I should have expected the bleakness after my previous encounter with a Tom Pollock novel, but this was a book to be recommended with caution.
We have what seems to be a fairly standard split narrative. We assume they’ll link in some way, but exactly how isn’t revealed until a lot later…and it really did turn some of my thoughts completely over. The less said about it the better, but my goodness did the revelation fill me with despair.
One of our narrators is Amy. She uses a seemingly innocuous app called Heartstream to try to make sense of her emotions, and to manage her feelings after the death of her mother. We first meet Amy on the day of the funeral, when she returns home to find a strange woman in her kitchen who threatens to blow her up. Why, we assume we’re about to learn.
Then there’s Cat. Sixteen, and one of a group of super-fans who follow their favourite boy band around, using social media to manipulate those around them. While she loves this part of her life, she has a secret. She also happens to be the girlfriend of the lead singer of the band. Naturally, it’s known to no- one. Naturally, it brings her great joy. Naturally (I hate how cynical this made me feel) it doesn’t work out as she’d hoped. In fact, it goes way beyond the worst things you could imagine.
As we slowly establish the story of each character and learn a little more about them, we are drip-fed hints of the link between their stories.
I was enjoying this immensely, reluctantly putting it down to go to work, but then the rug was pulled from under me and I was left with a sense of utter horror.
Bleak doesn’t begin to cover this, but it was a fascinating exploration of obsession and the role the media/internet can play in our lives.
This would have been a hands-down five star read, apart from the fact I felt those characters needed something hinting at a resolution…and there was one character who I was desperate to find out more about, but never got the insight I craved.