First book of the month is the September book club pick that I enjoyed discussing yesterday.
Penance
Eliza Clark
Do you know what happened already?
Did you know her?
Did you see it on the internet?
Did you listen to a podcast?
Did the hosts make jokes?
Did you see the pictures of the body?
Did you look for them?
It’s been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson rocked Crow-on-Sea, and the events of that terrible night are now being published for the first time.
That story is Penance, a dizzying feat of masterful storytelling, where Eliza Clark manoeuvres us through accounts from the inhabitants of this small seaside town. Placing us in the capable hands of journalist Alec Z. Carelli, Clark allows him to construct what he claims is the ‘definitive account’ of the murder – and what led up to it. Built on hours of interviews with witnesses and family members, painstaking historical research, and most notably, correspondence with the killers themselves, the result is a riveting snapshot of lives rocked by tragedy, and a town left in turmoil.
The only question is: how much of it is true?
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I’ve been struggling to write this review and I think that is because the book is written as if it is a true crime book. Even though it is fiction, it feels so authentic and I always find it hard to say that I enjoy true crime, because it is essentially finding enjoyment in someone else’s worst nightmare.
That is what I think is brilliant about this book it is a reflection and critique of the true crime industry and internet culture but it is done so subtly and in such a clever way. The author has got the tone of the book spot on, I had to look up some of the things referenced in it because I was convinced that it must be real, also the writing style is clear and captivating, I looked forward to getting back to this book every time I had to put it down.
It was fascinating getting to examine this crime through the journalist Alec Carelli, how the story was built up through exploring not just the girls involved but the place and its history. This builds a bigger picture of what the girls have experienced before they committed the crime and what contributed to their mentalities.
The inclusion of the podcast transcripts, online chats, fanfic, and extracts of other publications was another scintillating addition to the book and made it extremely relatable, especially if you were into online communities, but more specifically Tumblr. As well as that dose of nostalgia I definitely felt transported back in time to being in high school, as Clark creates such an accurate portrayal of teenage girls and how their need for social acceptance can cause some pretty awful behaviour.
I thought the unreliable narrator aspect of the story was interesting if perhaps a little tacked on, Alec’s book was called into question at the end but I feel like this is another reflection of the difference between being close to the situation and being an onlooker. It really made me think about perspective, the use of storytelling in true crime to make it more appealing, who should tell these types of stories, why they need to be told and what are they feeding within the consumers.
Penance is an unnerving but compulsive read and definitely a book that will stick with you.
everywhere-and-nowhere.com 