Synopsis: Nikki Black, intent on punishing the mother who abandoned her at birth, goes to the island with only one aim in mind: revenge. But her plans are confounded by the discovery that she has a brother. A brother strangely possessed by their mother; with a terrifying violent streak; an apparent simpleton whose head is filled with the stories of past islanders, Vikings, Little People. A brother whose dangerous love and strange way of seeing the world transform Nikki's life.
***
Review: I'll admit up-front, I wanted to read this book on the basis of the (not very good) film, which I only watched because Colin Morgan (Merlin) was in it.
HOWEVER, the book is excellent. The movie was a poor adaptation (though Colin's "Callum", Nikki's brother, was excellent) but I can definitely see why someone would want to adapt it.
The writing is fantastic - told in first-person by the bitter and hate-filled Nikki, "I want to kill my mother" is not an easy story to write convincingly - but I have to admit that while I never sympathised with Nikki (she's far too unlikeable for that) - I could understand her reasoning. Her reasoning is very convincing. And the writing is, in parts, absolutely beautiful and very insightful. And as unlikeable as Nikki is, Callum is adoreable. No I'm not just saying that because Colin Morgan. He really is, and in a lot of ways, the biggest victim in the book, while also being the one to change Nikki's life.
There are also short stories in abundance - the mythical and magical history of the mysterious island on which the novel takes place, usually told by Callum to his sister. They add a very fairytale-esque feel to an already oddly compelling story, with parts of the tales seeming to be analogous to Nikki's own life, and her life ultimately becoming just another of those strange tales.
Points of warning: There is a lot of swearing, mostly from Nikki, and there are some events/themes which are very dark towards the end. So read it at your own risk - I can't tell you what they are without spoiling the plot. All in all, I came away from the film thinking it was a bit rubbish and came away from the novel thinking, 'I need to read all of this woman's books.'
I would DEFINITELY recommend this book, but as I say, it is dark.
5/5
