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A review by ms_gouldbourne
O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This is such a strange book! I was definitely completely hooked from start to finish, though at times I did find it somewhat slow. O Caledonia tells the story of awkward, isolated Janet, born into a family of people who don't understand her and struggling to find her place in a world with no room for her. We learn the fate that awaits her in the opening paragraphs of the book, and from there the story unfurls gently, exploring exactly how she gets there.
My heart absolutely ached for Janet - she's very neurodivergent-coded, the absolute classic round peg fighting to fit into a square hole, and I thought Elspeth Barker perfectly captured the awkward desperation for acceptance, particularly during Janet's teenage years. Her writing is lyrical and intelligent, and for every literary reference I caught, I'm sure there were about twelve I missed!
The reason O Caledonia doesn't get a higher rating from me is really the ending. The climax of the novel happened extremely quickly and without the careful introspection given to the rest of the book, and I didn't enjoy it. It made me question what the actual point of the novel was - what was the message, what was I as a reader supposed to take from it! It's a shame, because it's a beautiful piece of literature, but I just wanted it to go somewhere different and it didn't.
My heart absolutely ached for Janet - she's very neurodivergent-coded, the absolute classic round peg fighting to fit into a square hole, and I thought Elspeth Barker perfectly captured the awkward desperation for acceptance, particularly during Janet's teenage years. Her writing is lyrical and intelligent, and for every literary reference I caught, I'm sure there were about twelve I missed!
The reason O Caledonia doesn't get a higher rating from me is really the ending. The climax of the novel happened extremely quickly and without the careful introspection given to the rest of the book, and I didn't enjoy it. It made me question what the actual point of the novel was - what was the message, what was I as a reader supposed to take from it! It's a shame, because it's a beautiful piece of literature, but I just wanted it to go somewhere different and it didn't.