About this ebook
A provocative international bestseller which will have you asking: What would you do if you were pushed to the limit?
'Shelley, darling,' Mum said. 'Don't be frightened. He just wants money. If we do everything he says, he's going to go away and leave us alone.'
I didn't believe her, and I could tell from the trembling of her hands and the catch in her voice that she didn't believe it herself. When a cat gets into the mousehole, it doesn't go away leaving the mice unharmed. I knew how this story was going to end.
Shelley and her mum have been bullied long enough. When they retreat to an isolated cottage in the country, they think their troubles are over, and they revel in their cosy, secure life. But one night, an intruder disturbs their peace and something inside Shelley snaps. What happens next will shatter all their certainties.
'An unusual, completely original and unputdownable thriller. I loved it. It gave me goosebumps, it made me angry. It made me laugh and it kept me up late at night.' Rebecca James
'This gripping young adult novel could be a classic.The pregnant simplicity of Reece's writing is so strong that it's a while before we suspect there may be more going on in Shelley's head than she's telling us.Reece toys expertly with complex themes, notably the dangers of being nostalgic for a past that never existed, and the result is a sophisticated psychological thriller.' Guardian
'Shelley, darling,' Mum said. 'Don't be frightened. He just wants money. If we do everything he says, he's going to go away and leave us alone.'
I didn't believe her, and I could tell from the trembling of her hands and the catch in her voice that she didn't believe it herself. When a cat gets into the mousehole, it doesn't go away leaving the mice unharmed. I knew how this story was going to end.
Shelley and her mum have been bullied long enough. When they retreat to an isolated cottage in the country, they think their troubles are over, and they revel in their cosy, secure life. But one night, an intruder disturbs their peace and something inside Shelley snaps. What happens next will shatter all their certainties.
'An unusual, completely original and unputdownable thriller. I loved it. It gave me goosebumps, it made me angry. It made me laugh and it kept me up late at night.' Rebecca James
'This gripping young adult novel could be a classic.The pregnant simplicity of Reece's writing is so strong that it's a while before we suspect there may be more going on in Shelley's head than she's telling us.Reece toys expertly with complex themes, notably the dangers of being nostalgic for a past that never existed, and the result is a sophisticated psychological thriller.' Guardian
Ratings and reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Rae-Louise
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May 30, 2015
I first read this book when I was sixteen, it ensnared me instantly with Shelly's horrific bullying experience. From there the twists and philosophical confrontations Shelly and her mother experience had my heart pounding and my palms sweating. Rereading it again at 22 I felt all those things and more, I was able to appreciate every word more deeply and really feel the way this book has the ability to shake me. It frightens me, it moves me, it makes me question. A brutal examination of the human condition.
Grace McKell
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September 13, 2024
I had read it firstly in highschool at about 15, and it was such a captivating read, I tried for years to find it again after searching the main premises of the book and finally found it nearly 10 years later!! cannot wait to read again!!!
About the author
Gordon Reece is a writer and illustrator. He studied English literature at Keble College, Oxford, and has been a lawyer and a teacher. Originally from the UK, he lived in Spain for a number of years and emigrated to Australia in 2005 before returning to the UK in 2011.
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