A review by elleneam
White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

3.0

A captivating if somewhat confusing read which uses horror to look at themes of imperialism, racism, mental illness and intergenerational relationships. Despite many reviews criticizing this book for being ‘too hard to understand’ or ‘unreadable’ I did not find this at all - you just have to be willing to embrace a certain level of ambiguity. Yes, all of the narrators are somewhat unreliable, yes you are never really sure if the story is actually happening or if it is all just in the imagination of the main character, yes the ending is unclear – but all this is deliberately so and adds to the richness of the novel. The most interesting theme to me throughout the book was the use of ‘white’ to signify conservatism and evil, and ultimately as an allegory for the British Empire, in a subtle and interesting way. This subverts the literary tradition of associating black with evil and badness, and by doing so calls it out. I also liked the idea of the true horror and evil being within the status-quo which the book drew out. This is the kind of book that leaves you with more questions than answers. I would recommend this book if you are in the mood for a slightly challenging read.