When I picked up this book in the staff room communal book share, I was expecting something whimsical and fun. What I was not expecting was something dark and disturbing. This story is told from the perspective of Melanie, a fifteen-year old girl who belongs to a rich family. After dressing up in her mother's wedding dress and going out into the garden, she is left devastated by the death of her parents die. She and her 2 siblings then must go and live with their Uncle Philip, an awful puppet-maker who owns a toy-shop and her aunty Margaret and her two brothers, Francie and Finn, who she has never met before. The life she then leads is disturbing.
You expect this to be a rags to riches -style story of someone who has been placed in an awful situation and then crawls up out of it to triumph but it is nothing like that. I wasn't sure of the era- it was left deliberately ambiguous- it could very well be set in the Victorian era, or 20's or 50's or 60's except for references to modern things and ideas, so I presume it's 50's or 60's.
The author, Angel Carter, is extremely indulgent with her descriptive and figurative/imagery language- all sorts of interesting metaphors and similes are used all over the place. At first I thought they were interesting, then I got bored with them and felt like I was reading a Year 6 story where they're trying too hard, then I got used to them. The story deals with Melanie's coming to terms with her sexuality as a teenager (indeed, the opening line is her discovering her own body, which is dealt with over the course of the first chapter) and those around her. The ending felt abrupt to me, weird, disturbing and abrupt and I was shocked by what the book portrayed, by the twist and big reveal at the end, which I wasn't sure where it came from. I enjoyed the characterisation though largely, I was disturbed by the other characters in the story except Melanie who I felt a deep sympathy for. Uncle Phillip, whilst he doesn't feature much in actual conversation in the story is referred to and he makes a sinister and nasty presence, compounded by those instances where he is present and he is truly vile.
I finished the book feeling perplexed, creeped out and disturbed and a bit disappointed in the ending- we all know (or maybe we don't) that I like a happy ending where everything is explained (that's why I now love JK Rowling) and you don't get that- there is a lot of wondering Despite being disturbed by the ending, it was compelling reading and I couldn't put it down and had to read on. I think her description was beautifully worked after my initial annoyance and really enjoyed the book on the whole until the end few chapters but just want to know what on earth was going on in her head when she wrote it?!?! Something slightly sick, I suspect!
I'm cautious to recommend it, I wouldn't read it again and it's going back to school, but at the same time, it was an interesting read.
Thanks to Foyles.com for the image- you can click here to buy the book.