After Nettle & Bone picked up one of the big awards this year I gave it a go, my overall impression is that it’s fine. Generally I enjoyed it but when I spent a few weeks without reading in the middle of the book, I didn’t miss it or think about the story at all.
but. There was one small aspect that I absolutely loved. It happens in the final third of the book as the climax is approaching so I’ll mark it as a spoiler but it isn’t actually very plot relevant so if you’re curious it won’t be plot damaging to read this.
>!I’m talking about the landlady with the cursed child puppet. What an incredible way to represent childhood trauma. All the pain, fear and hate that this child grew up with was poured into the childs favourite toy until it eventually gained some form of sentience. The toy now lives solely to retain its own existence and never leaves its owners neck, always just a movement away from strangling the owner. As the dust wife explains, most of these are dealt with when the child is still young. But in this case the child has grown up and lives with the curse still. The toy is so desperate to be the focus of attention that when the woman spends more than a few minutes with another person it will choke her. And then when eventually the motley crew attempt to rescue her from her curse (and escape her trauma) she is devastated and begs to be reunited with the puppet. Trauma is so inescapable for so many people that people would prefer to live with their trauma than try to live in the unknown wilds of trauma free life. !<
>!As Marra and the Dust Wife speak about after their help has been rejected – !<
>!”She didn’t want to lose it. People get to choose”!<
>!”But she’s choosing wrong. I don’t understand”!<
>!”We can only save people who want to be saved”!<
Amidst a book that I felt was largely generic but perfectly enjoyable, I was blown away by this tiny aspect. That fact that the author Kingfisher had the insight and creativity to create that character gives me hope she will write a novel of that level of quality in totality rather than in moments.
by dorgoth12