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lorrietruck's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this. I need to read more New Zealand fiction. It always feels familiar in a really comforting way.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
5.0
A psychological suspense novel with touches of paranormal, TESS is a beautifully balanced, chilling, claustrophobic and clever novel.
Set in small town New Zealand, at the turn of the millennium, TESS is, as the blurb puts it "a gothic love story about the ties that bind and tear a family apart." It's also a story of how rewarding an unlikely friendship can be, and about the power of connecting with the other. It's about reaching out to somebody for the sake of kindness, contact and being a human being in a world that sometimes seems committed to the other direction.
The writing in TESS is excellent, the flashbacks, the special powers / paranormal elements all flow into the rest of the story in a manner that never makes them seamless, and all the more believable because of that. The strength of TESS is not in overt messaging, but the nuance of depiction. There's violence and hate and plenty of threat here, but it's skilfully portrayed, never contrived, never manipulative. The threat is implied, the violence explored by consequence rather than actuality.
TESS is stark vivid, deep, contemplative, different and extremely rewarding reading.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/tess-kirsten-mcdougall
Set in small town New Zealand, at the turn of the millennium, TESS is, as the blurb puts it "a gothic love story about the ties that bind and tear a family apart." It's also a story of how rewarding an unlikely friendship can be, and about the power of connecting with the other. It's about reaching out to somebody for the sake of kindness, contact and being a human being in a world that sometimes seems committed to the other direction.
The writing in TESS is excellent, the flashbacks, the special powers / paranormal elements all flow into the rest of the story in a manner that never makes them seamless, and all the more believable because of that. The strength of TESS is not in overt messaging, but the nuance of depiction. There's violence and hate and plenty of threat here, but it's skilfully portrayed, never contrived, never manipulative. The threat is implied, the violence explored by consequence rather than actuality.
TESS is stark vivid, deep, contemplative, different and extremely rewarding reading.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/tess-kirsten-mcdougall
lucyblack's review against another edition
5.0
Surprisingly great. Beautiful twists and turns in a short and well paced novel. The heat, the grass, the dog and the misery thrum off the page.
A story of a working class country kid being pulled into middle class Masterton in 1999 and into one family’s pain and drama. Gothic, intriguing, mystical, funny, relatable. This is going to be on my recommendations for people who want to read a New Zealand novel.
A story of a working class country kid being pulled into middle class Masterton in 1999 and into one family’s pain and drama. Gothic, intriguing, mystical, funny, relatable. This is going to be on my recommendations for people who want to read a New Zealand novel.
ariereads's review against another edition
5.0
Another step in my attempt to stop giving in to the "cultural cringe" and actually read books by Aotearoa New Zealand authors.
Each and every book I have read for this reason has utterly proven why these authors should be read for reasons in their own right - this in particular is a stunningly crafted little tale and highly recommended. Will review further.
Each and every book I have read for this reason has utterly proven why these authors should be read for reasons in their own right - this in particular is a stunningly crafted little tale and highly recommended. Will review further.
cmoo053's review against another edition
5.0
This novel was unexpectedly magnificent. Tess is a true New Zealand Gothic love story. It is a novel about people who don't quite fit. Each of the characters is caught in an intensely conflicted; trapped by circumstance and wounded by each other. The relationships are complicated and the world McDougall constructs is a dark and hopeless one. Nevertheless, I thought this novel was expertly crafted. The writing is stark and measured, and the internal lives of the characters are vivid and deep. I loved it.
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