Cuckoo by Sophie Draper

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Avon (29 Nov. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0008311285
• ISBN-13: 978-000831128

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

There’s a stranger in your house…

When her stepmother dies unexpectedly, Caro returns to her childhood home in Derbyshire. She hadn’t seen Elizabeth in years, but the remote farmhouse offers refuge from a bad relationship, and a chance to start again.

But going through Elizabeth’s belongings unearths memories Caro would rather stay buried. In particular, the story her stepmother would tell her, about two little girls and the terrible thing they do.

As heavy snow traps Caro in the village, where her neighbours stare and whisper, Caro is forced to question why Elizabeth hated her so much, and what she was hiding. But does she really want to uncover the truth?

 

Review

We all remember the dark fairytales from childhood, the wicked stepmother, folklore of children being bad and their punishment, and this is the foundation of Cuckoo .  This is a psychological thriller, dark and chilling and with a touch of folklore.  At her estranged stepmother’s funeral Caro sees her sister Steph, who walked out of the family home nearly twenty years ago, leaving Caro at the hands of her stepmother who showed no love for her.  After reconnecting, Caro returns to the family home to recover from the end of a bad relationship and start a new commission as an illustrator.  Whilst there, strange occurrences begin to happen and Caro has flashbacks to her childhood and the cruelty of her stepmother.  Is there someone or something in the house and what do these flashbacks mean.

At the centre of this is a folktale her stepmother told Caro and part of the new commission for a book. The Pear Drum is taken from nineteenth century Victorian story by Lucy Clifford called The New Mother.  This is a seriously dark, gothic and chilling tale that would give nightmares.  It centres around two sisters who meet a girl with a Pear Drum which holds secrets in its box, but to see inside you have to be really naughty.  If you aren’t naughty enough, then your mother will be repacked with a creature with glass eyes and a tail.  This a fairytale Caro grew up listening to, and reading it again for her illustrations brings back memories of her childhood; after all she had the wicked stepmother.

Cuckoo is one of those thrillers that grabbed me straightaway and left me saying ‘Wow’ when I got to the end.  It is fast paced, full of drama and very spooky.  The setting of an isolated cottage, where Caro finds herself snowed in, is perfect; there is still a stain of blood on the floor from her stepmother’s death, a back garden that is overgrown and neglected, and things that go bump in the night. I did find Caro annoying at times, but as the book progresses you find out more and come to understand her insecurities and attitude to others.  The writing is brilliant, drawing you in to Caro’s world bit by bit, the tension and feeling of suspense and suspicion build throughout until the heart stopping finale.  I was mesmerised by this book, and Caro’s life, and for me it is one of the best thrillers I have read in a while.

Cuckoo is a thriller that you won’t forget in a hurry.  Fast paced, dark and gothic in character it really is a must read for psychological thriller fans.  The spooky and sinister nature of this book, with the fairytale at its centre, is original and compelling. Cuckoo is a breathtaking debut from Sophie Draper, it is so well written and imagined and I can’t wait to read her next book. absolutely brilliant.

 

Thank you for reading my review.  If want to stay uptown date with my books and reviews you can subscribe to my blog for free, follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.