WE WAIT BY MEGAN TAYLOR - BOOK REVIEW

They say perseverance pays off, and for the most part, it does, but I have to admit that I am a lazy reader. And I usually never persevere with a novel when the first few pages don't grab me. Being dyslexic has left me with a love hate relationship with books, I love getting lost in a good book, but I hate that so many great books get cast away because they are "too difficult" for me. And before I go any further, I have to admit that We Wait by Megan Taylor was going to be one of those books that would have become a did not finish if I hadn't agreed to review for a blog tour. My sense of duty was too strong to give up on this book.  


Thank God Almighty that I did persevere with We Wait, because around the second chapter something in my brain clicked into place and, like that transition scene in Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy steps out of her house into the technicolour glory of Oz, Taylor's beautiful style of prose, awoke in full glory in my mind. From that point on I was wholly invested in this exciting and moving take on the gothic novel.  


In a classic Gothic trope, our protagonist, fifteen-year-old Maddie along with her best friend are shipped off to a mansion in the countryside, after Maddie's behaviour causes some concern. While Maddie hates the fact that she has been shipped off out of the way, her friend Ellie is enthralled by the move. However, as is common in Gothic novels, there is a darkness and lots of secrets waiting to be uncovered in the walls of the Crawley's estate, where the ghosts await to ensure that the generations of the Crawley family must face secrets and lies that could tear them apart.  


So far so reasonably standard gothic fare, but don't let the basic premise of We Wait fool you into thinking that this is just another gothic novel filled with recycled tropes and thinly painted cyphers masquerading as carbon copy protagonists. Taylor has far to much respect for this genre and more than enough talent to lift this wonderful novel far above the trappings of its basic premise.  


Firstly, Taylor's prose is something to behold, poetic, beautiful, and capable of lifting what could be the most basic of descriptive passages into a dense and sensuous passage dripping with untold metaphor and ripe for interpretation. I'll be honest here it was this rich prose that initially put me off the book, I found myself losing my way between the layered sentences, but once my mind found the right path I could see just how amazing this book was and devoured the rest of it on one sitting.  


I loved the duality of the book, unlike the majority of Gothic novels We Wait, throws the classic windswept chilly landscape out of the window and sets the novel during the height of summer, but Taylor's descriptions of the darkness that threatens to engulf everyone is crafted with a masterfully claustrophobic and oppressive style. The duality of the narrative is carried through in the innovative use of dual narration from the youthful Ellie and her aunt Natalie Crawley. Both are haunted by their past and the present situation that they both find themselves in. With the dark, oppressive nature of the country estate butting heads with the bright and sunny countryside. 


However, my favourite use of the duality of the narrative comes from the relationship between Ellie and Maddie, Ellie is introspective, and shy, a typical wallflower. In contrast, Maddie is full of life, achievement and confidence. Taylor's examination of their relationship is totally on point, filled with a fracted sense of beauty; this is a poignant and moving look at the teenage relationships.  


Layered over the narrative is a deep sense of impending doom, Taylor dangles the darkness to come in front of the reader with a great skill, which makes the reader feel that same way when a thunderstorm is brewing, you can literally feel the tension building across your temples as the pressure builds just before the storm is unleashed. The oppressive nature of the narrative is a masterclass in gothic storytelling.  


We Wait was a revelation, an exquisitely crafted novel, that proves that the gothic genre, is still capable of surprises and unique takes. 

The wealthy Crawleys can’t abide a scandal, so when fifteen-year-old Maddie’s behaviour causes concern, she’s packed off to the family’s country estate, along with her best friend, Ellie. But while Maddie is resentful, Ellie is secretly thrilled.  A whole summer at Greywater House, which she’s heard so much about – and with Maddie, who she adores…
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But from the moment the girls arrive, it’s clear there’s more to the house and the family than Ellie could ever have imagined.  Maddie’s aunt, Natalie, and her bedridden grandmother are far from welcoming – and something has been waiting at Greywaters, something that flits among the shadows and whispers in the night.
As the July heat rises and the girls’ relationship intensifies, the house’s ghosts can’t be contained, and it isn’t just Ellie who has reason to be afraid.  Three generations of the Crawley family must face their secrets when past and present violently collide.

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