Scan barcode
A review by andrew61
All Made Up by Janice Galloway
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I enjoyed the first part of this 'memoir' so much that I quickly wanted to read the second volume in which we follow Janice into her teenage years where puberty, higher school, boys, music and literature come to see the silent child emerge into a budding adult. The story was beautifully written but also incredibly moving as the prose instantly transported the reader.
I have referenced memoir in inverted commas having just listened to an interview with the author in which she emphasises that while this is her story her memories can never be accurate so there has to be an element of fiction to the narrative.
At the heart of the story remains the family at its heart as Janice trys not disappoint her mother but also avoid the physical force from her indomitable sister Cora who remains the character that hovers over this story and is incredibly complicated and frightening. There are so many scenes that stand out, but perhaps the confrontation with Janice's aunty's kitty at a family wedding is most memorable.
But this book also reflects on much else with the wonder of an inspirational teacher, to the importance of friendship (although the scene with Jacob at the end is devastating). This is definitely not a misery memoir but an expression of the uniqueness of the individual and how art can inspire a child to escape the expectations of society.
It's a brilliant book, incredibly written, which I will remember for a while, my first 5* of the year.
I have referenced memoir in inverted commas having just listened to an interview with the author in which she emphasises that while this is her story her memories can never be accurate so there has to be an element of fiction to the narrative.
At the heart of the story remains the family at its heart as Janice trys not disappoint her mother but also avoid the physical force from her indomitable sister Cora who remains the character that hovers over this story and is incredibly complicated and frightening. There are so many scenes that stand out, but perhaps the confrontation with Janice's aunty's kitty at a family wedding is most memorable.
But this book also reflects on much else with the wonder of an inspirational teacher, to the importance of friendship (although the scene with Jacob at the end is devastating). This is definitely not a misery memoir but an expression of the uniqueness of the individual and how art can inspire a child to escape the expectations of society.
It's a brilliant book, incredibly written, which I will remember for a while, my first 5* of the year.