TBR - plum-crazy wishlist tag

Perhaps don’t read this book if you’re thinking of hiring a nanny :) I really enjoyed the style of this book - well done to the translator as well!

Off to plum-crazy next....

Thanks so much for this & all the labels etc. Looking forward to reading it :o)

From the outset of the book the reader knows that nanny Louise kills the two young children in her charge &, presumably, the build up to this tragic event would be come clear. Hmm...well not exactly for me. I read the opening chapter a few times. I had it in my mind that the wording was carefully placed & that the ending would see the mother having been the killer or the mother & nanny had been confused in the horrifying tragedy - but no there was no such twist, it was just my suspicious nature! (perhaps I was thrown by how things had translated?)

None of the characters came over as likeable, & nanny Louise was a confusing character, one that I couldn't understand. Her innocent childlike demeanour & appearance was often commented on & yet she had a daughter who was at least very late teens, I couldn't get a handle on her age. The way she insinuated herself into the families life was a bit creepy at times. At times she was treated like family, at others very definitely as an employee, lowly one at that- as taken for granted as a table or chair...a confusing state of affairs for anyone never mind someone with her issues.

While the sense of unease built beautifully with Louise exhibiting some strange & worrying traits, the story resolved itself very unsatisfactorily to my mind. Despite the fact that she had been showing psychological problems & even though we knew from the start that it was going to happen, when Louise killed the children it seemed to happen for no reason. Maybe I missed something (I'm never good at reading between the lines) though I wonder if some nuances have been lost in translation. It wasn't helped by the fact I found writing style to be a bit choppy at times, giving the feel of reading an abridged version, as if a bit of info (that I needed!) had been removed.

Apparently the story is based on a true life event & this book does at times have the feel of a recounted tale. It's certainly a thought provoking read & one I would recommend as it would be a good one to discuss. However, the ending left unanswered questions that I would have liked resolving.

Taking to the Leeds meet up, if it's not picked up by another BookCrosser it will be added to the Little Free Library in the café





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