SUCH PRETTY THINGS BY LISA HEATHFIELD (BOOK REVIEW)

13/5/2021

An established YA author heads into decidedly darker territory with her adult debut

Such Pretty Things by LISA HEATHFIELD
(Book Review by Tony Jones)

Your opinion on Lisa Heathfield’s adult debut Such Pretty Things may well depend upon your expectations when starting the book. It features some elements of a traditional horror novel, but there are no ghosts except within the imaginations of the characters, so the comparisons in the blurbs to the classics The Haunting of Hill House and Turn of the Screw are slightly over-egged. Other more realistic contemporary comparisons might be CJ Tudor’s The Chalk Man or Alex North’s The Whisper Man which dance around ambiguity in a similar fashion to this. Even though it does have elements of the Gothic, Such Pretty Things is more of a powerful and complex character study of grief, loss and isolation. But if you are after a good scare look elsewhere, however, this remains a thoughtful and convincing read, which is a promising adult debut.

Heathfield has previously authored four YA novels, so it is no surprise that the main character in Such Pretty Things is a fourteen-year-old girl. Clara has been sent, along with her younger brother Stephen, to live with an aunt and her husband whom they have never met, residing in an isolated part of Scotland. There has been a tragedy in the family, with her mother seriously injured and in hospital, their struggling father has sent them to live (temporarily) with their aunt, dropping them off in the novel’s opening sequence. One of the most successful aspects of the story is the level of personal grief which bubbles below the surface, Clara, who has to mother her eight-year-old brother whilst trying to be grown-up herself, has nobody to lean on herself or talk to, except her strange aunt.

Such Pretty Things was supposed to be set in Scotland, but apart from the use of the word ‘loch’ there was nothing to distinguish it from anywhere else in the UK and not enough was made of the remote setting. Children are known for exploring, but apart from one occasion when they visit a nearby loch, they barely make it beyond the expansive garden. By way of comparison, Francine Toon’s Pine (2020) was an excellent example of a recent supernatural novel which made 110% of its rugged Scottish location, an aspect this story lacked. The early stages helped build atmosphere as the children explored the interiors of the musty house, in the opening sections there were clever references to the many little dolls, which seemed to change locations, but if you are expecting something of the ilk of Adam Nevill’s House of Small Shadows (2013) you are going to be disappointed. The early promise of a supernatural tale or ghost story quickly petered out and this might disappoint some readers, but fans of the psychological have much to look forward to.

Smaller parts of the story jump to ‘Aunty’, which are italicised, although it was interesting to have this other perspective, it also provided obvious spoilers for what lay ahead. The reader knows from the outset there is something odd about the aunt and all these sections do is blatantly spell it out for the reader, whilst Clara struggles to cope. This might work in a YA novel, which the author specialises it, but for an adult reader this was telegraphed. Connected to this, the aunt makes it clear early in proceedings what ‘Uncle’ Warren does not want them in the house and although he is rarely sighted, it put the kids on edge. This aspect of the story was also very obvious, but the italicised Aunty sequences made it even more easy to figure out much earlier than the author probably intended.

The core of the novel and one of the stronger aspects of Such Pretty Things was the dynamics between the three key characters and how they evolve dramatically as things move on. Right from the off it’s clear the Aunt is an odd fish, maybe too obviously so, but it was interesting seeing the power shift via a few key, but very subtle, scenes. When a novel, such as this, has so few characters the interactions need to be spot on and it was reminiscent of Susan Hill’s I’m the King of the Castle which also played out entirely in a remote house with only two principal characters. At times Clara and Stephen deliberately antagonise their aunt by rejecting her food and instantly pick up on her agitation and on other occasions Clara feels that Stephen shows too much affection for the aunt and feels jealousy which changes the dynamics of the three-way relationship. This begins to boil deliciously as the aunt gives the children old-fashioned home-made clothes which Stephen accepts without question, but Clara rejects, leading to more friction which quickly escalates.

Even though Clara was an interesting main character there were times when she was both unlikable and annoying. The story was set in the 1950s, when food was in short supply, so I was surprised to see children continually stick their noses up at big meals and be such fussy eaters. Also, they made mistake after mistake, such as stupidly walking through the vegetable patch and other stuff which came across as either obnoxious or ungrateful, so there was little in the way of surprise when the aunt got spiky.

Such Pretty Things is a slow burner and although it lacked chills was a solid read about the trials of children, abandoned by their family, trying to negotiate the complexities of a very damaged adult world. This was a very melancholic reading experience and although there was a certain ambiguity to some of the story, my interpretation of the ending was rather shocking. The number of authors who can convincingly write both YA and adult fiction are few and far between and although Heathfield has previously written very dark fiction which tackles both cults and dystopias, she has not written a pure YA horror novel and continues this trend with this adult debut, a tasty dark thriller, with a topping of horror.

Tony Jones

A terrifying story of ghosts and grief, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackon's The Haunting of Hill House and Henry James The Turn of the Screw, in award-winning author Lisa Heathfield s first adult novel.

Following their mother’s accident, Clara and Stephen are sent to stay with their aunt and uncle. It’s a summer to explore the remote house, the walled garden and woods. Beyond it all the loch sits, silent and waiting.

Auntie has wanted them for so long - real children with hair to brush and arms to slip into the clothes made just for them. All those hours washing, polishing, preparing beds and pickling fruit and now Clara and Stephen are here, like a miracle, on her doorstep.

But as they explore their new home, the children uncover ghosts Auntie buried long ago. As their worlds collide, Clara and Auntie struggle for control. And every day they spend there, Clara can feel unknown forces changing her brother. Haunted and bewildered, this hastily formed family begins to tear itself apart.