Fictional novel review: My Phantoms (2021) by Gwendoline Riley.

Here I am everyone, to give you a new review of a book you could read. I do firstly want to say that due to being away, I did not get the chance to publish my post on Wednesday. So here I am. Anyway, this time I am reviewing Gwendoline Riley's 7th novel, My Phantoms (2021) and welcome to fractured familial relationships. With the novel in first person, told from the perspective of Bridget we are greeted with her disconnect from both her parents. Bridget has an uncomfortableness with her father who died years ago and her mother who she sees infrequently.

Now as someone who studied creative writing in part at university, one thing we talked about was whether a narrator was a trustworthy one. Here, I cannot say that Bridget is. Why does she have a distanced relationship with her mother, damaged with cuts of harsh truth? Her partner, John seems more connected to her mother then she does. Even with him and her sister actually, the relationships seem loveless as if. I wonder where the empathy and warmth are.

This novel is uncomfortable because it is like ripping off a plaster to reveal that the cut you had has just got worse. Gwendoline Riley could have shied away from the coldness of Bridget and her mother Hen's relationship. Instead she, unlike other authors, dives into uncharted waters to examine the distancing between mother and child.

For me, I like how this novel is brave. It deals with sharp and painful realities without being too horrible. At times it is upsetting but it is never evil. Riley has done this in a clever way where we are left saddened by the ending. This does not take away from the novel though; instead it reminds us of a sad reality. It is an excellent novel that is upfront and honest, determined to display the truth - however hard it is to digest. I am giving My Phantoms an 8/10.

Until next time,

Thomas.