Elegiac thriller and meaty coming-of-age story with a complex outsider protagonist.
This compelling young adult novel is part thriller and part coming-of-age story and impressively manages to combine a tightly-plotted murder mystery with a beautifully-drawn outsider protagonist already dealing with some tough issues. Luca Laine Thomas is just two months shy of turning eighteen and lives on the seemingly idyllic Parris, an island populated by the predominantly white and wealthy. For outsider Luca, a black, mixed-race, queer girl troubled by intrusive thoughts, the island’s history of unsolved deaths of young women deemed accidental (or wilfully ignored in Luca’s opinion) makes her feel like it’s cursed. Three years ago this curse took Luca’s best-friend, Polly, when she was pulled out of the ocean that she was so frightened of going near. Still deeply traumatised by these events the arrival of a hot new neighbour moving into Polly’s former home next door catches Luca’s eye but gives rise to conflicting emotions. Before Luca can explore her attraction to Asian new girl, Naomi, the curse strikes once again with Luca’s idolised older sister, Whitney, found dead following a party. Suddenly everyone on the island becomes a suspect and Luca can’t ignore the same feeling that she had about Polly’s death, namely that it’s more than a mere curse, and below the surface of paradise island lies a far darker truth.
Sceptical that the Parris PD and Detective Charles will make a decent fist of investigating Whitney’s death given their history with previous cases and in particular Polly’s death, Luca, assisted by Naomi, decides to take matters into her own hands. Pivotal well-timed revelations from Whitney’s gang of friends ratchet up the tension but also test Luca’s mental health to the limit and force her to question everything she thought she knew about her sister. Barrow never loses sight of Luca’s struggle with grief for both Whitney and Polly and her daily battle with intrusive thoughts never feels like a box ticking exercise but integral to her being. The chemistry and emotional connection between Luca and Naomi is both sweet and well-observed and Luca exploring her sexuality contrasts well with her relentless pursuit of the truth about the night Whitney died. The secondary cast aren’t the most likeable but all are individual and their clear characterisation makes for a gripping murder mystery with an unpredictable outcome. Luca’s sense of identity is memorably positive and her wry humour and brave determination to be true to herself had me rooting for her all the way. Rebecca Barrow’s prose is superb and this is a haunting, thought-provoking story that handles multiple important issues with sensitivity. Although there is a lot going on in this thriller it never feels overcrowded and it combines short chapters with a pacey, powerful narrative that doesn’t sugarcoat anything and tackles serious topics with honesty and compassion.
Sceptical that the Parris PD and Detective Charles will make a decent fist of investigating Whitney’s death given their history with previous cases and in particular Polly’s death, Luca, assisted by Naomi, decides to take matters into her own hands. Pivotal well-timed revelations from Whitney’s gang of friends ratchet up the tension but also test Luca’s mental health to the limit and force her to question everything she thought she knew about her sister. Barrow never loses sight of Luca’s struggle with grief for both Whitney and Polly and her daily battle with intrusive thoughts never feels like a box ticking exercise but integral to her being. The chemistry and emotional connection between Luca and Naomi is both sweet and well-observed and Luca exploring her sexuality contrasts well with her relentless pursuit of the truth about the night Whitney died. The secondary cast aren’t the most likeable but all are individual and their clear characterisation makes for a gripping murder mystery with an unpredictable outcome. Luca’s sense of identity is memorably positive and her wry humour and brave determination to be true to herself had me rooting for her all the way. Rebecca Barrow’s prose is superb and this is a haunting, thought-provoking story that handles multiple important issues with sensitivity. Although there is a lot going on in this thriller it never feels overcrowded and it combines short chapters with a pacey, powerful narrative that doesn’t sugarcoat anything and tackles serious topics with honesty and compassion.