Bel Reviews: Kate Hendrick's - "The Accident"

“A rainy night.

A car crash.

After the accident Sarah moves to a new school. A new place where no one knows what happened to her or her brother—where she doesn’t have to deal with the history that’s pulling the rest of her family apart.

Will is keeping his head down at home, just trying to get by. Then his sister Lauren comes back—as caustic as always but somehow changed. Will doesn’t know what upheaval brought her home. But it’s sparking some serious change in his life too.

Eliat’s got no mother of her own, and she’s way too young to be one. Looking after a two-year-old, trying to finish school—sometimes all that keeps her sane is partying as hard and fast as she can. Now the pressure’s building and Eliat just wants to get away.

Just get into a car and drive.”

If you have no patience for long winded stories, I will say straight up, this is not the book for you.

The characters are well thought out and lead multi-faceted lives. I’d have to say the character I most identify with is Eliat. Being a young Mum is its own kind of hell. I can’t imagine how it would be to still be trying to finish school, and having the desire to act irresponsibly, on top of being orphaned. Gritty and real.

The butterfly effect isn’t linear in The Accident, and you never quite know how your actions can play a part in the lives of others. Other than the title and chapter headings of before or after the accident, you are left wondering about about the point of the book. However, eventually a point is made and it is deadly, sharp and stabs deep.

In no way is this a story wearing a mass market bow, neatly tying the ragged, frayed and blood stained strands together for an ending. It is a granny knot, ready to be pulled apart with just the right amount of pressure. If you want to try something off beat and indulgent, give this debut novel for Kate Hendrick a go.

Paperback, 272 pages

Published June 26th 2013 by The Text Publishing Company

ISBN: 9781921922855