Wow - I loved this. I was a little unsure at the start because I really didn't find Mags, the estranged sister of hospitalised Abe, that likeable a character, so it was kind of hard to feel much sympathy for her. Perhaps that's just me being a bit cold-hearted! She isn't the nicest person you could ever wish to meet though, but I do have to say that by the end I had grown quite attached to her, even if it did take most of the book for her to show her vulnerable side.
The dual narrative between Mags and Jody works well and drip feeds the relationship each of them share with Abe, thus holding a mirror up to both characters. Interwoven with these are the hauntingly horrific italicised entries which we're never told who they belong to until the end, but are at time very uncomfortable to read. All of these serve to ensnare us within the histories until we're trapped waiting for the blissful relief of the truth.
You could of course be quite smug like me, thinking you've got it all figured out, but then there's usually another layer added which means you're back to square one. So if I could be so bold as to give you advice before you start reading; just let yourself be carried along and don't preoccupy yourself with trying to figure it all out. What I will say is that at times I pretty much thought most of the characters were guilty such is the secrecy that shrouds them, but by the very end I just had the overwhelming sense of sadness that poor Abe had his future snatched away from him - the final chapter holding out such hope and promise.
This is one of those books that grips you right to the end. It'll have you reading just one more page constantly, until you breathe out at the end and realise just how much you've enjoyed it. I thought Tattletale was great and I reckon this is going to be another big hit for 2017 - and quite rightly.
Publication date: 23rd March 2017
