Synopsis
The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.
But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free? - Goodreads.com
My Review
Every October the ‘Accident Season’ arrives and with
it brings, bruises, scrapes, broken bones and sometimes even death. When Cara’s best friend Bea, warns her via a Tarot
reading that this Season will be the worse, Cara already has other concerns on
her mind. A fellow class mate Elsie has gone missing and none seems to know
where she is, but Cara is determined to unravel the mystery, but she may end up
uncovering more secrets than she expects.
This
book was not what I was expecting, but it also didn't disappoint. There was definitely a WTF did I just read look on my face after finishing. It’s hard to find a way of describing the book, as the author does a wonderful job of playing with the boundaries of realism to the point where you're often wondering if things actually do exist or if it’s just the characters imagination.
There were some awesomely creepy scenes that despite a lack of actual blood and gore gave me shivers merely due to the amazing imagery the author provided with her words. The characters were interesting. While they don't necessarily develop much throughout the story, they do have their own tales of guilt, shame and love that add to the eerie, sadness and melancholy of the story. The story itself is shrouded in mystery and intrigue, and with its stunningly hypnotic prose it kept me turning the pages all the way through.
My only grievance is at times I felt the idea of the ‘accident
season’ was just an afterthought added into the writing. There was an explanation
as to what it was, and hints at the devastating effects of disasters
during the previous ‘accident seasons’. However the
story veered off near the middle with only intermittent reference to the
current accident season, with its focus diversifying on to other mysteries. For the most part though everything was wrapped up in
the end. Although you’re likely to have some lingering questions still, but to
have answered them would have taken away the eerie, magical qualities of the
story and writing.
My rating: 4/5
I've seen this book around, and have been debating whether to read it or not. After reading your review, I think I'll give it a try! It sounds really good, and I'm really looking forward to the author playing with realism. Great review!
ReplyDeleteErika @ Books, Stars, and the Pages in Between