When the weight of loss and abandonment collides
with two people who are destined to be together
is there a supernatural force guiding them
or a malevolent darkness out to destroy their lives
"Tigerlily by John Thwaites is a supernatural thriller which explores fascinating new, esoteric ideas about good and evil in the afterlife- and the sometimes dramatic implications for the living."
Jonathan Black ( Author Of The Secret History Of The World)
This book was a strange but surprising read, and I mean that in a good way. Going into this book, I deliberately avoided reading too much of the blurb. I only knew that it sat somewhere between a supernatural thriller and a horror, but I wasn't entirely sure what that would look like in practice. The sense of uncertainty ended up being one of the novella's strengths, because the story unfolded in ways I did not expect.
Because this was a short read, I didn't go in anticipating a particularly complex or layered plot. Often with shorter books, you expect something fairly straightforward that relies more on atmosphere than it does depth. It proved me wrong. What begins with what feels like a familiar 'ghost girl' setup twists into something far darker and more disturbing. As the story progresses it becomes clear that it's not just a simple haunting. One of my favourite things about this book is how creepy it manages to be despite its length. The tension builds steadily rather than just filler, and there is a constant sense of unease running through. I did read it fairly quickly, only because I wanted to find out the end and was excited for it.
I was slightly confused at the start as the writing initially felt a bit child-like, but as I continued I realised that this worked quite well and added an eerie innocence to the opening characters. As the tone darkens slightly and the truth behind the events become a little more spooky the early simplicity makes sense. Tigerlily explores heavy themes. There is a strong focus on loss, the afterlife, and fate. The invisible threads that connect people and families. It does make you think about how much of what happens in our lives that might be shaped by forces that we don't fully understand or can't see.
At it's heart, this seems to be a story about childhood innocence and the deeper need to feel loved. The ending captured the vulnerability of children, their complete desire for connection, safety and affection. Overall, a good read!
To buy the book:
https://amzn.eu/d/7haNNXp (also available on Kindle Unlimited)
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