This sinister and disturbing book, is an ideal spooky read for forthcoming Halloween. I cannot think of anything more traumatic than the death of a child.Tragically this heart breaking event happens to Richard and Juliette in Starve Acre, when their only son Ewan, dies suddenly aged 5 years. The book continues to explore the differing ways people grieve. And how this grief can distance, seperate and isolate individuals. Richard, throws himself relentlessly into his work as a lecturer while Juilette becomes increasingly fixated with The Beacons Occultists. She feels that The Beacons can open up channels to allow Ewan to return to the land of the living somehow.
There are many other themes running alongside this main storyline. One of which explores Ewan's behaviour in the months before his death. He had started to show increasingly strange behaviour, that was both violent and cruel. He vehementley attributed this to a malevolent force called "Jack Grey" who instructed Ewan to undertake distrurbing acts.
Another theme describes Richard's obession with the field inherited with the property at Starve Acre. He becomes fixated with local folklore about the mystical Stythwaite Oak that once grew in the field. This ancient Oak was a site of execution by hanging criminals to death. Richard was convinced he could find the roots of this ancient tree and excavates the field like a man possessed.
The subject of child death terrifies me but Hurley is brave to tackle it within this story, The language is extremeley descriptive and conjures up detailed images of the winter countryside. The whole story feels rather gothic in nature, which supports the front cover of the book. A criticsim is that although it is a fairly short read, it tends to jump around at a pace with numerous flashbacks and then re-launches to present. This style was a tad confusing on occasions and the climax although distressing left me with more unanswered questions. All in all a great read for dark nights but as Hurley states "beware what you go searching for and what you find aren't always the same" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are many other themes running alongside this main storyline. One of which explores Ewan's behaviour in the months before his death. He had started to show increasingly strange behaviour, that was both violent and cruel. He vehementley attributed this to a malevolent force called "Jack Grey" who instructed Ewan to undertake distrurbing acts.
Another theme describes Richard's obession with the field inherited with the property at Starve Acre. He becomes fixated with local folklore about the mystical Stythwaite Oak that once grew in the field. This ancient Oak was a site of execution by hanging criminals to death. Richard was convinced he could find the roots of this ancient tree and excavates the field like a man possessed.
The subject of child death terrifies me but Hurley is brave to tackle it within this story, The language is extremeley descriptive and conjures up detailed images of the winter countryside. The whole story feels rather gothic in nature, which supports the front cover of the book. A criticsim is that although it is a fairly short read, it tends to jump around at a pace with numerous flashbacks and then re-launches to present. This style was a tad confusing on occasions and the climax although distressing left me with more unanswered questions. All in all a great read for dark nights but as Hurley states "beware what you go searching for and what you find aren't always the same" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!