What's it all about?
Eleven-year-old Olivia has just moved into her sixteenth placement home, having grown-up in the care system. She is clearly a troubled child, damaged by the abuse she suffered at the hands of her own mother, and by her experiences of being 'given up on' by everyone who has looked after her so far. Nicholls uses her first person narration to weave several narrative threads together into one compelling storyline: flashbacks of Olivia's relationship with her mum, a history of her foster carers, and the present-day story of her latest home. This home is a secluded farm house that she shares with Jim, his own two children, an older fostered girl and her baby daughter. Oh, and the ghost of a notorious Victorian murderess.
Notorious Victorian Murderess Ghost?!
Namely, one Amelia Dyer, who could potentially be the UK's most prolific serial killer ever, with speculation that her number of victims could be as high as 400! What is most horrific about this woman, is that her victims were babies. Baby-farming was a lucrative business in an age where unwed mothers were even shunned by the workhouses. If you would like to find out more about Dyer, you can read this article in the Independent, but I warn you, it is heartbreakingly horrid.
Back to the story then...
Olivia asks her new foster father who the lady in the creepy portrait that hangs on the wall is. No prizes for guessing, it's Amelia. Jim goes on to explain who she was, what she did and the fact that she used to live in the very same house they are all living in now, and almost certainly murdered babies there. Perhaps social services should have advised him that hanging a picture of an infamous child-killer in the house was not a very sensitive thing to do, seeing as he fosters vulnerable children and all..
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| Enough to give anyone nightmares |
Olivia hears things. Babies crying (when Maisie, the only baby in the house, is happily playing or asleep), footsteps in the night, and finally, the rasping voice of Amelia, singing the worlds most sinister lullaby. Amelia's voice gets mixed up with things her mother said in the past, and under the stress of the hauntings, and no one to believe her, Olivia starts to lose control.
Is it any good?
Exceptionally. I've already mentioned the unusual way that the story is told, and I think it really made the book, and the character of Olivia come alive. The constant switching between past and present, and different homes and different carers allowed for a slow build up in tension as we learnt of the horrors of Olivia's early childhood, the devastation of being separated from her siblings, especially her sister, and the relentless fear experienced by a child who cannot trust the adults that are supposed to protect her. Throw in the possibility of a ghost, and it becomes something quite similar to on of my favourite Victorian ghost stories, The Turn of the Screw.
This all sounds pretty dark, is it really YA?
Yes, in that it is appropriate for Young Adults, probably 14+. At this age, teenagers are making important choices about what to study at school, making plans for the future education and employment, as well as thinking about, talking about, reading about, if not actually experiencing first-hand lots of other things that a part of the adult world. These teens are probably mature enough to read and appreciate this story, or to self-censor if they think it is too difficult or too scary for them to read at this time. I have noticed on other blog posts that some people post *trigger warnings* for books, films, documentaries etc that deal with sensitive issues that some individuals may have anxieties about. This book could probably do with something like that, as some of the flashbacks, particularly of Olivia's mother may be too close to the bone for people (of all ages) who grew up with an abusive parent. That said, despite the dark nature of both Olivia's past, and that of Amelia, this is not a book without humour and hope - you really should read it and find out!
Over to you:
1) Do you believe in ghosts? Is Olivia really haunted by Amelia, or is the ghost a product of her own disturbed mind?
2) What do you think the future has in store for Jim and his family? Will Olivia be a part of it?
3) Can you write a new creepy verse for Amelia's lullaby?
Is it any good?
Exceptionally. I've already mentioned the unusual way that the story is told, and I think it really made the book, and the character of Olivia come alive. The constant switching between past and present, and different homes and different carers allowed for a slow build up in tension as we learnt of the horrors of Olivia's early childhood, the devastation of being separated from her siblings, especially her sister, and the relentless fear experienced by a child who cannot trust the adults that are supposed to protect her. Throw in the possibility of a ghost, and it becomes something quite similar to on of my favourite Victorian ghost stories, The Turn of the Screw.
This all sounds pretty dark, is it really YA?
Yes, in that it is appropriate for Young Adults, probably 14+. At this age, teenagers are making important choices about what to study at school, making plans for the future education and employment, as well as thinking about, talking about, reading about, if not actually experiencing first-hand lots of other things that a part of the adult world. These teens are probably mature enough to read and appreciate this story, or to self-censor if they think it is too difficult or too scary for them to read at this time. I have noticed on other blog posts that some people post *trigger warnings* for books, films, documentaries etc that deal with sensitive issues that some individuals may have anxieties about. This book could probably do with something like that, as some of the flashbacks, particularly of Olivia's mother may be too close to the bone for people (of all ages) who grew up with an abusive parent. That said, despite the dark nature of both Olivia's past, and that of Amelia, this is not a book without humour and hope - you really should read it and find out!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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| I was lucky enough to meet Sally at For The Fringe, a YALC event... she was absolutely lovely! |
Over to you:
1) Do you believe in ghosts? Is Olivia really haunted by Amelia, or is the ghost a product of her own disturbed mind?
2) What do you think the future has in store for Jim and his family? Will Olivia be a part of it?
3) Can you write a new creepy verse for Amelia's lullaby?
Go to sleep my baby
Close your pretty eyes
Angels up above you
Look down on you from the sky.
Great big moon is shining
Stars begin to peep
It's time for all the tiny babies
To go to sleep...
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