Why Did I Read This Book?
I was gifted a free copy of this book through Instagram and when it came, I loved the look of it. I couldn’t wait to start it and whilst I was reading it, I came across a number of interviews and articles about Eliza Clark’s debut novel and it’s one I was definitely excited about. It came with a little message saying ‘Jessica, hold on tight!‘ and it couldn’t be more true…
What Did I Think?
For 3/4 of the book we are dealing with a character/protagonist who is problematic and does some questionable things. Yet in the last 1/4, we begin to realise that this girl is C-R-A-Z-Y! Psychotic. Dangerous.
She is a monster. All her relationships are built around her wanting people to beg for her attention and love, whilst playing it off as if she doesn’t care about anything or anyone. Yet she quite clearly hates being alone and much prefers it when she has someone to wind up and play her little games with.
All her sexual encounters are problematic. Violent, not always consensual and degrading. I wonder whether she actually enjoys any of these sexual experiences but instead just enjoys the feeling of being wanted. Admired. Desired.
Yet I can’t help thinking that her melodramatic and over-the-top behaviour is a means to getting noticed. She wants people to acknowledge her and hold her accountable for her actions. Yet everyone just assumes it’s because she’s an artist and creative. That because she’s northern, she’s a bit dark and wacky.
I think Eliza Clark does a fabulous job of creating a monstrous, modern femme-fatale character in Irina who fiercely encapsulates this common and current trend of ‘shock’ culture.
You know what, it’s really hard to say what genre it is because it doesn’t really fit any? I would say it’s a bit like American Psycho so horror/mystery but it’s also got a lot of sexual content and violent scenes. But it’s also comedic and funny to so who knows. And I don’t even know where to begin with the triggers for this book because it’s full of them. Probably best to mention the ones that are not featured.
Boy Parts
Published: 2020
Publisher: Influx Press
# of Pages: 297
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Fiction, Thriller
Trigger Warnings: Murder, death, drug and alcohol abuse, violence, blood, domestic abuse, sexual references, depression, homophobia, transphobia, rape
Links: Goodreads, Amazon, Blackwells
Stuck In The Book 