The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
Reviewed by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist
Genre: Horror
Suggested Age: Adults
What is the book about?: The book opens with Molly suffering a beating at the hands of… herself? But who is she? Where is she? Why did a woman who looks exactly like her beat her up? And why is she in manacles? The free Molly sits down and proceeds to tell the chained Molly the story of her childhood. Every time Molly bleeds, clones grow from the blood. These clones are benign at first but over time – whether three hours or three days – they become violent and try to kill the original Molly. Growing up wasn’t easy. But how did Molly get this way? And who’s the original Molly now?
My Review: This book is both a creepy account of a hideous, uncontrollable problem and a coming of age story. While the narrative is bookended by one Molly talking to another, the bulk of the story is the account of Molly’s childhood and teenage years. You never really stop to think about how crucial it is to keep all of your blood inside of your body until you’re told that you have to for the sake of your own survival. What I really like about this story is that Thompson tells a compelling horror tale but also a tale of how hard it is to be a girl going through puberty and growing up. We don’t have to fight our own clones every time we get our periods, but puberty is full of plenty of horrors all on its own, and can be very isolating emotionally and mentally, much like the physical isolation Molly grows up in. The story is also a bit open ended, making room for more, which is awesome because my only real complaint about this is that it’s too short (128 pages). I’m looking forward to more cool stuff by Tade Thompson.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Bloody, Coming of age, Survival
Give This a Try if You Like… The X-Files, zombie apocalypse survival stories
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!