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eleanormaddy 's review for:
Strange Sally Diamond
by Liz Nugent
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Don't usually read crime but might be a convert now!
I've never really been drawn to the crime genre and was unsure what to expect with this one but it came with great reviews & it definitely lived up to them!
I really loved Sally. I think Nugent's portrayal of Sally's mental health/disorders was brilliant. It felt respectful and researched. Although her personality featured definite stereotypes, it didn't feel contrived or over-exaggerated for the sake of it. Despite Sally being odd, she's loveable and Nugent writes her to be understood, vulnerable, funny & with a kind nature. The cast of the village are diverse without being 'different' which felt refreshing. Nugent tackles multiple social 'isms' with ease and delicately.
The character arc for all but Sally were unbelievably believable in the context of the plot and satisfying.
Peter was a difficult but interesting one, whilst understanding the disturbed and abusive upbringing leading to his personality/actions, Nugent still left you space to dislike him. Peter makes you question how much is nature vs nurture, he is perverse but not perverted in the way his father is which opens up this conversation. Is personality deeply rooted in genetics but the actions we take based on nurture/how we have learned life to be?
Masterclass in making a character the most despised. Not sure I've ever hated a character the way I did CG.
Central themes throughout the book of physical & mental abuse, violence and paedophilia. Thoughtfully and carefully explored but explored none the less. The exploration is tactful and gets to the root of the trauma that goes into & comes from it.
The ending leaves you with the idea/question, can we ever escape our upbringing? How much of an impact do those first few years have, and can it be changed later on? Themes of home, family, love and belonging also explored throughout. The cast of the village and their desire to help Sally, despite frustrations, helps to balance the evil of CG and his son. The light balances out the dark.
Another interesting theme Nugent takes on is anger. Everyone in this book is angry but their expression of it comes in many forms. Nugent writes each character differently but I could understand almost all of them, why they were angry and why they expressed it the way they did. Nugent writes as though all of us have anger in us but it's how we have been taught to deal with this that makes all the difference.
I felt the whole book was well paced, just the right amount of building into the story at the beginning and never really felt it dragging. The ending definitely felt like it came to a quick conclusion.
Lots of different strings and connections that all came together at the end. I wasn't left with unanswered questions or plot inconsistencies.
{SPOILER} I felt the ending to be somewhat frustrating. I was so happy for Sally when she had integrated into society, especially the party scenes. When it all fell apart so rapidly, it was like heartache for Sally, even though she can't see what she's lost. {SPOILER}
I've never really been drawn to the crime genre and was unsure what to expect with this one but it came with great reviews & it definitely lived up to them!
I really loved Sally. I think Nugent's portrayal of Sally's mental health/disorders was brilliant. It felt respectful and researched. Although her personality featured definite stereotypes, it didn't feel contrived or over-exaggerated for the sake of it. Despite Sally being odd, she's loveable and Nugent writes her to be understood, vulnerable, funny & with a kind nature. The cast of the village are diverse without being 'different' which felt refreshing. Nugent tackles multiple social 'isms' with ease and delicately.
The character arc for all but Sally were unbelievably believable in the context of the plot and satisfying.
Peter was a difficult but interesting one, whilst understanding the disturbed and abusive upbringing leading to his personality/actions, Nugent still left you space to dislike him. Peter makes you question how much is nature vs nurture, he is perverse but not perverted in the way his father is which opens up this conversation. Is personality deeply rooted in genetics but the actions we take based on nurture/how we have learned life to be?
Masterclass in making a character the most despised. Not sure I've ever hated a character the way I did CG.
Central themes throughout the book of physical & mental abuse, violence and paedophilia. Thoughtfully and carefully explored but explored none the less. The exploration is tactful and gets to the root of the trauma that goes into & comes from it.
The ending leaves you with the idea/question, can we ever escape our upbringing? How much of an impact do those first few years have, and can it be changed later on? Themes of home, family, love and belonging also explored throughout. The cast of the village and their desire to help Sally, despite frustrations, helps to balance the evil of CG and his son. The light balances out the dark.
Another interesting theme Nugent takes on is anger. Everyone in this book is angry but their expression of it comes in many forms. Nugent writes each character differently but I could understand almost all of them, why they were angry and why they expressed it the way they did. Nugent writes as though all of us have anger in us but it's how we have been taught to deal with this that makes all the difference.
I felt the whole book was well paced, just the right amount of building into the story at the beginning and never really felt it dragging. The ending definitely felt like it came to a quick conclusion.
Lots of different strings and connections that all came together at the end. I wasn't left with unanswered questions or plot inconsistencies.
{SPOILER} I felt the ending to be somewhat frustrating. I was so happy for Sally when she had integrated into society, especially the party scenes. When it all fell apart so rapidly, it was like heartache for Sally, even though she can't see what she's lost. {SPOILER}
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping