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MY REVIEW

Some books had to be read to really understand the beauty of it. This one by author Fiona Higgins blew me away with the concept where a neurodiverse boy on the spectrum was accused of an unmentionable incident.

My first foray into the author’s writing, I got a vivid picture of how life was for a mother with 3 kids, with an absentee father, and who was working too. Life was a matter of dealing with the individual mini-crisises of the day and keeping them safe.

Jackson, the middle child, was different from birth. He did headstands; he remembered some things suddenly; he phoned his dead granny. He was pure innocence as his brain was wired that way with inane curiosity at times.

The author slowly built up their lives with alternate chapters from Mother Julia and Jackson’s POV, until the day when Jackson diverted from his path.

With the cops involved, the story turned. I was ready to throw my fists at the mother for not understanding how to get the truth from the son, the cops at their slipshod methods, and the absentee father who suddenly appeared to lord over them.

The writing brought out the hidden nuances. It was enlightening to see how the mind of a child so different from others worked. But there was a niggle or two. The chapters didn’t have a heading, I didn’t know whose POV I was reading. I found that distracting to switch over. I wanted more of my emotions to be evoked.

The story transformed beautifully when the family finally settled and the truth was laid bare. Jackson truly was an unusual boy, an angel from heavens, with the blessing of his granny.

A sweet read. Go on… Try it.

MY RATING