Playmates

This is a well-written book, but boy, it is dark and disturbing. This is a psychological thriller at its best but with some moments some readers might find uncomfortable it is not for the faith at heart. Did I mention it’s dark and disturbing?

Growing up in a very unstable and dysfunctional family, twins Trevor and Tania only have each other to trust and rely on, as their mother is rather attached to pills and alcohol and their father seems to take all the abuse – or does he? Playmates is written from the point of view of the twins, chapters alternating between Trevor and Tania, which are very easy to follow. The story covers various years of their life, as the two grow and develop and we learn about life from each of their points of view. Life in a dysfunctional family from the point of their age group has been well researched and both characters are well developed, but the author has done a particularly brilliant job with Tania’s point of view; you can almost see and feel all the things Tania goes through.

The book is a fast read – I finished it in two sittings and didn’t want to put it down in between. The ending was a little disappointing – I was so into the book, wanting to know would happen next, when it just finished, no warning, nothing – a cliff hanger. But, as this is the first book of the trilogy, I am hoping to see the story continue in the next book, and am looking forward to reading more from this author.