The Day I Met Suzie by Chris Higgins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh man, I loved this and I really loved how it started. I started reading it and it was one of those moments where I was all “Oh” and then “Oh man” and then “OH MAN”. It. Is. Good.
Told in the first person form, it opens with our narrator (Indigo) spilling her soul over the telephone to a Samaritan. It’s a brilliant device because it lets Indigo tell her story without it feeling forced – and it’s a really brilliant device later on in the story where things all start to come together.
And Indigo has a heck of a story to tell. It’s all about how she met Suzie – and how Suzie ultimately ended up taking over everything in Indie’s life. And it’s also about how things ultimately get very dark and how events spiral out of control – and how Indie ends up to be on the telephone in the first place.
This is a really stylish, confident and nerve-shredding book. I loved it. There’s an interesting level of social commentary at place here, and I liked how Higgins made her points without sliding into moralising.
What I did have issues with is the ending – specifically the epilogue. It felt slightly like the wrong voice was used at this point and I wonder whether I’d have been happier if it had been third person. However, that’s not a comment on Higgins’ ability at all. Even with this slight (very personal) niggle, I was still hooked right until it finished, and I think that’s a comment on how high the standard is maintained throughout. Basically it’s good. Addictively good. Really, really addictive and really, really good.
Daisy May Johnson 