

The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells follows a few different characters but it all focuses on the return of Norah Wells, a mother of two, after she disappeared from their lives six years ago. On entering their lives, everything that she once knew has changed, and she changes the lives of everyone else around her. Her husband Adam has called in the help of Fay and she is now his girlfriend, living in Norah’s place and acting as mum to the youngest daughter, Willa, who doesn’t remember Norah at all. Ella, the eldest daughter, however, has been holding out for her mother’s return, even starting up a twitter campaign with an active following. She refuses to call Fay “mum” and won’t let her touch the room that her mother once resided in. But once her mother explains her reasons for leaving Ella starts to doubt her wishes really bought her the outcome that she wanted. This novel starts with the promises of a happy ending, but shows that really family is a lot more complicated than it would seem. 

The novel is set over the space of a week, after Norah returns to the 77 Willoughby Street, with an epilogue of five months later. I love that it’s split into days and morning, afternoon and evening, with each of these split between the different characters; Norah, Adam, Fay, Ella and Willa. Macgregor is incredibly talented when it comes to writing different characters. Although she writes in the third person, each chapter has a distinctive voice. My favourite is probably Willa’s chapter. This adorable little girl just fills me with so much joy. She spends a lot of her chapters confused, because of the sudden appearance of this new woman that Ella keeps calling mum, but she juxtaposes this with a love of life and excitement for her impending birthday. She’s so full of love for everyone. No matter what. She even asks Adam if the new woman can stay because Ella loves her if it’s Auntie Norah from the pictures. 

Ella is a wonderful character. She reads so naturally off the page. She’s a teenager and Macgregor captures that so perfectly, even down to her relationship with boyfriend Sai that her dad doesn’t approve of. The reactions of Ella to everything that happens with her mum’s return, and her love for her little sister are so well written that I was instantly drawn into her. I wanted to sit down and talk her into listening to Norah about her reasons for leaving; and if I couldn’t do that I’d at least follow her on twitter. She’s funny and unpredictable but also incredibly determined when she sets her mind on something; like winning the 10k race or getting her mother to leave. 

Fay and Norah are definitely characters I enjoyed reading about, if only for the fact that they’re complete opposites of each other. Fay is very orderly and clean whereas Norah is more spontaneous. Fay is shown to be a more controlled mother, worrying about Ella’s grades, whereas Norah remembers when she was Ella’s mother and would take her out of school so that they could go to the science museum or on other such days out, as that was a different kind of education they wouldn’t teach her at school. I think that the balance that Macgregor keeps between the two is incredible. It would be very easy to turn around and claim that one or the other is the antagonist in this novel, but they’ve been crafted so masterfully that both have pros and cons in terms of being mothers and lovers to Adam. 

Adam is a very interesting character to me. He suffers panic/anxiety attacks, for which Fay tells him that the best way to recover is to think of a safe place. But this, to him, is Norah and that in turn makes him panic more because he remembers that she left and she didn’t tell him really why. He is caught between the love of the mother who left and the mother who stayed, both of whom he loves in very different ways. Despite his panic attacks, Adam is an incredibly strong father figure, laying out rules for the girls. However this is only because he’s grown to be the man he is with the help of Fay, after Norah left. 

The weaving between the present tense and remembering the past really brings this novel to life. The things they remember aren’t necessarily extravagant events, but little things like Ella and Norah both remembering their running races at sports day, and Willa remembering Mrs Fox so well. Between this and Fay recalling how she tried to find Norah, it’s a beautifully structured story. The plot twists are beautifully developed and there is something so charming about the ending as well. It’s satisfying without feeling too contrived or unbelievable. 

Overall this novel is full of intrigue and there are definitely some moments where I had to sit and cry for a while, but this was such a lovely read. One, I have to admit, that I read in one sitting. I laid in bed and couldn’t put this book down, literally. It’s such a lovely story that’s heartwarming and heart wrenching and everything in between. It’s one story that I will revisit as I grow up and I think that every time I will take something new from it; be it about being a good daughter, a good mother, a good wife, or even about how to treat animals. 

Please pick up a copy of this book on January 14th (a week today!) and support such a lovely author, who writes incredible books like this!! 

Total pages - 480
Total read time - 4 hours
Rating /10 - 9

Recommend - Yes

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz

One summer night I feel asleep, hoping the world would be different when I woke. in the morning, when I opened my eyes, the world was the same. I threw off the sheets and lay there as the heat poured in through my open window. 
My hand reached for the dial on the radio. “Alone” was playing. Crap, “Alone,” a song by a group called Heart. Not my favourite song. Not my favourite group. Not my favourite topic. “You don’t know how long…"
I was fifteen. 
I was bored. 
I was miserable. 
As far as I was concerned, the sun could have melted the blue night off the sky. Then the sky would be as miserable as I was. 

Also look how gorgeous this cover is  as well! Despite the stickers

This novel has been highly admired by so many. In fact, it has been awarded six different awards; including two best book of the year awards. I’m quite late in picking this up, but after hearing it explained in youtube videos and on blogs, I wanted to read it immediately. And I’m so glad that I did. 

The plot follows a lonely teenaged boy called Aristotle Mendoza meeting Dante Quintana. The two instantly become friends despite their obvious differences. There are several events that push the two apart and draw them back together. Throughout all this time Ari really starts to question himself and how he feels, including questioning his parents about his imprisoned brother and why they love each other. It’s a novel very centrally based around love, friendship and family. 

There is something just incredibly precious about this book. I couldn’t leave it alone. I picked this book up and started it, put it down to sleep and ended up awake at 2am finishing it in tears because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The writing style is beautiful and genuine, with the interwoven Spanish/Latino dialogue of both boys. I think that this is such an important aspect to the book because, as well as dealing with the idea of love, it also deals with the concept of identity. Whilst Ari is definitely more comfortable with his Mexican heritage, Dante sees it as being a hinderance in his life. Throughout, the two talk about being Mexican and what that means to them. In addition to this LGBT+ identity is focussed on two. About half way through the novel it is expressed that Dante thinks he might be gay, but suppresses it when his family move away and he tries kissing girls. Whilst Dante is talking about this in his letters, Ari struggles with his own sexuality, adamantly expressing that he couldn’t love him. 

This friendship is something that Sáenz introduces is very natural and the shift between friendship and relationship is so seamless that really it’s almost shifting throughout the novel. Both boys introduce the other to something new. Dante teaches Ari how to love being outside and the value of friendship as well as poetry, whilst Ari teaches Dante how to love who he is, and how to trust people especially when it comes to things that he’d once be very secretive about. But the joy of them really is just how free they are with one another and how they live alongside each other with no shame. There is no shame in either of them walking down the street without shoes, or loving someone. 

Their parents are also very interesting characters. Ari’s parents are slightly more disconnected; his father is rather closed off and neither will talk about their son who’s in prison. This does start to upset Ari when he feels that he can’t connect with them, after seeing Dante’s parents. They are both well educated and work, as well as both being incredibly loving and supportive. Although Ari’s mum does show him affection, Dante’s mother and father both show their affection physically, kissing cheeks and embracing a lot. This does cause a slight shift in their friendship at the beginning because Ari feels as if he doesn’t fit in with his family, but eventually they both grow to accept one another’s different family. 

I don’t remember being so emotionally affected by a novel since I read M. R. Carey’s “The Girl With All the Gifts”. I sat up at 2am and cried whilst thinking about all of the messages in this novel. Loving unconditionally and embracing life whilst it’s still there is just something incredible that this book reminded me of. The characters will stick with me throughout and I will definitely be re reading this in the future when I’m having a bad day. The end of this novel is just so satisfying and the final line just fills me with so much joy to read. I definitely recommend that anyone in a reading rut reads this, or anyone struggling to come to terms with their sexuality, suffering with bad friendships, or is just feeling sad. This book is sad in places, but definitely more of a pick me up. I can’t write enough good things about this book. It’s definitely one to read and experience for yourself. 

Total pages - 359
Total read time - untimed
Rating /10 - 9

Recommend - Yes 100%

Our Endless Numbered Days - Claire Fuller

Highgate, London, November 1985

This morning I found a black and white photograph of my father at the back of the bureau drawer. He didn’t look like a liar. My mother, Ute, had removed the other pictures of him from the albums she kept on the bottom shelf of the bookcase, and shuffled around all the remaining family and baby snapshots to fill the gaps. The frame picture of their wedding, which used to sit on the mantelpiece, had gone too. 

On the back of the photograph, Ut had written “James und seine Busenfeunde mit Oliver, 1976” in her steady handwriting. It was the last picture that had been taken of my father. He look shockingly young and healthy, his face as smooth and white as a river pebble. He would have been twenty-six, nine years older than I am today. 



Let me preface everything I am about to write by saying that this book filled me with so many emotions. Fuller’s writing style is one that I will continue to return to from now on because this novel has truly just swept me off of my feet and knocked me for six. There is something very fairytale-esque about this novel in it’s setting and the characters, but there is an obvious juxtaposition with the complete sadism with which Fuller treats them. 

The novel follows our protagonist Peggy in two different times of her life. When we first meet her she is seventeen and at home in London with her mother and brother, seemingly trying to readjust. We learn this through her reminiscence of when she was 8 years old and spending time with her father. Her father, James, is a survivalist or a “retreater” and is part of a group of men who all believe that the world is going to end and that they need to take precautions. He stockpiles in their cellar and makes sure that Peggy can pack everything she needs, run downstairs and set it all up in the space of little under 10 minutes. When her mother goes to Germany to continue her career as a concert pianist, James decides that Peggy doesn’t need to go to school and they start lessons of survival in their garden; how to make a fire, skin squirrels and what berries and mushrooms were safe to eat. But after an argument with a friend, James decides this is no longer a safe place. He makes Peggy pack her things and they head off to find die Hütte. This is something that Peggy has been told about by her father to be some magical place with a piano and a river with fish you can just lean in and grab, yet it is far less than that. It is ramshackle, dilapidated and nothing that either of them were expecting. They begin to fix it up and it becomes more like home but one morning James comes back and tells her that there is nothing left in the world. There is no one else. Her life is slowly reduced to working to keep them alive, a makeshift piano that makes no noise, and the feeling in the back of her mind that they aren’t alone. 

Peggy is an incredible character; mostly because she is flawed. Throughout we see her becoming impatient and as she grows up she tries to become more independent. Her independence isn’t so much of a flaw in itself but it is the fact that she can’t fully destroy the tether linking her to her father. She allows him to instruct her on what to do, which as an eight year old seemed to be a game but at nearly seventeen it becomes more of a challenge. What we see Peggy do is start to challenge her father’s authority and she hides things from him that she otherwise wouldn’t have done. I don’t think she wants to necessarily but she just never finds the right time to tell him. 

James’ character is a lot like this through the whole of the novel. He really does believe that this is best for them and frequently becomes angry when things don’t go according to plan. He slowly begins to lose a grip on his sanity throughout and I love the way that Fuller shows this. He becomes obsessive over certain things, even if they’re not likely to work. The first real example of this is the creation of the piano. Even though he can’t make it make a sound he creates a working keyboard out of the wood of their dining room table. Slowly these things get more and more drastic like trying to move the river closer to die Hütte to try and have a closer source of water. Eventually however his real obsession is to change Peggy into his wife, Ute, who he believes to be dead. It’s quite sad to watch his deterioration throughout as we’re never really sure of his next move, especially when he is responsible for looking after Peggy.

One of the strangest things throughout the novel is the idea that they might not be alone. We as readers know that the world has not all gone, because of the changes in time frame, but we do not know if they are alone in this clearing or not. In the corner of the hut behind the stove is written the name Reuben. Peggy starts to feel observed after noticing this name and Reuben becomes more and more of a presence in her life. I don’t want to linger on his character for too long for fear I may spoil the story for some, but his presence is something of a calm away from the storm that is Peggy’s father. 

The fairytale aspect of this for me comes in two parts. The first is the setting of this novel. It’s in this clearing in the woods in what I imagine to be like a pretty beaten up shed. The idea of dense forest to hide something or someone away is a pretty big trope in classical fairytales; think of sleeping beauty. Yet I think the biggest link to the fairytale is the fact that Peggy demands that that is not her name to her father and wants to be called ‘Punzel; a shortened form of Rapunzel. Cue thoughts about the Disney film Tangled and Rapunzel being locked away in a tower in the forest. 

I think one of the best things that Fuller does is make everything feel incredibly claustrophobic, even though it’s outside. The clearing is never described in terms of its size but it is surrounded by tall trees that you can’t see through, and on three sides there are either mountains or hills. On the fourth side, is the river. After a traumatic experience crossing the river the first time, Peggy states that she will never go near the water again. And she doesn’t. This is really the only way that she can escape from her father, and her fear of it means that she is forced to stay. Even climbing to the highest point on top of the mountain ridge, there is no seeing over the furthest hill and there is no sign of life. The whole setting becomes enclosed and it becomes even smaller still when die Hütte is explored. It’s got a stove and some shelving, a single bed, a table and some stools, and a case with some tools in it. Minimalistic but really all that fits inside. When autumn arrives they even line the walls with logs that they can use for firewood which further brings the walls in and this increases the tension. Peggy’s hide out in the trees even becomes smaller as she grows. 

I think that the juxtaposition in time works. We get to see her as a seventeen year old and her as an eight year old both trying to establish themselves in their surroundings. Nothing of what they see is really theres and everything is different to their expectations. I love that there’s this mirrored narrative of really learning more about your surroundings, whilst for Peggy it’s learning about the house and her new brother, but for 'Punzel it’s all about the forest. But this also shows Peggy as flawed without a real knowledge of anything that’s going on around her which really makes you feel for her as a character. I really wanted to just scoop her up and lift her out of the forest to her home in London because the situation does at times become incredibly volatile. 

This isn’t a book for the faint of heart. There are times in this where I definitely felt a lot of anger and a lot of sadness but also a lot of anxiety. The setting and the characters altogether really make this such a success. I think that Fuller really captures this imaginative eight year old growing up into a young woman, out of touch with everything she once knew, before being thrown back into society. 

Total pages - 382
Total read time - untimed
Rating /10 - 7.5
Recommend - Yes 
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