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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
This is not an easy book to read. I think only an author of Camilla Gibbs calibre could take on these subjects of abuse and mental illness from a child's perspective with bravery, warmth and humour. As always, she puts you right in the moment and at times that can be harrowing.
Somewhere on the cover it likened this to The Bell Jar. Although the subject matter of mental illness is a haunting reality for woman everywhere this did not capture it quite as well as The Bell Jar, for me. The language felt immature (I might even classify this as a young adult book), but I suppose that was appropriate considering the mental/emotional state of the narrator.
This was a moving, powerful book about a woman's attempt to cope with abusive parenting and sexual abuse. I found only bits of it funny and would not characterize it as a funny novel despite various descriptions of it as "darkly comic" and "by turns hilarious." It started off a little bumpy and ended kind of abruptly but the story was solid and worth reading.
I felt like I've read this book before in another form - a fiction about surviving rape and other childhood horrors. But Gibb put an interesting spin on it when she added dark humor to the mix.
The characters felt a bit stocked sometimes, but there was excellent momentum at the end of the story.
The characters felt a bit stocked sometimes, but there was excellent momentum at the end of the story.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide attempt
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
What an odd book that I couldn't quite put down. The main character of the story, who is abused by her father from a young age, takes us with her through her sometimes coherent and sometimes incoherent journey through life. We meet her invisible friends, join in her dreams/nightmares, and hear her inner thoughts. At times the story follows a path and what you are reading makes sense and at other times you have just no idea however this creatively mimics the ups and downs of the characters life and mental health.
This novel was unlike anything I have ever read. From the first page, it is immediately harrowing. You move with Thelma as she navigates the - already stressful - task of growing up, whilst trying to avoid the prying thoughts of the enemies around her.
I have never read a novel so jarring and yet so sophisticated. Thelma is intelligent from a young age, and the disarray of her thoughts is so beautiful captured throughout the book by Gibb.
I would recommend to anyone - with a slight warning of the contents (sexual abuse, mental illness, physical illness).
I have never read a novel so jarring and yet so sophisticated. Thelma is intelligent from a young age, and the disarray of her thoughts is so beautiful captured throughout the book by Gibb.
I would recommend to anyone - with a slight warning of the contents (sexual abuse, mental illness, physical illness).
I really liked this novel. It's not as good as "Sweetness in the Belly", but Gibb has a knack for bringing marginal characters to life. The protagonist is damaged and funny at the same time...someone I'd want as my friend.
Interesting and odd, this one—Thelma spends so much time deep inside her head, which is often the only safe retreat she has. I don't have a great deal to say here, but I appreciate the way that, when Thelma starts to come out of her cocoon, it's not a straight transition from disconnected to connected or unhealthy to healthy; rather, hers is a nonlinear path with an emphasis on finding ways to integrate the things that are only real to Thelma into her greater-world life.