Blurb: London 1862. Sue Trinder, orphaned at birth, grows up among petty thieves- fingersmiths- under the rough but loving care of Mrs Sucksby and her "family". But from the moment she draws breath, Sue's fate is linked to that of another orphan growing up in a gloomy mansion not too many miles away.
What I thought: This was recommended to me by one of my teachers, and it really surprised me. It's not the kind of book you generally expect a teacher to lend one of her students. If I had to sum it up in three words I'd say surprising, strange, and complicated. There's one part especially that completely shocked me. I just didn't see it coming.
It seems that everyone in this book has some ulterior motive or secret- no one is completely who you think they are. None of the characters are completely good; they are all very complex, and do things you never would have expected them to.
Although I didn't fall totally in love with Sue and Maud, I did emphasize with them, and found them very interesting. They are very different from what you would normally expect heroines to be like.
This book, like onions, cakes, and ogres, has many layers. There's just more and more stuff that you don't know, and more and more twists that never seem to end. It's a very dark story, told in a very dark way. I think the setting really affected me, and the way I saw this book. Both Briar and Lant Street are very unpleasant places, for completely different reasons, and it seemed to me like their whole world was horrible and there was no way they could get out of it. Not the best feeling, but it did work with the story.
There's really not that much else I can say about it. If you're a fan of mysteries, historical fiction, Oliver Twist-like gangs and plots, read this. It will shock you.
Rate: 6/10
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