Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her 'our little genius'. Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh. Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favourite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.
The novel draws you in to 10 year old Melanie's strange world through her narrative voice. Carey presents Melanie as innocent, alone and vulnerable, struggling to balance the cold and hostile environment she regards as home, with her yearning for love and recognition. Carey controls the reveal skilfully, as Melanie and the reader learns of Melanie's past and the reality she finds herself in.
Thereafter, the narrative branches out into a variety of perspectives. I have to say I am not normally a reader of post apocalyptic thrillers or horror novels. The horror here is not only in some graphic descriptions, but in a recognition of our capacity for violence, endurance and a desire to survive against all the odds. The afterward, identifies that the novel originated as a movie 'pitch' and it does read very 'visually'.
The novel draws you in to 10 year old Melanie's strange world through her narrative voice. Carey presents Melanie as innocent, alone and vulnerable, struggling to balance the cold and hostile environment she regards as home, with her yearning for love and recognition. Carey controls the reveal skilfully, as Melanie and the reader learns of Melanie's past and the reality she finds herself in.
Thereafter, the narrative branches out into a variety of perspectives. I have to say I am not normally a reader of post apocalyptic thrillers or horror novels. The horror here is not only in some graphic descriptions, but in a recognition of our capacity for violence, endurance and a desire to survive against all the odds. The afterward, identifies that the novel originated as a movie 'pitch' and it does read very 'visually'.
