Book Review: Penance

Penance
by Eliza Clark
Review by Ray
Told as non-fiction, this book tells the fictional story of a group of high school friends and the events leading up to a horrific murder that they commit together. Through her unreliable and sometimes out-right dislikeable narrator, Clark skilfully explores teenage friendship and manipulation, 2010’s internet culture, and the politics of class with a sharp eye. It is hard to look away, looping the reader into the messy ethics of journalism and true crime obsession. I was totally engrossed and horrified (and grateful to have aged out of high school before tumblr took off!) Highly recommend, but do take care – there are moments of graphic violence.