Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an early uncorrected proof edition of this book, and my review is based on this.
This book begins with a woman obsessed with the past, a woman looking back on an event from her life that has taken on a life of its own as an infamous 'cult' crime, as she begins the process of taking the reader back through time in an attempt to piece together how she came to be a part of it, and more importantly, how she lost part of herself to it. The narrator's sorrow and sense of loss pervades through the opening pages, as she attempts to process the fragmented pieces of her past, while the notoriety of what she had once been part of still continues to haunt her. The premise is both promising and daunting, as she contemplates the present, with the shadows of what she was once part of hovering over her.
The protagonist is Iris, who finds herself living back at home with her mother following the ending of her relationship, before she meets Hazel, a woman living what seems to be an idyllic life in rural Kent in a commune of women, supporting each other, and sheltering each other from the trials of everyday life. As Iris works to gain entrance to this community, we begin to see how her yearning to be an accepted part of the group starts to impact upon her life. Iris, once admitted to the commune, begins to isolate herself from her previous life in order to meet the expectations demanded not only of the women who have taken her in, but more importantly, of the charismatic woman leading them, Blythe. As Blythe challenges Iris on her level of commitment to the commune, we start to see how the little tentacles of manipulation and coercion start to wind their way around the women.
I found it really interesting that the house in which the women live was named Breach House. Instantly, it brings to mind the Dickensian Bleak House with the similarity of the name, and just as Dickens often used the state of a house to signpost the status of the people living inside it, Twigg does the same with Breach House, the earthy, visceral descriptions of the living conditions of the house speaking to the way in which the women are living. There were times where I experienced a real sense of revulsion to the way of life inside the house. Initially, the commune seems to meet Iris's needs, but with the very name of the house suggesting the breaking of something - a breach - the reader knows it is just a question of time before something tips off balance. This seems to come when men are admitted to the commune.
The book raises so many interesting questions particularly about the role of the patriarchy, but for me, one of the most interesting aspects explored in the book is the way in which it challenges what it is that attracts someone to a cult, how they can subvert so many of their own values in order to make themselves a part of something that promises a sense of purpose and community, cutting themselves off from their past and even their own friends and family. The psychological exploration of self-worth is one of the strongest aspects of this book.
Readers have a lot to look forward to when this book is published. Seething with moody resentment, laced with anger, and fired by a feminist, perhaps even misandrist, challenge to everyday life, it will be one of the debuts to watch out for in 2024.
This book begins with a woman obsessed with the past, a woman looking back on an event from her life that has taken on a life of its own as an infamous 'cult' crime, as she begins the process of taking the reader back through time in an attempt to piece together how she came to be a part of it, and more importantly, how she lost part of herself to it. The narrator's sorrow and sense of loss pervades through the opening pages, as she attempts to process the fragmented pieces of her past, while the notoriety of what she had once been part of still continues to haunt her. The premise is both promising and daunting, as she contemplates the present, with the shadows of what she was once part of hovering over her.
The protagonist is Iris, who finds herself living back at home with her mother following the ending of her relationship, before she meets Hazel, a woman living what seems to be an idyllic life in rural Kent in a commune of women, supporting each other, and sheltering each other from the trials of everyday life. As Iris works to gain entrance to this community, we begin to see how her yearning to be an accepted part of the group starts to impact upon her life. Iris, once admitted to the commune, begins to isolate herself from her previous life in order to meet the expectations demanded not only of the women who have taken her in, but more importantly, of the charismatic woman leading them, Blythe. As Blythe challenges Iris on her level of commitment to the commune, we start to see how the little tentacles of manipulation and coercion start to wind their way around the women.
I found it really interesting that the house in which the women live was named Breach House. Instantly, it brings to mind the Dickensian Bleak House with the similarity of the name, and just as Dickens often used the state of a house to signpost the status of the people living inside it, Twigg does the same with Breach House, the earthy, visceral descriptions of the living conditions of the house speaking to the way in which the women are living. There were times where I experienced a real sense of revulsion to the way of life inside the house. Initially, the commune seems to meet Iris's needs, but with the very name of the house suggesting the breaking of something - a breach - the reader knows it is just a question of time before something tips off balance. This seems to come when men are admitted to the commune.
The book raises so many interesting questions particularly about the role of the patriarchy, but for me, one of the most interesting aspects explored in the book is the way in which it challenges what it is that attracts someone to a cult, how they can subvert so many of their own values in order to make themselves a part of something that promises a sense of purpose and community, cutting themselves off from their past and even their own friends and family. The psychological exploration of self-worth is one of the strongest aspects of this book.
Readers have a lot to look forward to when this book is published. Seething with moody resentment, laced with anger, and fired by a feminist, perhaps even misandrist, challenge to everyday life, it will be one of the debuts to watch out for in 2024.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Domestic abuse