Book review: The Weaning + competition

By Hannah Vincent

Published by Salt

Synopsis: When professional couple Nikki and Rob uncover their childminder Bobbi's secret everything changes. Bobbi has a child-shaped hole in her life that her 'silver fox' lover can't fill. Now she is seeking out children once more. Troubled young couple Kim and Connor are battling with social services to keep their baby, Jade - but they needn't worry, Bobbi soon arrives to help solve all their problems.

How did this book end up in my hands? One of the lovely book publicists at Salt mentioned this book on Twitter and I jumped at the chance of requesting a copy to review. The fact that the author lives in Brighton was part of the appeal.

Was it a page-turner? Yes, from the very beginning. I wouldn’t call it fast-paced, necessarily, but I would be very surprised if you didn’t want to keep turning those pages once you start reading. There will be things that won’t convince you, details that won’t add up and you will just have to know!

Having read the synopsis, did the book meet my expectations? I’d say that the book has exceeded expectations inasmuch as it goes so much deeper than the synopsis suggests. I was expecting the story of a psychotic childminder where I would be horrified on behalf of the children’s parents but Bobbi is a much more complex character than that – one that will pull at your heartstrings. If anything, I'd say that the synopsis is a little misleading.

Did I like the ending? I did not see that ending coming. I had a very specific idea of what would happen at the end and I was wrong. Oh so wrong. There is a point in the book where things start to spiral out of control and it all makes terrible sense when you reach the final events.

Did the book leave me with unanswered questions? I am a little confused about the timeline of certain events and I’m not sure if I’ve just missed a crucial detail while trying to devour this book as fast as I could.

Three words to describe it. Powerful. Visual. Touching. 

Do I like the cover? As a standalone picture, I think that it’s very powerful. I don’t believe, however, that it fits the book. I would have chosen lighter colours, for example. The cover portrays a loud anguish that doesn't describe my experience of the book.

Have I read any other books by the same author? No, this is the first I read and I'm glad I saw the right tweet at the right time!

Will I want to read other books by the same author? Of course! If I may put in a request, I wouldn't mind reading more about Bobbi's mother and the residents of her home. I found the relationship between mother and daughter heartbreaking.

Will I be recommending this book? Yes, especially if you enjoy psychological dramas and are a visual person. It’s no surprise that Hannah Vincent has worked as a script editor because you can definitely see this book while you are reading it. It’s a completely immersive experience, which I loved.

Anything else? Oh, yes! One of the 'images' that stood out the most to me while reading was that of Bobbi's tattoo depicting a Russian doll. I am not going too much into its meaning within the book because I would be spoiling the beauty of it but I couldn't resist a small homage:

To find out more about this beautiful pouch and where it comes from, please come back in a few days!

In the meantime, for a chance to win a copy of this book, please follow me on Twitter and retweet the competition post by 29/04. Comments left here below will count as extra entries (one per person). Good luck!