The Book of Guilt

by Catherine Chidgey

England, 1979. Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents of a secluded New Forest home, part of the government’s Sycamore Scheme. Every day, the triplets do their chores, play their games and take their medicine, under the watchful eyes of three Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night.

Their nightmares are recorded in The Book of Dreams.
Their lessons are taken from The Book of Knowledge.
And their sins are reported in The Book of Guilt.

All the boys want is to be sent to the Big House in Margate, where they imagine a life of sun, sea and fairground rides. But, as the government looks to shut down the Sycamore Homes, the triplets begin to question everything they have been told.

Gradually surrendering its dark secrets, The Book of Guilt is a profoundly unnerving exploration of belonging in a world where some lives are valued less than others.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Mystery, Literary Fiction, Audiobook

427 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2025

About the author

Catherine Chidgey is a novelist and short story writer whose work has been published to international acclaim. In a Fishbone Church won Best First Book at the New Zealand Book Awards and at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in her region. In the UK it won the Betty Trask Award and was longlisted for the Orange Prize. Golden Deeds was Time Out’s book of the year, a Notable Book of the Year in The New York Times and a Best Book in the LA Times. She has won the Prize in Modern Letters, the Katherine Mansfield Award, the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship, the Janet Frame Fiction Prize, and the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize for The Wish Child. Remote Sympathy was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. The Axeman's Carnival won the Acorn at the New Zealand Book Awards - the country's biggest literary prize.

Raised in Wellington, New Zealand, Chidgey was educated at Victoria University and in Berlin, where she held a DAAD scholarship for post-graduate study in German literature. She lives in Cambridge and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Waikato.

Reviews

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Come to Margate ,where children can have the time of their lives just being children"

Being a teenager in the 70s and knowing both the New Forest and Margate, the premise of three brothers living in a 'care home' in the Forest and with their desires and hopes of travelling to Margate and visiting the wonders of Dreamland intrigued. Memories of the old theme park still linger to this day!

From the start this was a book that couldn't be put down -it captivated , enthralled and shocked to the very end

Vincent, William and Laurence are identical triplets and have lived in Scott house- named after the ill-fated explorer.- since birth. They are part of the Sycamore project- a government funded scheme to monitor certain children . The boys are cared for by three mothers- Morning , Afternoon and Night Mother. Their actions are monitored and their dreams are recorded each day in a book and any misdemeanours are noted in The Book of Guilt. Other children live in different Sycamore homes; but all is not what it seems. The residents believe that a certain stage they are rehoused to the wonderful world of Margate and life in 'The Big House" .

No spoilers but as the story progresses you are pulled deeper into the mystery that is the children's lives in 1979 ; daily tasks, socialisation days and the possibility of this move to their "Dreamland" Utopia.

Alongside their story, we meet the Minister of Loneliness who is responsible for young people as the Thatcher government decides that the project must end. We also meet a young girl called Nancy- her life is juxtaposed against the three boys.

Having not read the work of Catherine Chidgey, a comparison to other books can't be made but this is a 100 per cent page turner- a world was created that was spellbinding. What was the future of the boys? Why were local residents nervous of them? What was their past - why were they part of the Sycamore project? What was the projects goal?

With links to previously dark historical events and the insanity or obsession of supposed 'experts' and governments to create better societies, The Book of Guilt shocks. This is a taut thriller knife-edge but is a cross-genre read - to say any more would be to give the plot away.

Already this is going to be a book that will be a highly recommended read to others. It would be good to say more but to do so would truly spoil a brilliant read

One of the top reads of 2025 has arrived!

Take a look below

https://docsend.com/view/9kx64x9jzukt...

@johnmurray

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Catherine Chidgey at her creepy, shocking best. I loved it. More stars required for this one.

Vincent, William and Lawrence live at Captain Scott, a Sycamore Home named for the heroic explorer, in the New Forest where they are cared for by Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night. They read every day from the Book of Knowledge, they tell their dreams when they wake to Mother Morning and if they behave badly their sins are recorded in the Book of Guilt.

The boys are the only ones left now, all the others having gone to Margate to live at The Big House and play all day at Dreamland. If Vincent could only work out what they need to do to get there ... but they are often ill, having to take medication every day to keep The Bug at bay. But they will never get to Margate if the dream they share will not stop coming because the dream is of a girl and there is blood in the dream. Vincent is afraid it means they will stay at Captain Scott forever.

Set in an alternate Britain, the plight of the triplets is interspersed with that of Nancy, who lives with her parents but has never gone out and must hide in the wardrobe when visitors come. But as Nancy gets older the question of why she is not allowed out becomes more insistent in her mind and when a party doesn't have the effect she had been promised, Nancy has had enough.

I can't possibly pile enough praise on The Book of Guilt. Catherine Chidgey does creepy and horrifying with the lightest of touches. The tension builds and builds throughout this book to reach an explosive culmination and just when you think the strangeness is over she tags on another surprise at the end.

I loved Axeman's Carnival; I loved Pet more; and this blows both of them out of the water. Superb writing, fantastic plot, great characters. Creepy to the max and jaw droppingly horrifying when you realise exactly what's going on. It gave me shivers.

Very highly recommended for fans of Chidgey or just someone who, like me, finds a book where they are desperate to know what happens but does not want it to end. I had to ration myself because I knew how bereft I'd feel once I'd finished. Definitely one to read again.

Thankyou very much to Netgalley and John Murray Press for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.

[Sarah Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the year 1979 in the countryside of Hampshire, England, where no one won WWII. Vincent, Lawrence, and William take medicine every day to ward off the Bug, something they have been doing since they were babies. Even though the sickness is tiresome, they know that if they take their medicine and do what they are told to become stronger, they are allowed to move to a magical place called Margate, where children who have recovered from the illness can live. Until then, the thirteen-year-old triplets and their three “mothers” reside at the Captain Scott Home for Boys, being the last remaining residents of the large house that used to house many twins, triplets, and quadruplets.

Soon, the boys' lives begin to intersect with thirteen-year-old Nancy, who lives a secluded and lonely life in Exeter with her doting parents and is forbidden to leave the house. But the four children realize that their lives, their very existence, isn't normal. What is the government and the rest of England hiding from them?

This book broke me, put me back together, and then broke me again without remorse. 😂😭

I felt all the emotions–anger, shock, sadness, and some happiness. My poor brother had to listen to me vent about the injustice and callousness toward the boys and the other children. 😅 I know a book deserves a five-star rating when I can’t stop thinking about it, if it makes me stop and think about the morals and themes portrayed in the story, and if it takes me on a wild rollercoaster ride of feelings.

Look, I know it’s fiction, but I felt so freaking bad for the kids. I was yelling at the screen, trying my hardest not to cuss at the narrow-mindedness in some people. But I guess I can blame the government (in the book) for that. It makes you wonder if the stalemate between the countries was a good thing in this story because of the lives affected. Now that I think about it, the government and those responsible for the Scheme were the real bad guys here. It definitely wasn't the kids. It wasn't even the citizens of England. It was the…Okay, I should stop before I get caught up in my raging emotions. 😂

Another thing that really hit home with me is the nature vs. nurture debate that constantly came to mind as I read. Is it really in someone’s blood to do what they do, be who they are? Are they really responsible for their own deeds if it’s just something they are eventually going to do because of their parents? Or is it because of how they were raised, what they were told, or some traumatic experience that shaped them into who they are? It really gets the gears in the mind going, and you know what? I appreciated that. I do love a book that makes me stop and think.

Anyway–back to the book, lol–the writing was fantastic! It was so immersive, descriptive, and beautiful. I loved it! The plot kept me on the edge of my seat, and I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen to Nancy, Vincent, and his siblings. And the ending! 😭💔 Oh my gosh, I can’t! It fit the story, but gosh, it’s just so…so sad, yet it gave me closure about the characters and the plot. ❤‍🩹

Even though this book tore my heart in two, I recommend it. It is very moving, original, and mind-boggling. I am stunned, and probably will be for a few days. So when you get this book on September 16th, make sure you have a box of tissues on hand. 🤧

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.

❗Content Warnings❗
Violence, blood, an act of animal cruelty, prejudice against a certain group of children & mentions sexual assault, murder, and child abuse.
Swearing: A little.
Spice: No

[Trudie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

It pains me to conclude that The Book of Guilt is my least favourite Chidgey of those I have read, especially as I count myself a fangirl.
The insurmountable problem was the inevitable comparison to Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go; another book and writer I hold dear. Unfortunately, this toe-dip into alternate reality/dystopia, is a beautifully written fail. Specific plot developments didn't resonate with me, the details of which I will withhold, as this is a book you need to approach knowing as little as possible.
I temper this disappointed-sounding conclusion with the observation that a so-so Chidgey is still a worthwhile read. The tone is somewhere in the vicinity of a "gothic fairy tale" with some wry observational humour and dialogue that amused me greatly. The attention to detail is astonishing; all the forgotten nuances of a late 70's childhood are here; (Zippy !) and it seems the author has done plenty of research on historical Margate.
I wonder if this is a case of too much research and not enough clarity of vision or maybe I just can't let Never Let Me Go , go.

[Marcus Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this was going to be good, but it was way better than that. Absolutely brilliant. Brilliant storytelling, brilliant plot, brilliant characterisation and brilliant twists. Quite extraordinary. These are not adjectives I apply lightly, or often, to the books I read.

Things that make the book so good: the reality, the sense that we are not too removed from reality. The simplicity of the characters. Chidgey makes everything very realistic. She does this subtly, by filling the pages with familiar things, things I remember from my childhood, that were part of my growing up. For that reason I wonder if this will work so well for all audiences. For those who weren’t kids in 1970s Britain? For those who don’t remember Jim’ll Fix It on the TV. Or for that matter the Moors Murderers.

Before I say much more, you need to know something about the plot and the subject matter. Three boys, triplets, live in a big house with their three mothers. Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night. It is some kind of institution, but the boys are not prisoners. They play in the gardens, have lessons and are even allowed to venture into the nearby town. They learn everything they know from a set of encyclopaedias. There are other houses like this one, called Sycamore Homes, and from the second paragraph of the book you are alerted to the fact that this is not true history. The houses were purchased “after the war”, but a date is given, 1944. And not much later we learn that the war ended with the Treaty of Gothenburg, where agreement was reached between the British, Americans and Germans, and things the Germans learned were used, adopted and taken up. Experiments are hinted at. These little differences are subtle and wonderfully, worryingly close to reality.
In the main our narrator is Vincent, one of the three boys, whose lives are studied and catalogued. Every morning when they wake, Mother Morning asked them about their dreams and writes down their night-time memories in The Book of Dreams. Any of their day-time misdemeanours are also collected, this time in The Book of Guilt. Their lives are regimented, like their education and their experiences. They do not mix with other children. At the same time as we hear about the three boys, we alternate with chapters about a girl called Nancy. She lives with her family, but they prevent her from mixing with anyone else. It emerges that she is a virtual prisoner in her own home, although she does get to watch the TV.
And then the final protagonist emerges. Six chapters in we meet the Minister of Loneliness, charged by the Prime Minister with closing down the Sycamore Homes in order to save the government money. It is she who has to work out what to do with the boys and girls still living in these homes. She who runs a series of socialisation meetings, between boys and girls, and then then a programme to find news home and families for the children.

I love that there is a growing sense of unease throughout the book. We know there is more going on than meets the eye, but because much of the action is being narrated by the children, we watch the slow discovery of the truth. Our narrators are naïve but not stupid. Their sense of disquiet helps to unsettle the reader. At the first of the socialisation meetings, the boys meet Jane, who suggests that the pills they take every morning are not to make them better, but to keep them sick. Susceptible to the ‘bug’, which can lay them low at any moment. Vincent stops taking his morning pills, hides them under his tongue and spits them out. He soon begins to feel healthy, stronger than the others. And so they start to figure things out:

’What are you up to, eh?’ Mother Afternoon asked with a smile. ‘What are you planning?’
We smiled back, but we were figuring things out. In the Book of Knowledge, under The Science and Art of Healing, I found a brief reference to drug trials: ‘Working together with their Gothenburg Treaty partners, Britain’s scientists are at the cutting edge of modern medical research. New drugs are tested first in vitro (in the laboratory) and then in vivo (on living organisms) before being deemed safe for human use.’
And finally I understood that nothing was wrong with us, that nothing had ever been wrong with us. Jane was right: the medicine didn’t make us better, it made us sick. There was no Bug. We were laboratory animals. We were sacrifices.

One of the lovely things that Chidgey does is to use humour in her writing. She plays the naivety and innocence of the children against the Mothers, who know what is going on, and uses the fact that the children have learnt everything they now from a set of encyclopaedias. When the socialisations take place they come up against girls who know quite different things. Take this passage for example:

‘Right then,’ said Mother Afternoon. ‘Today we’re pretending to be Good Samaritans. Who want to go first?’
‘What’s a Samaritan? said Lawrence.
“A person from Samaria, I expect,’ said Diane.
‘Where’s that?’
‘Israel. It doesn’t exist any more, though.’
‘What happened to it? Where did it go?’
‘Let’s stick to the task at hand.’ said Mother Afternoon. ‘We need a Good Samaritan and an injured person.’
‘But we’re all fine,’ said William.
‘We’re pretending,’ said Mother Afternoon. ‘We’re practicing.’
‘Why are we pretending to be Good Samaritans if we’re not from the ancient kingdom of Israel?’
‘Goodness me, it’s just an expression!’ said Mother Afternoon. ‘The origins are lost in the mists of time, but it just means someone who helps others.’
‘Are there bad Samaritans?’ said Diane.
Mother Afternoon ignored her.

One of the other elements of the plot is what Chidgey described as ‘a hidden extravagant revenge’ narrative when I listened to her talking about the book at a launch in New Zealand. ‘I loved writing that part of it’ she stated, suggesting that we would all love to write something along those lines. She was interested to probe what the worst events of our lives could drive us to do. A sentiment that she has pushed before in earlier novels such as Remote Sympathy and its look at Nazi era Germany and the questions to be asked of the town next to a concentration camp.


The children in the Sycamore Homes are promised that at some point in the future they will be transferred to Margate. This is their reward, where there is a big house, and a fairground called Dreamland with rollercoasters and other rides, and where everything will be perfect. Margate is a sea-side town in Kent in the very south-east of England. I have never been there, but when I looked at it on Google Maps, I saw that there is a real place called Dreamland complete with big wheel and rollercoaster. Given the horrors that will gradually emerge about Margate in the book, one wonders if the tow will ever recover its peaceful holiday reputation?
There was a point thirty of forty pages from the end when I had to put the book down for a moment – probably to get myself another cup of coffee – and I had this sense of drama and ‘rush’, like a film that you have paused, where you need to get back to the action because it was so thrilling and there was so much more to come. That excitement and need for more is such a rare emotion when reading a book. It is not a literary thing, but a visual filmic sensation. The book has lifted out of its covers to be very vivid in the mind, very real and present, and I have rarely experienced such an emotion when reading a book. I put it down to The Book of Guilt being not just gripping, but wholly realistic, and plausible in a way a film feels more real because you are watching the images on a screen, just as you might watch the news or a documentary. I love that it is both naïve and sinister at the same time.

Worth more than the five stars I have awarded.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was my first time reading Catherine Chidgey, and I was impressed by her vivid prose, rich characterizations, and creative worldbuilding. Set in an alternate 1979 England, the story follows three orphaned triplets living under mysterious government care. They are looked after by three “mothers” who record their dreams in The Book of Dreams and write up their misdeeds in The Book of Guilt. It’s not so much the dystopian premise that pulled me in as much as the way it unfolds.

Narrated by one of the boys, Vincent, the book delivers a slow-build tension. His voice is innocent but observant, and through his perspective we begin to piece together the chilling reality before he does. Another narrator is a girl named Nancy who lives in near isolation with her overprotective parents. Her mysterious story is weaved throughout. I liked the structure—it made the reading experience more immersive, as if I were solving a puzzle as to how these characters connect. The story has echoes of Never Let Me Go, one of my favorites from last year, with its emotional undercurrents and ethical questions around science and autonomy. But this book asks the question—is evil inherited or is it learned?

Though it’s haunting at times, there’s also beauty in how the book explores human connection—especially among the boys—and the hope they hold on to of eventually moving on to Margate, “a place where children can have the time of their lives just being children.” Chidgey balances the surreal with the deeply emotional, and I closed the book still thinking about its tense atmosphere and moral weight. Fantastic book!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book fascinates from the start. What exactly is going on with the boys in the big house in the 70s? Why are their dreams so important? And why are they getting multiple medications? What illness do they have?
In ‘The Book of Guilt’ Catherine Chidgey creates an original, heartbreaking and terrifying alternate reality that keeps you deeply engrossed till the end. Highly recommended!
Thank you John Murray and Netgalley UK for the ARC.

[Sophie Breese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this. I was utterly hooked and listened to it without stopping. I will definitely read more by the writer because the structure of the novel really worked and it was well plotted and well written.

But it was simply too much like one of my favourite all time novels ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Ishiguro. I have taught Ishiguro’s novel and read it many times so I know it incredibly well. And while Chidgey added some different elements it was essentially a very similar story.

I really hope if you are reading this you have seen the spoiler alert! And actually it’s a spoiler for ‘Never Let Me Go’ so stop now if you haven’t read that!








Links between the two

Our world with differences (I have forgotten the literary word for that - something happened a while ago which changed history but things are still recognisable). 1970s/1980s backdrop. Children separated from society without knowing why. But actually knowing why: in Ishiguro’s novel Cathy does know and she is holding it back because she is an unreliable narrator; it’s the same for Vincent. Children being used for society. Effectively clones. Boarding school set up. Big questions like, ‘What does it mean to be human?’

Ishiguro’s novel is much more subtle. I think Chidgey over explains towards the end and because she has the voice of the minister in her novel she has a mouthpiece for outrage. Ishiguro lets us do the being outraged. Ishiguro’s novel is much more a meditation on a life lived without basic human rights (the right to live out our natural life span) and explores the idea of science. Chidgey’s novel is engaging with this but it is very clear what we are meant to think.

I didn’t read any reviews of this book before I read it. But almost immediately I understood what was happening. If I hadn’t read Ishiguro’s novel I probably wouldn’t have and I imagine for anyone coming to this novel having not read ‘Never Let Me Go’ it would be a very chilling experience. But ‘Never Let Me Go’ unsettled me profoundly. I remember exactly where I was when I read it the first time and how I felt - very disturbed, asking questions about life. The detached nature of Cathy’s narrative is incredible.

I think something else that began to jar was the constant and very specific reference to the 1970s. I grew up then so recognised all the references but I felt it was overdone and over researched. It’s interesting because an early draft of my (still unfinished) novel had loads of references to that period - many of which were the same. In my novel the narrator also writes to Jimmy Saville. I think it was something many of us did or wanted to do then. After a while it felt clunky in Chidgey’s novel. Specificity has its place in novels - but it’s the same idea as putting a Rubik’s Cube in every single tv programme about the 1980s. It has become a cliche now. Apparently the writer is from New Zealand so she has done lots of research and that is very impressive.

I spent a lot of my time in the town next to Margate when little. My grandma lived in Broadstairs. I never actually went to Dreamland. (draft one of my novel had Dreamland in it too - but in a very different way. I loved how Chidgey used Dreamland.)

This is all to say I really really liked the book and I think she is a fantastic writer but…

[Neth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eerie, coming-of-age novel set in an alternate history Britain.

It’s 1979 and triplets Vincent, William, and Lawrence are the last remaining residents of the Captain Scott Home for Boys. Under the watchful eyes of Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon, and Mother Night, the three boys spend their days learning from the Book of Knowledge, dictating their nightmares for the Book of Dreams, and being written up in the Book of Guilt. They dream of being cured of the mysterious Bug that has plagued them their whole lives and joining their friends at the Big House in Margate. But when the government decides to shut down the Sycamore Scheme and all its homes, the boys begin to understand that they’ve been lied to their whole lives…

What an incredible, incredible book. After finishing this, I had to sit in silence for a good few minutes and then go back to reread a couple of sections that absolutely broke my heart.

[endrju]

A very effectively told story of a world with a slightly alternate history and the ethical consequences of undefeated and accepted fascism. It might as well be a story of our future, considering the direction things have been going for the last decade. I really enjoyed peeling back the layers of the narrative and at the same time realizing with increasing horror the magnitude and implications of what is happening (I'm trying not to spoil it). It's incredible what Catherine Chidgey has done, and I was hooked from the first page. The only thing I liked less is a short section at the end that explains everything in the novel. It was unnecessary and repetitive. I would have preferred even less telling and much more showing, letting us fish in the dark, or rather sepia, as the novel plays very well with the 1970s nostalgia. I suppose this aspect would work even better with British readers, who are much more familiar with cultural references of the time than I am.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to write a review of The Book of Guilt without paying homage to one of Kazuo Ishiguro’s most famous novels, Never Let Me Go.

From the very first sentence (“Before I knew what I was, I lived with my brothers in a grand old house in the heart of the New Forest”), the ghosts of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, Ishiguro’s trio of “different” students at Hailsham are evoked. Like that memorable trio, Vincent, Lawrence and William – identical triplets – suspect something is “different” about themselves but aren’t quite sure what it might be.

We readers know they are orphans. We know they are also societal outcasts and live under the care of a trio of mothers (Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon, and Mother Night). They also are taught, molded, and reprimanded through a trio of books. The Book of Dreams is an ongoing reporting of their nightmares, the Book of Lessons is their “apple of knowledge” and The Book of Guilt – well, that is the book that may very well seal their fate.

Perhaps the author is suggesting an unholy trio, and certainly, very soon, we gain an inkling of why. This secluded home is part of the government’s Sycamore Scheme, and little by little, we learn that that scheme entails and what makes it unholy. Although identical, the three boys deviate in their personalities, but they share a dream: they will someday be sent to the Big House in Margate, which is filled with amusement park rides, plenty of treats, and lots of other kids to play with. The gradual awakening that they exist for a nefarious reason – a reason in which the end justifies the means – is also a haunting reminder of Ishiguro’s work.

Of course, anyone who has read Chidgey’s other works – including Remote Sympathy, Pet, and Axeman’s Carnival – knows she is a superb writer in her own right. Once you begin one of her novels, it’s nearly impossible to put it down and she never writes the same book twice. Here, she tackles subjects that are completely relevant to today’s world. At a time when we are being forced to confront who we regard as human and who is “alien” and therefore, dispensable, we recognize the horror of living under a state that thinks it has the right to dehumanize and denigrate an “unworthy” element.

As in Remote Sympathy, Chidgey asks: what happens if you know the truth but refuse to acknowledge it or act upon it? And she also ponders: Is our genetic coding the key to who we become, or can we change our destiny by being cared for in a loving environment? Is saving some lives worth destroying others? How much of our own humanity do we sacrifice by depriving others of theirs?

The answer to the last question is obvious. The recent revelation of Alligator Alcatraz, where 66% of prisoners are innocent and are slated to live in the most sub-human conditions, is tearing away at our definition of what it means to be human in the 21st century as we inure ourselves to human suffering.

I’m torn here between 4 and 5 stars. The book quicky became unputdownable, and the moral questions Chidgey asks are vital and important. I only wish that Ishiguro’s muse didn’t loom so large.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow nearer publication date.

I’m finding it difficult to say what I feel about this book. Parts of me wanted to stop reading but I needed to see where it was going. The story is excellent , very unique and ideal for a book club. Plenty to talk about. It definitely gave me the chills. There has been a lot of hype around this book including trailers and quizzes. Early readers are calling it the book of 2025. I agree it is good but I have read other books this year that I, personally, have enjoyed more. I do think The Book of Guilt is destined to become very popular.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, then. That was fantastic.

In an alternate turn out of WWII, no one won the war and no one lost. Now it's 1979 in England and we have 3 boys, the last children at their sprawling orphanage.

These boys know very few people aside of their 'mothers' who see to their daily care and activities. And there is a reason for their isolation, for sure. But they're just children. They're looked after but have little to no outside contact. All these boys want is to go to Margate, every child's dream. The place of absolute happiness and fun. Not everyone gets to go, though.

It's just so intense, the dynamic between the boys, the home they live in and the world outside. And how you measure justice against the innocence of childhood. A struggle to feel fairness in the way the world treats each other. The joy of feeling loved and noticed, and the heartbreak of being let down.

[Lisa - OwlBeSatReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

“…they had to be careful, very careful, because often people were not what they said they were. Not what they seemed to be”.

Warning! Page-turner alert!! ‼️🚨‼️

Wow, what a fantastic story!!

I spent most of my time reading The Book of Guilt with WAIT! WHAT? and WHY’S buzzing around my head. I LOVE it when a story has me flying by the seat of my pants with ALL THE QUESTIONS.

This is the second Catherine Chidgey book I’ve read this year and it’s safe to say I think she’s bloody brilliant.

The Book of Guilt is about a government-run children’s home situated in the New Forest in Hampshire, UK, which just happens to be down the road from where I live! It’s set in the 70’s, reminiscent of Thatcher’s days as Prime Minister, but also not quite as it was back then.

As a child of the 70’s I absolutely loved the references to all things of the era. It was a trip down memory lane, but had this dark tone which kind of clung to me the whole time. I was mesmerised by the entire package here. The further in I got, the more sinister and dark it became. I was loving it and rarely does a story shake me up, but, my god the revelations….

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Catherine Chidgey and was very much looking forward to The Book of Guilt (and please do check out Remote Sympathy because it's one of my favourite books ever!).

The Book of Guilt tells the story of triplets Lawrence, Vincent and William. Having been told that their parents both died of heart attacks within a few weeks of each other, they grow up in the Captain Scott Home for Boys and are brought up by three mothers - Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night. They are given medicines and injections and undergo numerous tests throughout their lives, and receive regular visits from Dr Roach.

Everything they know they have learned from the Book of Knowledge, their dreams and nightmares are recorded in the Book of Dreams, and any wrongdoing is recorded in the Book of Guilt. The boys rarely leave the home but are allowed occasional visits into the village where, one day, Mr Webb, the local baker, slips up and says something he shouldn't have. From this point forward, the boys begin to question who they really are.

As I expect from Catherine Chidgey, this is a superbly written tale. It is very thought provoking, particularly around morals and ethics, and the hints towards the origins of evil is a clever insight. And for those of us that are cynical about what happens in the world, it's a story that is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Thank you to John Murrays for sending me a proof. Another highly recommended book from me (I'm on a roll!).

[Brooklyn L. Wolves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of The Book of Guilt. The unsettling atmosphere, the mystery surrounding the Sycamore Scheme, and the triplets' yearning for a normal life all had the potential for a gripping story. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me.

While Chidgey establishes a suitably creepy environment, the plot meanders and the pacing is glacial. The secrets hinted at in the blurb unravel far too slowly, and when they finally do, they feel underwhelming. The characters, particularly the triplets, remain frustratingly underdeveloped. I never truly connected with them or felt invested in their struggles.

The constant references to the books (The Book of Dreams, The Book of Knowledge, etc.) felt repetitive and heavy-handed, rather than adding to the story's atmosphere. While the writing is competent, it lacked the spark needed to elevate the material. Overall, The Book of Guilt felt like a missed opportunity. It had all the ingredients for a compelling read, but the slow pace and lack of character development left me feeling disappointed.

[Azhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of my biggest flexes is that catherine chidgey was my lecturer when i was at uni, she was great, and reading this book, i can see why she’s so widely acclaimed and has won so many awards.

[wilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alltså Catherine Chidgey 🥲 jag har läst tre böcker av henne i år och alla har fått femma. Det har aldrig hänt mig innan, inte ens med Ottessa Moshfegh?! Crazy bananas! Men här har vi att göra med en författare som VET hur man bygger en riktigt bra litterär thriller.
Om den här boken tycker jag att man inte ska veta nåt förutom att den handlar om trillingarna Lawrence, Vincent och William som bor på ett avlägset hem där de varje dag utför sina uppgifter och tar sin medicin, omhändertagna av Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon och Mother Night. Deras drömmar loggas i The Book of Dreams, deras lektioner är tagna från The Book of Knowledge och deras synder loggas i The Book of Guilt. Sedan får de reda på att regeringen vill stänga ner deras hem och de börjar ifrågasätta allt de vet om ja, hela sina liv.
Dramaturgin är on POINT. Karaktärerna, handlingen, språket, drivet. Det är twists and turns, inga sensationella grejer utan subtilt, det snärjer en och man måste få reda på vad som egentligen pågår. Det är spännande! Det är välskrivet! Det är originellt! Underbart!

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catherine Chidgey is nothing if not versatile, and I love that with every novel she publishes you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get. This alternate history/dystopian narrative echoes Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go in many ways, but with a much more peppy, almost humorous tone. Chidgey does what all good novels in this genre do, managing a slow reveal of what is really happening across multiple perspective and maintaining tension towards an audience explosive final act. For this reader, the tone and premise diverted substantially enough from Ishiguro for this to be a fresh and compelling reading experience. Chidgey remains at the top of my “anticipating what is next” list.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review: https://open.spotify.com/show/2gCpd8H...

[Aoife Cassidy McM · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my most anticipated reads of the year, The Book of Guilt mostly lived up to my expectations. While it didn’t quite measure up to The Axeman’s Carnival or Pet, it’s a chilling, dystopian read that contains enough reality to make it plausible and when it gets going properly around the halfway mark, it takes off.

It’s post-war England (late 1970s) and 13 year old triplets Lawrence, William and Vincent live in a stately home in the English countryside, cared for around the clock by their three mothers.

The triplets’ misdemeanours are recorded in The Book of Guilt, their dreams in The Book of Dreams and they learn from The Book of Knowledge, an outdated children’s encyclopaedia that leaves them with a limited and prescribed view of the world. They’re forced to take regular medicine to prevent them from succumbing to The Bug.

What exactly is going on slowly becomes apparent as we meet the Minister for Loneliness, a woman who has been mandated by the Prime Minister to wind up the Sycamore Homes, a system of institutions across the country housing children and subjecting them to forced medication. We also meet the mysterious Nancy, a young girl kept indoors at all times by her fearful parents.

The novel moves pretty slowly for the first 50% and while it’s an interesting premise, it didn’t fully grab me until Nancy entered the story. I could see the direction the story was going, but it became ever more propulsive as Nancy’s situation crystallised.

Chidgey writes crisply and elegantly. Her books are a joy to read, so clever and original in premise. The Book of Guilt has inevitably been compared to Never Let Me Go, a superior novel to be perfectly honest, but it should be read on its own merits for the quality literary suspense that it is. 4/5 ⭐️

*Many thanks to the author and publisher John Murray for the advance arc via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Book of Guilt was published in May.

[Tracy Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure what attracted me to this story and to be honest I didn’t even realise it was a dystopian book, but I am so glad that I did read it.

The Book of Guilt is a slow burner and it does take a while for the reader to understand what is happening and who the various characters are. Set in the UK, the story centres around 13 year old triplet boys who live in Sycamore House. A children’s home which is run by 3 mothers who educate, medicate and record their dreams, behaviour and illnesses.

William, Vincent and Lawrence are the last remaining residents of the home situated in the New Forest as the other residents have all left after being sent to a big house in Margate which promises a life of fun, beach trips and and unlimited fairground rides.

However, all is not as it seems. The Government want to shut down the homes, The Minister of Loneliness has been tasked with getting the children rehomed and the triplets behaviour is spiralling out of control.

This would be an excellent book for book clubs as it generates many moral dilemmas, thought-provoking questions and uncomfortable discussions.

It is beautifully written and if you enjoyed Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro you will love this. 4 stars

[holloween · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a bold claim to say that I may have already found my favorite book of the year in February, but when I say that this book is special, I truly mean it.

In The Book of Guilt, you enter the world of triplet brothers who are the last residents of a government run program called the Sycamore Scheme, cared for by their three mothers - Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon, and Mother Night. The mothers teach the boys from The Book of Knowledge, record their nightmares in The Book of Dreams, and log their wrongdoings in The Book of Guilt. The boys dream of being sent to Margate, an oasis by the sea where children can be children. Slowly the boys start to see cracks in the facade that is their every day lives.

The Book of Guilt has so much of what I love in its 320 pages - from a creeping unsettling feeling as the story unfolds, an emotional investment in an eager young voice, to an almost Pleasantville-like perfection that feels just a bit off, but you can’t quite put your finger on why that may be.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #JohnMurrayPress for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Wendy Greenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. It piqued my curiosity from the opening. Familiar period details (1970s) overlaid by a completely unfamiliar political landscape and language.

The book defies explanation and this is the key to this very compulsive read. Triplets in some sort of care home cared for by morning, afternoon and night mothers; an overprotected girl for whom it seems normal to eat her meals in the wardrobe and government decisions being made that only very gradually start to reveal the status quo and how we got there from the perspective of the Minister of Loneliness.

The imagination of the writer is electrifying and she unravels plot strands with complete mastery. I found it my perfect read combining top tier writing, character, setting, plot.#JohnMurra

With thanks to #NetGalley and #JohnMurrayPress for the opportunity to read and review

[Brendan Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

ooof i loved this book so much - even if it was somewhat predictable / there wasn’t a mystery as such, i still found it really compelling and so easy to read. all i wanted to do this weekend was read this book and that is what i did.

i think chidgey is a really talented author and i want to go back to read some of her earlier work. the axeman’s carnival is still number one, but this is a close second. pet i just didn’t feel the story as much. it’s always nice too when you find a nz author you really like!

[Kendal Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best books I’ve read in a loonnnnggg time

[em · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m at a loss for words. I’ve spent the past hour trying to explain this book to my friend but coming up short because there’s no way to explain this, it’s something you have to read and experience for yourself. Chidgey has done it again, I was mesmerised by her book Remote Sympathy, and I find myself once again rendered speechless by her talent for weaving a story.

This is so much more than a book about William, Lawrence and Vincent. While these boys are the central characters, the story explores poignant humanitarian questions. Is evil taught or learned? What makes a human a human, is it their soul or something else? Is it right to replace someone to battle grief? There were countless passages that felt like a gut punch with what they were asking or rather forcing the reader to think about. The side characters as well, including the mothers, were pivotal for the story and added so much depth. I particularly enjoyed Mother Night and her brief yet influential role.

Everything was brought together towards the end in perfect symphony. A real masterclass in writing, plot deliverance and character development. I lost myself in the seaside home and the unbelievably bright skies of Margate. Moving and magnificent, this was something I’ll remember for a very long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheBookOfGuilt #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Book of Guilt. I wasn’t quite sure what I was in for when I started: identical triplets in a children’s home with a distinctly 1950s feel to it, even though it’s set in the 1970s. I think that’s to do with the fact that there is an alternative history - WW2 does not go quite the same way.

Everything about the atmosphere in the home, from the three shift-working “Mothers” (Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night), to their lessons from the Book of Knowledge, to their dreams being recorded in the Book of Dreams and their misdemeanours in the Book of Guilt.

Life begins to change in the Sycamore Home, and as it does, it raises so many questions about the things that the boys have been told.

I couldn’t put this down, and read it in two days. It gave me Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go vibes (not too much of a spoiler!). The boys are regarded with suspicion and fear, which made me feel for them even more. The addition of the Minister for Loneliness (a great idea, by the way) added an outsiders view to the concept of the Sycamore Homes.

The writing is mesmerising, the characters are rounded and very human (regardless of other characters opinions), and both the setting, the plot, and the ending were just perfect.

This is only my second Catherine Chidgey novel (the first was Remote Sympathy, and that was also a top read for me), and I really need to read more!

[Елиана Личева · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Book of Guilt", все още няма превод на български.

Кигата е алтернативна дистопия, дествието се развива през 1979 г. Втората световна война е приключила с убийството на Хитлер през 1943 г. и сключването на мирен договор, който отключва нова епоха на биомедицински експерименти, носещи и футуристични, и зловещи последици . Децата от домовете „Сикамор“ са представени като сбор от експериментални субекти, под маската на грижа и социална политика.

Историята ни запознава с тризнаците Винсънт, Уилям и Лорънс, които израстват в дом. Контролът над тях е строг и за тях се грижат три „майки“, които записват всичко в „проформите“ (или proformas), те са вид дневници/отчети, които трите момчета попълват редовно – отчети за здравето си, поведението си, мислите си, мечтите и най-важното "вината". Всеки дом има свои книги Book of Guilt, Book of Dreams, Book of Knowledge и те не са просто тетрадки, а институционализирани инструменти за контрол. Тези книги придават тежест на най-малката грешка, на най-беглото отклонение от нормата. Чрез тях децата се учат да мислят за себе си като за наблюдавани същества, които трябва да се коригират.

Децата четат всеки ден The Book of Knowledge, която изглежда като обикновена енциклопедия с факти за животни, география, наука, без да подозират, това обаче единственият им прозорец към света, който се разрешавав дома. Книгата е източник на "официалното знание", но то е филтрирано, подбрано и изчистено. В нея няма следа от това, което реално се е случило в миналото, вината, за правото на избор. The Book of Knowledge е символ на една истина, създадена от властта удобна, контролирана и безопасна. Това я прави мощна метафора за начина, по който институциите използват „знанието“ не за освобождаване, а за подчинение, дори и днес в реалния живот.

Интересен факт за мен беше, че Чиджи използва реална препратка The Book of Knowledge е името на детска енциклопедия, издавана в началото на XX век. В контекста на романа, тази енциклопедия се превръща в инструмент за идеологическо възпитание, за маскиране на истината с уж невинно съдържание.

Зад тази система прозира идеята, че обществото не просто наблюдава, а изгражда идентичностите на своите деца чрез писмено самонаблюдение. Те не просто са подчинени на строга дисциплина, но биват обучавани да бъдат собствени надзиратели и критици.

Чиджи за мен се е справила успешно със задачатада предаде историятапрез очите на децата. Жестокостта спрямо тях, когато идва от хората и институциите, които са единственото им познато семейство. Сами те не изпитват рационална вина, но усещат несправедливостта на обкръжението
Наред с тези дълбоки образи, Чиджи създава атмосфера на подтискащата стерилност на дом, тиха зловещост, която гложди постепенно.Децата са изпълнени със страх, надежда, любопитство, но светът около тях остава донякъде абстрактен. Именно в тази празнина се корени силата на романа: читателят сам попълва пространствата, изпитвайки вакуума и страха на героите.

The Book of Guilt написана красиво и едновременно студено, минималистично и наситено, което носи специфично чувство на тиха зловещост и морална тревога. Образите на децата превръщат романа в психологически детектор на съвременните морални дилеми и оставя множество въпроси, точно както за мен съвременната литература трябва да прави. Ако сте фен на "Никога не ме оставяй" от К. Ишихигуро, препоръчвам книгата.

[Bernie Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read indeed. Be warned that it is a slow burn story until the latter half, when fireworks are set off with Catherine wheels and banging surprises.

Catherine Chidgey's use of an alternative reality was used sparingly, mainly to shorten World War Two and to lay the founding premise for the ensuing story. 

The story setting of 1979 suburban England was uncannily close, to how I remember the time. It was well written and descriptive with great detail. 

There was the regular use of references to the TV program of “Jim'll Fix It”. This may have been distasteful to those of us who know that Jim was Jimmy Saville, discovered later to be Britain's most prolific sexual predator of all time. The author perhaps used this fact to give readers in the know, a greater sense of unease and discomfort, along with that emanating from the strangeness of the living situations of the book's children.

In conclusion, New Zealand's literary icon, Catherine Chidgey, has given us a beautifully written, maybe morally challenging story if the ethical implications are thought through.

Thanks NetGalley for the advance copy.