Genre: Adult, Suspense
Recommend: yes
Standalone
NO SPOILERS
Summary:
Margo Moon lives in the Bone. She is overweight and lives in the "eating house" with a mother who does not fulfill the role. Men come and go, as Margo stays hidden.
One day she befriends her wheelchair-bound neighbour, Judah and begins to find herself and grow. When a young girl goes missing and the Police fail to act, Margo takes it into her own hands to deal with the killer. Soon Margo has uncovered a side of her that seeks for justice and vengeance, and takes on the role of neighbourhood vigilante. But if Judah discovers the truth, she may lose the only friend she had.
Thoughts:
"I am a writer and words are my weapon" - Tarryn Fisher
The first book of Fisher's I read was F*ck Love, and I loved it so much. I was foolishly expecting the same sort of quirky and upbeat prose that I had devoured the first time. Emphasis on foolishly.
This is a shocker of a read. And it is dark.
Margo has suffered a lot. She lives in silence in a derelict house in a bad neighbourhood, with a mother who doesn't deserve the title. Men come and go to visit her mom, as Margo is often locked in her room. The only conversing between mother and daughter being that of orders.
Then, Margo's life changes dramatically and something inside her breaks. 7 year old Neveah, who she often sees on the bus, goes missing and Margo is enraged by the lack of urgency adopted by the authorities as the poor are just ignored. No one is going to save them. So what does she do? Takes the law into her own hands and avenges the death of the little girl.
Margo gets a taste for more and assumes vigilante role, as she takes matters into her own hands to teach rapists, murderers, con men a lesson. In the Bone, people turn their heads away from crime and injustice but Margo has had enough of innocent suffering.
It's hard to review without giving any spoilers away but this is a gut-wrenching read. The first half is slow and methodical, we get an insight into Margo's mind and psyche. Then shit hits the fan and the rollercoaster descends from the top, bringing the reader through twists and turns that will cause confusion and nausea.
Fisher is one of my favourite authors, not based on story line but on writing talent. I've read loads of brilliant books but the writing has been lacklustre, which is fine for a quick read.
But you can't quick read this book. Every word has a purpose. The prose is delicately psychotic and nimble, and not overworked or written. Skip a line and you risk missing something huge. Big dramatic moments are given 3 lines, emphasising the lack of impact the situation has on our heroine.
"I crack my neck as I leave the alley. I have to stop fucking killing people."
This read should anger you. It should cut you deep.
There is a great plot line that is not answered, which I applaud as it sort of drives the reader slightly insane wondering what is real.
I started out not being so sure where this book was headed and if I would enjoy it. but writing this 24 hours after completion and I'm still affected by it.
"Unlike Lady Gaga, who asserted her line across radio channels, as millions bopped their heads to the anthem of sociopathy, I was not born this way. I was not born with the capacity to murder. Life brought it out in me."
Overall:
If you want soft romance go elsewhere. If you want to read something that speaks the uncomfortable truth about the world, this is for you. A dark and twisted psychological thriller.
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