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A review by archaicrobin
The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have no idea what list I got this book off of, and I’m not sure how to even describe it. A lot of reviews compare this to Flowers In the Attic and I would agree, but I’d say it’s a milder version.
Four siblings lose both parents suddenly and tragically a year apart, and instead of seeking help decide to hide their mother’s death by encasing her in cement in the cellar. With two teenaged siblings Jack and Julie, and two you get kids Sue and Tom, the siblings take on a weird familial relationship that begins to delve into incest territory.
While disturbing I still found this less disturbing than Flowers in the Attic but still haunting. I don’t see this novel for everyone and I’m not even sure how I feel about it but if you’re open to weird, disturbing, literature why not?
Four siblings lose both parents suddenly and tragically a year apart, and instead of seeking help decide to hide their mother’s death by encasing her in cement in the cellar. With two teenaged siblings Jack and Julie, and two you get kids Sue and Tom, the siblings take on a weird familial relationship that begins to delve into incest territory.
While disturbing I still found this less disturbing than Flowers in the Attic but still haunting. I don’t see this novel for everyone and I’m not even sure how I feel about it but if you’re open to weird, disturbing, literature why not?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Incest, Grief, and Death of parent