Can You See Me?

"Did she seriously think my husband would look twice at a person who’d write I know you’ve got a family but we should be together she’ll get over you and not see the screaming need for a full stop in the mix?"

I loved the wordiness of this. I don't want to use any of the vignettes, so had to illustrate my point with a quote from the main flow of the narrative. But that's also a superb sentence in itself and precisely the sort of bafflement I would feel were anyone I was in a relationship with to receive the same, of course.

I worried initially how formulaic this story was going to be, and indeed the structure and style are nothing new. But what works so well here is the unfolding, and as secrets mount and Julia's world is rocked, the ramifications echo and resonate in a disturbingly pleasing fashion.

The spectacular climax is hugely sad, and I don't always enjoy sad novels. But there's a lot to be learned from the ending here I think, because for although this is fiction, there's a hugely believable streak to our young damaged character. The reveals kept me reading. The mysteries kept me wondering. But the artistry in a damaged young soul most of all pulled me on to carry on, and I wonder how many people sympathise with this character too, but only feel they can admit to that because it is not a person they know.