REVIEW: Closer by Maxine Linnell

Review by Luisa.

Mel is fed up. At first, her problems sound like those of an average teenager. Her parents are arguing, she's not sure whether Raj, her crush, likes her or not, and she doesn't get on with her big sister Hannah. Then she reads a page from Hannah's diary and it changes everything. Hannah's been keeping a secret; a shocking secret that will tear the family apart and change Mel's life forever.

I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll stick to the back cover wording, which describes Closer as "a difficult story that needs to be told, a story about what happens when a dad gets too close". Closer is a novel about a harrowing subject and it's sensitively written, with an emphasis on the way the whole family is affected. It doesn't exactly condemn, but we can clearly see Mel's confusion, revulsion and her difficulty in making sense of her discovery and coming to terms with what it means for her family. There's a sense of impending doom in the earlier chapters and some moving scenes when the events begin to affect Mel more directly. There are also glimmers of hope in Mel's troubled life, and I particularly love the way that the sisters' relationship develops and deepens. Hannah is a great character, strong and caring, and Raf is lovely too. I also enjoyed the way that Mel expresses herself and copes through art.

An uncomfortable but gripping story, beautifully told.

Review by Luisa.

• Publisher: Five Leaves Publications (23 May 2011)
• ISBN-10: 1907869263
• ISBN-13: 978-1907869266

Comments

[vivienne]

Eeep! Not sure I could read this one if I am guessing about its content correctly. I know these books need to be written and the stories need to be told to raise awareness, but I struggle to keep my emotions in tact whilst reading them.

[Luisa]

I know exactly what you mean, Vivienne.

[Cliona]

I agree with Vivienne... I don't know if I could read a book like this! It's a bit too deep for me!

[Raimy]

wow, I think this one would be very difficult indeed to read but I am very intrigued and think I might have to check it out... though I can imagine writing a review for it was hard!

[Luisa]

It's worth reading, honestly - it's beautifully written and compelling.

Thanks very much for the comments!