The Book of Guilt
By Catherine Chidgey
Review by Josh
A deeply unsettling tale that will crawl under your skin in the best way imaginable. Chidgey has a distinct skill for possessing the minds of her characters and realising them so fully, they could almost jump off the page and join you. The three central characters of the story are triplets, part of the ever-dwindling Sycamore Scheme, which keeps them sequestered away from the public, and administers the medicine they need for their mysterious illness.
As the story progresses, readers become increasingly uncomfortable as we begin to grasp what’s really going on, which ratchets up the tension as we watch the boys still fumbling at the edges, not quite seeing the whole picture. By dropping just enough breadcrumbs to give the discerning reader the clues they need, The Book of Guilt reveals its secrets with perfect pacing and deft timing. A near-impossible book to put down.
