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bookswithlukas's review
3.0
It’s always interesting to read a new author and not really know what to expect. Reading the synopsis for this novel, it sort of gives you the impression that you’re going to get a bit of a low-key thriller involving a creepy kid, but what you really get is an examination of loneliness through the eyes of someone who has been abandoned by those around him (albeit because he IS very creepy) and the breakdown of village life by an outsider who knows and uses all their secrets.
Timothy Gedge is quite the creation, half annoying child - half master blackmailer, Trevor imbues the character with a commendable level of spunk, whilst also making sure to keep the creep factor at a level that never tips over into likability. He’s always just a little *too* weird, or a little *too* calculated for you to get behind how he goes about attempting to destroy his fellow villagers lives, resulting in a novel full of characters who can best be described as ‘grey’.
It’s an interesting tale that truthfully took me a little while to fully immerse myself in, and if there’s anything negative to say here it’s that it simply began to end just as it began to truly engage me, resulting in a finale that felt a little deflated considering the expectations that had risen as the novel continued.
Overall, Trevor is definitely an author I plan to read a bit more of, especially since his novels now come in all MATCHING editions! Thank you publisher, you’ve done good work
Timothy Gedge is quite the creation, half annoying child - half master blackmailer, Trevor imbues the character with a commendable level of spunk, whilst also making sure to keep the creep factor at a level that never tips over into likability. He’s always just a little *too* weird, or a little *too* calculated for you to get behind how he goes about attempting to destroy his fellow villagers lives, resulting in a novel full of characters who can best be described as ‘grey’.
It’s an interesting tale that truthfully took me a little while to fully immerse myself in, and if there’s anything negative to say here it’s that it simply began to end just as it began to truly engage me, resulting in a finale that felt a little deflated considering the expectations that had risen as the novel continued.
Overall, Trevor is definitely an author I plan to read a bit more of, especially since his novels now come in all MATCHING editions! Thank you publisher, you’ve done good work
decorrookie's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
3.0
Set in a small, middle-class town in 70s England, this novel centres on Timothy Gedge, a neglected teenager who has become a sinister presence. This is the earliest of Trevor's novels that I've read, and it's interesting to see familiar elements from his story-telling that haven't been developed as they will be in his later novels. We have a sense of disillusionment, intense isolation, and loss, as well as an undercurrent of trauma. Trevor remains subtle as well -- he creates a menacing atmosphere with no graphic violence. But the elements do not come together as effectively as in some of his later novels, and I didn't find this as gripping.
My big objection to this book is that the narrative implies that homosexuality and pedophilia are the same.
My big objection to this book is that the narrative implies that homosexuality and pedophilia are the same.
cathdm's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kristi_mac_mikey's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookwormlukas's review
3.0
It’s always interesting to read a new author and not really know what to expect. Reading the synopsis for this novel, it sort of gives you the impression that you’re going to get a bit of a low-key thriller involving a creepy kid, but what you really get is an examination of loneliness through the eyes of someone who has been abandoned by those around him (albeit because he IS very creepy) and the breakdown of village life by an outsider who knows and uses all their secrets.
Timothy Gedge is quite the creation, half annoying child - half master blackmailer, Trevor imbues the character with a commendable level of spunk, whilst also making sure to keep the creep factor at a level that never tips over into likability. He’s always just a little *too* weird, or a little *too* calculated for you to get behind how he goes about attempting to destroy his fellow villagers lives, resulting in a novel full of characters who can best be described as ‘grey’.
It’s an interesting tale that truthfully took me a little while to fully immerse myself in, and if there’s anything negative to say here it’s that it simply began to end just as it began to truly engage me, resulting in a finale that felt a little deflated considering the expectations that had risen as the novel continued.
Overall, Trevor is definitely an author I plan to read a bit more of, especially since his novels now come in all MATCHING editions! Thank you publisher, you’ve done good work
Timothy Gedge is quite the creation, half annoying child - half master blackmailer, Trevor imbues the character with a commendable level of spunk, whilst also making sure to keep the creep factor at a level that never tips over into likability. He’s always just a little *too* weird, or a little *too* calculated for you to get behind how he goes about attempting to destroy his fellow villagers lives, resulting in a novel full of characters who can best be described as ‘grey’.
It’s an interesting tale that truthfully took me a little while to fully immerse myself in, and if there’s anything negative to say here it’s that it simply began to end just as it began to truly engage me, resulting in a finale that felt a little deflated considering the expectations that had risen as the novel continued.
Overall, Trevor is definitely an author I plan to read a bit more of, especially since his novels now come in all MATCHING editions! Thank you publisher, you’ve done good work