"Blacklands" by Belinda BAUER
Blacklands by Belinda Bauer
Corgi Books, 221 pages, 2010
I wanted to start my Welsh Reading Challenge by this novel, but believe me, never trust a writer living in Wales for writing a story taking place in Wales.
Thus, this novel took me to the exotic region of Exmoore in England among moors and peat. Steven lives with his mother, his grand-mother and his wee brother, Davey. Their family life is darkened by the loss of Billy, Steven's uncle, when he was just 11, same age as Steven today. Billy was raped and killed by a serial killer twenty years before, but day after day, his mother is still waiting behind her window for him to return. Billy's sister is still trapped in the memory of this loss also. The family has never known where the body was burried... Steven thinks that if he can discover where his uncle was left, his family could start a new life, a normal life, a happy family life, just as his friends at school. He starts to dig into the moor, but discouraged, he imagines he can write directely to the serial killer to get the information he needs. The killer starts answering...
I was not expecting this kind of novel when I first opened it. My first suprise was an English landscape as I told you. Then I thought I would read a kind of social novel from the first pages. We meet Steven's family, its grief, its pain, its misery. The focus is put on the family life, a mother that lacks of emotions and love showing towards her kids, an absent-minded grand-mother, and Steven among them, totaly lost in his family. But then, the plot takes a new turn with the introduction of the serial killer in the story. We can't help being afraid for the young child. The point of view keeps on moving from the child's to the killer's, there is a latent feeling of tension between the meanness of the killer and the naïvety of the kid.
I really liked the ambiance of the book, I could feel the smell of the peat, the humlidity, the heavy clouds, as well as the disturbing atmosphere in the village, between the kids, within the family. The book is of a real strength from this matter.
A very good book, I should say. Even more when we know it's a first novel. I would recommand it warmly for its good plot and the perfect setting created by the writer, as well as for the feeling of tension we experience throughout the reading of the book.
Challenges for a start....
Welcome to my new blog !
I have the experience of the blogs but in my own language (French), so this one would be a new challenge for me !
Challenges... that's how the idea of this blog popped up... I was wandering on British blogs and I've discovered so many challenges I wanted to follow... so here I go :
I must admit that this one is FOR ME !! I can't want to meet brand old authors, totally unknown to me ! It's called The Wuthering Expectations Scottish Reading Challenge and Clismaclaver (wow wow wow!) The goal being to read Scottish Books published before 1914.
This second one follows my interest of the moment, I really want to discover Welsh Literature, I hope, I actually don't have the slightest doubt, that a magnificient Welsh Literature World will open up for me ! The Welsh Reading Challenge : The rule is to read at least one book written by a Welsh Author, taking place in Wales or speaking about Welsh people during the year. GREAT ! :))
