A review by gia0203
Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved the irony of this novel, that
the most innocent, naive and youthful woman in the book is the one brutally punished. not the men that infiltrated. not the villagers who scorned the women for the photographs. but the 18 year old who knew no better.
it’s a poignant look on how female rage is often directed in the wrong place.

this book used the seasons in an interesting way, with heat gradually building as the commune became more and more sinister. the sudden rainfall, which brings the destruction of everything, is jarring too. the environment really tells a story.

I think that this novel works well as a whole. as I was reading, I was skeptical. I thought the tone was too dreamy and hazy and the slow pace at first didn’t click with me. however, the novel by the end fits together beautifully. Iris’ relationship with hazel’s mirroring her mother and fathers’ in particular is one of the most striking parts of the novel. when iris said you lied I felt that in my bones. 

there was an air of freedom to the ending that I liked. iris isn’t the same person that she was before breach house. her relationship with her mother is closer, for example. she has learned to value herself. At the same time, the trauma of what has happened permeates her current life. the quote by vita sackville west at the start of the novel really sums the novel up. 

UPDATE: just listened to Amy Twigg’s thoughts on the book and updated my rating to 5 stars - so much thought went into this!!!!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings