March Book Review: Cuckoo Song by Francis Hardinge

When Triss wakes up after an accident, she knows something is very wrong. She is insatiably hungry, her sister seems scared of her, and her parents whisper behind closed doors. She looks through her diary to try to remember, but the pages have been ripped out. Soon Triss discovers that what happened to her is more strange and terrible than she could ever have imagined, and that she is quite literally not herself. In a quest to find the truth she must travel into the terrifying underbelly of the city to meet a twisted architect who has dark designs on her family—before it’s too late . . .

Set in England after World War I, this is a brilliantly creepy but ultimately loving story of the relationship between two sisters who have to band together against a world where nothing is as it seems.

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (May 12 2015)

Language: English

Amazon rating: 4.5/5 stars

Goodreads rating: 4/5 stars

    This novel was on my TBR list for quite a while before I finally picked up a copy. I read almost the entire novel over the span of a few days, and it never fell flat or failed to hold my interest. The plot itself is masterfully woven, the characters complex and fascinating, and the setting richly imagined and beautifully described.
    It's extremely difficult to describe this plot without spoiling anything. I will say, however, that I found chilling, immensely original, and masterfully layered. Nothing is exactly as it seems in this novel, and I found myself as shocked as the characters at each new turn, struggling to accept each new revelation. The story races to a heart-pounding conclusion that is exciting, but seems at the same time satisfactory and even inevitable.
    The characters are also ingeniously written. I found Triss, the main character, immensely relatable despite her peculiarities, and even the antagonists are deeply layered and relatable. Every character in this novel has their own complex motivations, some less obvious than others, and this makes each character relatable and understandable in their own way. I found myself empathizing immensely with many of the antagonists, as many of them are only trying to protect themselves and those they care about from a perceived threat. Hardinge makes it very easy to see Triss from these antagonists' perspectives, and despite relating too and loving Triss, the antagonists' motivations for her destruction were equally understandable, and truly heartbreaking. Pen, Triss's sister, is one of the most fascinating and complex characters in this novel, and her emotional and character development throughout the novel is one of the best I've read in recent memory.
    The setting was one of my favourite things about this novel. Sadly, it is difficult to describe fully without spoiling, as it factors so wonderfully into the plot. The novel is set in post-WW1 England, and has a bit of a steampunk vibe to it. The architecture is beautifully described, and the supernatural underworld much of the story revolves around is original and fascinating.
    Overall, this is a wonderful and thrilling story. It's a bit dark and chilling at times, so I'd recommend it for a slightly older reader, perhaps 13 or older. But if you like original, exciting, and complicated plots with a lot of twists and a healthy dose of creepiness, this would be a good book for you.
    4.5/5 stars!