Well I can certainly see why Sophie Draper won an award for this book, it hooks you in from the really quite creepy prologue, and pretty much doesn’t let you go until the final word.
What I liked so much about it is that I found myself at times just as confused as protagonist Caro, not in a not knowing what was going on way, just in a trying to figure out just exactly what was happening to her and why. She’s something of a hidden character, I think partly because we’re drip-fed her history as she is remembering snippets of her childhood throughout the book. But she is nevertheless likeable despite her often closed personality, brought about by the treatment she received as a child from her stepmother and the more recent relationship with her ex-boyfriend. It’s confusing then that she is met with the utmost distaste from the neighbours she encounters, and I was trying to work out just what she’d done to merit their behaviour. And it’s this slow unravelling that makes Cuckoo an engaging read.
The actual storyline is very clever, and the author manages to weave the plot well, ensuring that I was thinking about it even when I’d had to put it down. With all of the twists and turns Cuckoo had to offer, it was like being on a rollercoaster without any of the associated sickness or dizziness! And I’m not going to spoil anyone’s reading of it by saying the ending was just terrific - I loved it.
I really look forward to reading more from Sophie Draper, but in the meantime I’d really recommend giving Cuckoo your attention, it’s a fab read.
Cuckoo is published by Avon Books on 29th November 2018
