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A review by jmatkinson1
The Burning Girl by Claire Messud
5.0
Julia and Cassie have been friends from an early age even though they come from very different backgrounds. Julia has a stable family and they support her with her ambitions, Cassie lives with her widowed mother. As the girls grow older they grow apart. Cassie becomes increasingly rebellious and takes risks, Julia conforms but wishes she and Cassie were still close. When Cassie disappears after discovering a family secret Julia finds her but suffers as well.
This is a very powerful novel which doesn't seem to be so as one reads it. The writing is simple, the narrative does not appear too complex or deep and the reader skips through the book at a good pace. However the last few pages really start one thinking and a more complex and almost sinister tale emerges. Messud is a confident author who does not waste time or prose on anything other than the bare bones of the story and that is what makes this novel so good.
This is a very powerful novel which doesn't seem to be so as one reads it. The writing is simple, the narrative does not appear too complex or deep and the reader skips through the book at a good pace. However the last few pages really start one thinking and a more complex and almost sinister tale emerges. Messud is a confident author who does not waste time or prose on anything other than the bare bones of the story and that is what makes this novel so good.