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A review by readingwithhippos
Surrender by Sonya Hartnett
5.0
This book is so, so creepy. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Gabriel, the narrator, is dying from an unnamed illness. He's only twenty, but he spends his days wasting away in bed. He's never been able to forget the terrible thing he did when he was seven years old—Finnigan won't let him forget.
Finnigan is Gabriel's only friend. He lives wild, like an animal, and Gabriel never knows when he'll show up. But they're bound together no matter what. They made a pact when they were kids, and Finnigan at least is determined to keep it.
As Gabriel slowly sifts through his memories, the full horror of his past becomes clear. Finnigan is dangerous, remorseless. Gabriel depends on him, but he's also scared of what Finnigan might do—to him, to his family, and to the small town of Mulyan where they live. When fires start cropping up around town, destroying homes and possessions, the hapless constable has no idea who's behind it. Gabriel knows, but he also knows he can never tell.
I read with my mouth hanging open. I couldn't wait to get to the end, to find out the full history between Gabriel and his sinister shadow. I've read lots of great books with unreliable narrators, but this one stands apart. Hartnett's writing is lush, gorgeous, even as she's describing the unthinkable. Gabriel's voice is so convincing, I had to look up occasionally to make sure I wasn't being sucked down into the insanity along with him. Fortunately I was always reassured by the familiar trappings of my own little house. I was still in my favorite chair, the cat was still sleeping on his back in the sun. My coffee mug, long cooled, still sat on the table.
But Gabriel's twisted world felt so real, I wouldn't have been surprised to see flames.
See more of my book recommendations for grades 6-12 at www.read-or-die.com.
Gabriel, the narrator, is dying from an unnamed illness. He's only twenty, but he spends his days wasting away in bed. He's never been able to forget the terrible thing he did when he was seven years old—Finnigan won't let him forget.
Finnigan is Gabriel's only friend. He lives wild, like an animal, and Gabriel never knows when he'll show up. But they're bound together no matter what. They made a pact when they were kids, and Finnigan at least is determined to keep it.
As Gabriel slowly sifts through his memories, the full horror of his past becomes clear. Finnigan is dangerous, remorseless. Gabriel depends on him, but he's also scared of what Finnigan might do—to him, to his family, and to the small town of Mulyan where they live. When fires start cropping up around town, destroying homes and possessions, the hapless constable has no idea who's behind it. Gabriel knows, but he also knows he can never tell.
I read with my mouth hanging open. I couldn't wait to get to the end, to find out the full history between Gabriel and his sinister shadow. I've read lots of great books with unreliable narrators, but this one stands apart. Hartnett's writing is lush, gorgeous, even as she's describing the unthinkable. Gabriel's voice is so convincing, I had to look up occasionally to make sure I wasn't being sucked down into the insanity along with him. Fortunately I was always reassured by the familiar trappings of my own little house. I was still in my favorite chair, the cat was still sleeping on his back in the sun. My coffee mug, long cooled, still sat on the table.
But Gabriel's twisted world felt so real, I wouldn't have been surprised to see flames.
See more of my book recommendations for grades 6-12 at www.read-or-die.com.