Apologies for the long gap in writing. I took a break, and also got sick with a very annoying coughing thing for 6-7 weeks, then just goofed off for a while, allowing myself a rest.
By a review from the outside, I mean, reviewing my
book as if it was written by someone else, relying only on what’s
on the page. I’m doubtful it’s possible for an author to do
this, but Lathalia, of the Marrickville Writers Corner suggested I do
it (an idea seconded by CateM), to clearly state what the book’s
about, since it treads some very dark ground, driven by a central
relationship that turns badly abusive. But that bald statement actually gives a false impression of the book, hence Lathalia's suggestion...
I do try hard to be be honest and objective when I
look at my own work, so maybe I have a slim chance of pulling it off.
In any case, I thought it sounded like a good idea, a challenge, and an
interesting psychological exercise, to consciously try to look at my
own book from the outside.
I’ll just mention an odd coincidence, too:
Kesha’s song “Praying”
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Dur3uXXCQ)
is currently in the charts, and the lyrics could have been written
specifically for Leeth, about Harmon. I think it's sadly clear that male
abuse of women is still an issue to this day. The overarching theme
of the Leeth Dossier, though, is an exploration of the power and
importance of emotions. Anyway…
First impression
On the surface at least the book seems of good
quality: an attractive cover, and the blurb provides a good idea of
the setting, without being too “explainy”. The text inside is
laid out following normal conventions, and with a very readable font.
The novel seems a good length, though perhaps too long?
Divided into four Parts, it starts with a Prologue, which is also
normally a warning sign. But the opening sentence is fine, and the
first page reads smoothly, sketching a picture that’s an intriguing
mix of low and high tech. We quickly learn a very young child is to
be exiled from this odd commune or tribe because of a prophetic
vision in which she will kill; more than once. And, because
something terrible will happen if the parents go with her, she’ll
be sent away on her own.
We only see “Sara” briefly in this scene,
right at the end, but her innocence comes across well. It’s quite
moving. For people who are very spoiler-sensitive, I’ll next move
straight to…
Overall assessment
By the end of the book, the overall impression I
feel is that Leeth, although deeply flawed and badly abused, is more
than equal to the daunting challenges facing her. She demonstrates
that with enough spirit, you can withstand and find your way past (or straight through!) any challenge. She seems to me a unique
character, too, mixing unworldly innocence and deadly strength. She
does and says things that made me laugh out loud – and cry, too.
She has a long journey ahead of her though, starting as she does from
a belief that it's fine (even good) to kill people, and working as a
government assassin while still tangled up with her ‘Uncle’.
But Leeth never gives in, demonstrating an almost
archetypal ability to escape control. Leeth is irrepressible. The
book is aptly titled.
Detailed impressions and vague synopsis
Part I opens with the slightly creepy Dr Harmon
acquiring the eight-year-old Sara for adoption, but really, to be the experimental subject for his
research, at the Institute for Paranormal Dysfunction. We learn
snippets of world history and watch Sara over several years, raised
pretty much at Harmon’s sole whim. He wants to force magic to
develop in Sara, and believes stress is a key element in this
happening. Sara comes across as happy, energetic, and trusting. She
makes friends with Faith, a cyborg ‘wardog’ that helps guard the
Institute, and Faith’s owner, Mr Shanahan. She also manages to
penetrate the security to visit ‘Godsson’, a mad inmate who is
perhaps the most powerful mage on the planet. Her intervention, aged
9, to help Godsson was both touching and dramatic.
Part II: Years pass, Harmon continues his manipulations, and it seems the imaginary creatures Sara ‘hunts’ in the grounds may be real, and outside anyone’s expectations. The Godsson situation – his annual ‘attacks’ – also continue, slowly worsening, though only Sara believes them to be real. While across the country, something terrible changes a murderer into something even more chilling. Sara’s stubborn determination to ‘help’ during Godsson’s annual attacks become a serious source of tension.
Part III: Sara is now seventeen, and beginning to
break free of her Uncle’s influence. Determined to overcome her
growing resistance, refusing to allow his experiment to fail, Harmon
resorts to drugs. At this point, things get very dark indeed.
Harmon’s abuse of his position worsens, going deeply into the
category of criminal behaviour. He gets his wish: Sara Unfolds,
though not as he had expected, when he realises he’s never told her
it’s wrong to kill. On an outing soon after, Sara kills, unaware
the warped killer, magically drawn to her, is at her heels. Sara –
now rechristened ‘Leeth’ – escapes arrest only when a DNA match
fails, due to behind-the-scenes plotting by some shadowy figures.
In Part IV, the situation with Godsson comes to an
explosive crisis, with Leeth demonstrating both her spirit and her
foolhardiness. Harmon finally realises he has a tiger by the tail,
and the book moves to a dramatic climax. And then continues,
apparently calming down… except, as Harmon takes things to a new
level, the shadowy figures finally step into the light, in an
intervention that changes everything.
(In my next blog article, I’ll review the novel from the
inside: why I wrote the book
as I did.)
