Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Within pages minutes of beginning, I was absolutely engrossed. I was almost leaning in to listen, like the narrator was sharing the juiciest gossip. Wynn-Williams reveals all on her job at Facebook – Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg do not come off well (haven’t read it but I always figured Sandberg’s Lean In was a crock of shit and if only half of what Wynn-Williams says is true, then I figured correctly).

Still wondering how Wynn-Williams got away with publishing this memoir without the world’s biggest lawsuit… anyway, it’s astounding and terrifying stuff.

4/5

The Name of the Sister by Gail Jones

A really smart book – at first glance, it’s a rural thriller/ mystery, but deft gothic themes – animal carcasses, Hamlet, Mad Max and barren landscapes – elevate it.

I enjoyed the focus on the main characters rather than the ‘action’. For each, there’s a backstory and there are significant things happening in their lives which run in neat parallel to the main plot. In less skilled hands, this could have been unwieldy, but Jones keeps each thread of the story ticking along.

Thrillers usually end with a dramatic build and this was no exception, however, I felt that it was the weakest part of the book because it plays to what’s typical of the genre. I’m not sure how this could have been avoided because I needed answers but the change of pace wasn’t my favourite bit.

I think I would have been better off reading this book rather than listening – Jones is a fine writer and listening didn’t allow me to linger.

3/5

The Bearcat by Georgia Rose Phillips

The Bearcat is a fictionalised account of the life of Anne Hamilton-Byrne, the leader of the cult known as The Family. I have followed the story of this cult for reasons I outlined when I read Chris Johnston and Rosie Jones’s The Family, so was keen to read The Bearcat… but it was dreadful.

Purple prose, overkill on the analogies, and relentless gothic imagery all combined to make this book very hard work. And it was not helped by the zig-zagging between time periods and points-of-view (the story is told from Anne’s perspective, and that of her mother, Florence). Over on Goodreads there are questions around the inclusion of a character named Ida, who is Florence’s neighbour. Ida plays a big role but some readers didn’t see the point of her – I might have totally misunderstood, but I interpreted Ida as one of Florence’s alternate personalities (there’s mention of schizophrenia). Regardless, Florence as portrayed was not enough to help me understand Anne Hamilton-Byrne as a person.

If you want the lowdown on The Family, head straight for the documentary.

1.5/5