Strange Sally Diamond: A BBC Between the Covers Book Club Pick

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The graphic descriptions of child abuse are VERY graphic & violent. When a pregnant woman who has spent the majority of her life in one room suffers horrible physical and emotional abuse from an adult man, and is then abused by her son, who is a CHILD....I'm out and only wish I could scrub the scenes from my brain. Immediately, we are drawn into a universe of uncertainty with this immaculate line. Here, for all living creatures, reality can overwhelm and therefore the suggestion of a dream world is a viable alternative. But as we all know, dreams can turn to nightmares and even the hint of what an insect might dream about sends shivers down the spine. Live organisms include humans. What horrors or fantasies await them? They cannot “continue for long” to cope with reality. So there is the question that needs an answer. Will lives be cut short or will the inhabitants be forced into nightmarish delusion? Hughes, Declan (7 April 2018). "Skin Deep review: dark monster of a book about beauty and identity". The Irish Times . Retrieved 14 June 2018. Did you once say you’d feel like a proper writer, having written five books? Does it get easier? Have you changed?

Despite this, however, I actually think Sally is only the second most interesting character in this book. The other is less likable, sometimes intensely unlikable, but far more complex. Nugent has explored two different forms of trauma and abuse here; Sally's was the more straightforward of the two. Liz Nugent (born 1967 in Dublin) is an Irish novelist. She is the author of five crime novels. Her latest novel is Strange Sally Diamond, published in the Ireland and UK in March 2023. Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and worried police, but also a sinister voice from a past she has no memory of. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, recluse Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, finding independence, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.In parallel, we have Steve’s story whose life will becomes entwined with Sally’s. He too has a past!!! And once again with his story we ask ourselves – are some truths too damaging and traumatic to be revealed and healed? This books explores that notion. Peter, Mark, Conor Geary, and Tom: these men really made my head spin! Author Liz Nugent expertly reveals their relationships with Sally; and, Sally has learned to live with and accept herself for what she is - a recluse and ‘strange’. Someone socially awkward that is mistrusting of others, and whilst something ‘rare’ and different, she doesn’t know how she got to this place and why her father has encouraged her to disengage from the world around her.

So begins the book, where Sally Diamond takes these instructions literally and indeed tries to incinerate her oul da after he dies. She doesn't see what the fuss is about, as she was just following his wishes. This results in a lot of headlines, and a light is shone on Sally's past, resulting in a media frenzy. Childhood Clearly, Cosby’s protagonist Ike has endured a lot of suffering and has also been on the wrong side of the law. With this line, Ike wins our sympathy. Men with badges have been turning up since childhood. Such a clever way to tell us that Ike is flawed, and also weary. And now we want to know the cause of the misery that is about to be revealed. O'Loughlin, Writing ie Editor Vanessa (17 November 2016). "Irish Books Awards Winners 2016!". Writing.ie. {{ cite web}}: |first= has generic name ( help) A] riveting mystery, with puzzles piling up... Nugent's spectacular novel gives us both despair and hope.”After her father passed away, Sally found herself alone to navigate a large scary world. And it’s not like Sally is a child. In fact she’s a full grown adult. Just a very sheltered one. As usual when I try to review mystery thrillers, it's difficult to say anything about it, and best to approach it without any knowledge. Sally is one of two narrators, and she's a bit odd, mysterious even, but her story is compelling and she pulls you along. The other narrator I won't say too much about, except that they are a bit more self-serving, and on a different trajectory, giving us another viewpoint.