Alfred Hitchcock would have loved to get his hands on this book. Livvy, one of the narrators of the story, tells of how she and her step-brother, Johnny, loved Hitchcock movies, especially The Birds which they often watched together. This had me imagining the town which was the backdrop for that movie as Port Brighton, the remote Tasmanian coastal town in this story. Livvy’s co-narrator is Marie, Johnny’s mother.
Port Brighton is not usually visited by anyone once the tourist season is over and, indeed, people who appear in the town for the rest of the year are known as Outsiders. The wealthy Lewis family have come to make Port Brighton their home with their children, Sebastian and Audrey. Sebastian becomes Johnny’s best friend, and Audrey his girlfriend.
Marie narrates her story from Lacey House which doubles as a rehabilitation centre for psychologically disturbed patients and a hospital for the criminally insane.
Twists and turns and shocking revelations abound. As fourteen-year-old Livvy’s story unfolded icy fingers began their climb up my spine. Marie’s narration is constantly interrupted by flashbacks which is a perfect way to picture how she has come to be in her present situation.
The shocks keep coming, right up to the end. Who needs other worldly monsters, ghosts and space invaders when you’ve got a town full of truly scary human beings. The birds have got nothing on this lot.
Fabulous book! I loved it!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Published by Pan Macmillan
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