The Year of The Rat
by Clare Furniss
I run into this book will I was looking for some bargains on book depository (where if you don't know I buy most of my book), it was cheap, I liked the cover and I was in need of a depressing teenage story. What I did not expect was the laughing out loud while reading it. It is in fact a depressed story but it's full of bittersweet humor!
The story tell us about fifteen years old Pearl, and her world that suddenly crumble to the ground when her mum dies after after giving birth to her baby sister, Rose. Rose, the "RAT" ugly, wrinkled, reddish and super annoying. It is her fault her mum died, it's her fault the wonderful relationship Rose had with her step dad, the Rat's biological father, was destroyed, it's her fault for been the constant reminder of her mother's death. A mum that though is dead, seems not to have disappeared completely, but keeps on popping out of nowhere smoking, cursing, guiding.
The story is told across the year following Pearl's mum, drowns us in her inability to move on, in her constant search of an exterior enemy to let the guilt fell upon. It told with a bittersweet taste, quite realistic, following her in her process of grieving. The writer did wholly picture the hasty sentiment of the protagonist, she didn't try to embellish them, but they were put out there in their raw essence. I liked this fact the most, making the grieving process slowing pointing to a resolution of the events, did surely make it more realistic.
The writing style, the plot, and the character were all well made. I rather liked it!
4/5 STARS
Here is a talk-on with the author:
