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a_gillie 's review for:

The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
4.0
challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Certainly this was disturbing and dark and twisted, just as I had expected. What I hadn’t expected was just how sad it made me. It felt like a cross between “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” and “Lord of the Flies”, with a little “Rosemary’s Baby” thrown in for good measure. 
McEwan is a master of making despicable characters interesting and this book is no exception. A psychologically horrifying story.