books
The Children by Melissa Albert review
In her first novel for adults, the YA author explores the dark side of writers who fictionalize their children’s lives
TL;DR
- Melissa Albert's debut adult novel, 'The Children,' examines the dark side of writers who fictionalize their children's lives.
- The protagonist, Guinevere Sharpe, is the daughter of Edith, a renowned children's author whose 'Ninth City' series featured her children as characters.
- The novel contrasts Guinevere's published memoir with the darker reality of her childhood, including her father Llewellyn's decline and her parents' toxic marriage.
- Guinevere's relationship with her brother Ennis is strained, exacerbated by their parents' deaths in a house fire and Ennis's cryptic art.
- The book explores themes of the creative process, childhood trauma, and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality, drawing parallels to the 'Ninth City' series' vampiric figure, the Architect.
- The review notes that the book's numerous mysteries, while intriguing, may dissipate the story's force, with some plot elements feeling rushed.