And on top of that? Feminism and jazz and tea shops and plates and plates of cake! Not to mention shrieking dolls, shudder-inducing but poignant consumption of various things, and a fantastic play on the fears of parents re: changelings. The family dynamics and sister relationship are so well done, as are the way the book handles loss and longing. This is a dark, violent fairy tale, it's a mystery, it's a fantasy, it's horror, it's historical, it's gothic, and it's also the story of a girl trying to find a place for herself among a grieving family torn apart by war. It's a frightening supernatural tale on the surface, and a quiet, moving story about grief underneath.īlog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | PinterestĬreepy, complex, genuinely frightening, thrilling, sad, and unbelievably tender and hushed and beautiful all at once. Soon, it's unclear whether Triss is losing her mind or whether her accident triggered something horrific. And she is unable to quench her insatiable hunger.Īs Triss "recovers", she discovers more about her life, her family, and its secrets. She begins to see and hear things that she shouldn't. Her sister refuses to believe she is really Triss. There are things she can't quite remember, and things that just don't seem right. The story opens with Triss awakening after a mysterious accident. I would recommend this for children, teens and adults alike.
The writing is gorgeous, full of lush but scary descriptions and the plot is so layered and thought-provoking. It's like a paranormal historical horror mystery. The story is full of metaphor, genuinely creepy scenes and an underlying tale about family and war. The main characters are young and there is nothing unsuitable for children, and yet this is far from your typical middle grade book.
Sometimes I guess "I have never read anything like this" is the best kind of compliment.Ĭuckoo Song is best described as a dark fairy tale. Because oh, her books are weird, but in the best possible creative, original way. Well, Tatiana finally made me read The Lie Tree, which gave way to a weekend full of Hardinge madness. Partly because they're supposed to be "middle grade" and partly because I couldn't really make sense of the blurbs - they sounded just. Despite seeing positive review after positive review, I have been putting her books off for years. Okay, we need to talk about Frances Hardinge. Something bad happened here, something that should never have taken place.
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