Girl A : Book Review



 

Book Review

 

Title: Girl A

Author: Abigail Dean

Genre: Thriller/Psychological Fiction

 

Girl A explores the psychological consequences of trauma on children and how it effects their lives. 

 

Lex Gracie aka Girl A is the one who manages to escape the house of horrors. The same house where she and her siblings were chained, tortured and starved by their parents. Her father never made it out of that house and her mother was sentenced to prison. Years later, when her mother dies and leaves the family home for her children, Lex is forced to return to come to terms with her painful past. In the process, she must return to that house and also meet her siblings who are now placed in different foster homes.  

 

Written in first person from the point of view of Lex, this immersive psychological tale explores the several dynamics of the sibling relationships that includes shifting loyalties and betrayals. From the very first line, you are drawn into the interiority of the protagonist and her dark world. A world filled with atrocities and instances that make you cringe in horror. The gradual unfolding of the plot and revelation of the complex characters and gives you the heady feeling of having consumed a cocktail drink. The narrative shifts alternately between the past and the present which at first can seem confusing but eventually sets into a rhythm. 

 

It’s interesting to observe how the concept of horror isn’t necessarily restricted to the supernatural world. Its attributed more to the heinous acts committed by mere mortals that we call humans. The narrative also entails the inability of the mind to accept certain life events and compels one to remain in denial. 


Girl A is intense, disturbing and leaves a permanent scar on the readers. 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the importance of f
Read more

The Chennai resistance

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=3cd78548-4240-47c3-a608-8432df372190 Mentality of a Chennaite is something that never fails to amaze me and other people of different cities. This city has a rich cultural heritage and people indeed try their best to preserve it as much as possible. However in spite of globalization descending upon them, with BPOs lurking at every corner, with the Burgers and pizzas invading their eateries, the typical chennaite will go by his time tested staple food. Times have changed, and Chennai itself is now invaded by population from other cities not only in India but form the world, thanks to the IT boom and the automobile hub centre that it has become. One can see the metamorphosis almost everywhere; old buildings have given way to modern architecture, arterial roads choked to the brim with modern vehicles, individual bungalows replaced by the apartments. Only the age old temples have withstood this onslaught, but they too
Read more

My friend Ganesha: Friendship with God

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b7ab149a-5f35-4861-8859-6a890ddb71fe Loneliness often propels one to longingly seek a friend. Times like these often push us into a solitary stance or we find our solace in the road to spirituality striking an unspoken friendship with God. My friend Ganesha is one such film which depicts this divine friendship between a child and the elephant faced God and takes you down the mythological lane. The movie revolves around a family consisting of Ashu, his parents, aunt and the maid Gangubhai who places her sincere devotion in Lord Ganapathy. Ashu is a lonely child devoid of any friends and to top it all he is bullied by his counterparts at every given opportunity. To make matters worse, his parents who are caught up with the corporate lifestyles hardly spend time with him. One day he ends up saving a little mouse from the harsh rains. On sharing this with the maid, leaves her enthralled enough to tell him of being the
Read more