What They Do in the Dark
A Novel
Published on 26. September 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
266 pages
978-0-393-34391-5 (ISBN)
Description
In this unforgettable debut novel about the pain, joy, and occasional beauty of childhood, two girls are set on an unimaginable path. Spoiled but emotionally neglected Gemma, who seems to have everything, and semi-feral Pauline, who has less than nothing, are two very different ten-year-old girls growing up in a tough Yorkshire town in the 1970s. Pauline longs for the simple luxuries of Gemma's life: her neatly folded socks and her clean hair. Gemma, upset by her parents' breakup, loses herself in fantasies of meeting the child television star Lallie Paluza. When Lallie shoots a movie in their hometown, Gemma and Pauline grab the chance for their wildest dreams to come true. But the film becomes a catalyst for the forces of the dysfunctional adult world and its impact on both girls as playground bullying escalates with terrible consequences.
Reviews / Votes
"A rich novel that explores the 'darkness' of social dysfunction both in 10-year-olds and in the adult world." -- Kirkus Reviews "...Coe plots these ruined childhoods in a convincing fashion, including everything from drugs to divorce to molestation, without a heavy hand. She has an adept eye for psychological progression..." -- Publishers Weekly "Despite the undercurrents of violence and sex, this is really a story about character: how childhood innocence is lost, cynicism gained, morality discovered and then, perhaps, lost again... a terrific debut, full of energy and color; as propulsive as a thriller." -- The Guardian "A brilliant novel... The first half of the book is pure delight... But in the second half, you gradually realize this is not a gentle comedy at all. Indeed, the last 20 pages are among the most horrifying I have ever read." -- A. N. Wilson - Reader's Digest UK "One of the most masterly, disturbing pieces of fiction I have read in a long while... will leave you haunted long after you've read the final page." -- Sunday Times "One of the most compelling novels published this year... Its savage wit and transporting eye for detail are the things that keep you along for the ride." -- The Times "...superbly plotted, building, from seemingly disparate elements, with a dread inevitability to a tense and shocking finale." -- The Daily Mail "[An] impressive debut... A dark, disturbing look at a 1970s childhood, as a tetchy relationship between two schoolgirls culminates in a truly shocking ending." -- Marie Claire UKMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
369 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-393-34391-5 (9780393343915)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Amanda Coe is a screenwriter and filmmaker whose television credits include the British series Shameless. She is the author of a collection of stories, A Whore in the Kitchen, and the novels The Love She Left Behind and What They Do in the Dark. She lives in London with her husband and two children.