Publication Date: 07th Nov 2024
Genre: Dark Historical Drama (plus a short contemporary track)
4.2 Stars
One Liner: The second half is stronger; impactful
1938, Old England
Gillian Larkin doesn’t mind being unnoticed but it sure feels good to make friends with the new roommate at school. Violet Claybourne is lively, spirited, and an enigma. When she invites Gillian to her home, Thornleigh Hall, for Christmas, Gillian is overjoyed. She sees it as a chance to meet Violet’s older sisters, Emmi and Laura.
However, her stay in their home changes her life in many ways. An accident on the extensive grounds brings forth some truths and betrayals. Gillian needs to make some decisions, that have long-lasting effects. What happened all those years ago?
The story comes in Gillian’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
I was curious when a book with the name Violet in the title chose to present the story from Gillian’s POV. However, soon, I realized why it was done. Gillian is the right narrator even if she is a pathetic friend.
The book begins in 1999 and quickly goes to 1938 where the majority of the events take place. There are a couple of time jumps afterward and complete the circle by ending the story in 1999. Having a single narrator for all of it works the best. No distractions or confusion.
Initially, I thought I might like the narrator but in less than a few pages, I changed my opinion. There was a short scene that established her character and the next events solidified it. It was a little clue left for readers to guess. I like that!
Despite seeing the others from one POV, we get a clear understanding of who they are. The characterization was great (even if I didn’t particularly like a certain move towards the end. Some people are inherently selfish and evil. There’s no need to create a reason to psychoanalyze their actions.)
It has quite a few themes like friendship, toxic relationships, selfishness, cowardliness, need for approval, class differences, etc. A few triggers too but nothing graphic. TWs are at the end but contain spoilers.
The dark vibes were subtle but effective. The Hall and the estate added to the atmosphere and tension. In fact, the war backdrop kept the entire book in a sense of uncertainty. As we entered the second half, it felt like a key being tightened to its last point.
However, the pacing in the first half was very slow. While it does set the stage and establish the characters, readers might feel bored or tired of anticipating the ‘incident’. Once it happened, the story picked up pace and sustained a steady momentum. I couldn’t stop reading after that.
The writing was compelling. It was hard to not feel a jumble of emotions as the characters made decisions that showed their true colors. I wanted to hug poor Violet so many times!
The ending made it a worthy read; satisfying in many ways. I did want a short epilogue from Violet’s POV. It would have been icing on the cake.
To summarize, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a dark read with flawed yet well-etched characters. It will make you feel many things, so pick up the book when you want to think about the shadow side of human nature.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK (Zaffre), for eARC.
#NetGalley #TheUndoingOfVioletClaybourne
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TW: Death of a child (accident), alcoholism, OCD and possible ADHD, animal murder, sexual assault, infidelity (mentioned), and suicide (mentioned)
The story covers many things. Will try to find it and read it.
ReplyDeleteI think you will like this one. :)
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