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Look at Me
Lizzy lives with her father, Julian, and her brother, Ig, in North London. Two years ago her mother died, leaving in a trail a family bereft by her absence and a house still filled with her things: for Margaret was lively, beautiful, fun, loving; she kept the family together. So Lizzy thinks. Then, one day, Lizzy finds a letter from a stranger to her father, and discovers he has another child. Lizzy invites her into their world in an act of outraged defiance. Almost immediately, she realises her mistake.
Look at Me is a deft exploration of family, grief, and the delicate balance between moving forward and not quite being able to leave someone behind. It is an acute portrayal of how familial upheaval can cause misunderstanding and madness, damaging those you love most
Look at Me is a deft exploration of family, grief, and the delicate balance between moving forward and not quite being able to leave someone behind. It is an acute portrayal of how familial upheaval can cause misunderstanding and madness, damaging those you love most
256 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 2016
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422 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
November 25, 2018
This is very much a character driven novel. Interesting characters with interesting lives.
We know there’s no such thing as “the” perfect family, we fool ourselves if we believe that.
This well written book proves that a story in a good authors hand no matter if there isn’t that much happening can still be quite relaxing and enjoyable.
I’d like to read more from this author and see what other things she comes up with.
A nice read, ok book, quite enjoyable. I’d put it in a contemporary family like genre.
January 2, 2016
Look At Me is a beautifully written family drama, absolutely chock full of fascinating characters and although short packs quite a punch.
Lizzy and her family are mourning the loss of her mother – when she one day discovers that she has a half sister she rashly reaches out – and in doing so changes everything.
I loved the family dynamic, the bohemian yet closed nature of the relationships between Lizzy, her brother Ig and dad Julian – and Sarah Duguid does a wonderful job of shaking up the status quo by inserting Eunice into the mix – a ball of energy that makes everyone reasses life and love.
The author has a fine eye for walking the character line – Everyone you meet here is well drawn and compelling. I loved Lizzy and the way she fell into things, as for Eunice, well. She exhausted me just reading about her I could easily imagine how having someone like her in your life would keep you on your toes.
It is an intriguing and clever take on the state of grief – emotionally resonant but very real – done in a way that keeps you turning those pages to find out the outcome for Lizzy and co – and whether Eunice would end up being a blessing or a curse. Her actions and the consequences made for a really really great read.
Recommended
Lizzy and her family are mourning the loss of her mother – when she one day discovers that she has a half sister she rashly reaches out – and in doing so changes everything.
I loved the family dynamic, the bohemian yet closed nature of the relationships between Lizzy, her brother Ig and dad Julian – and Sarah Duguid does a wonderful job of shaking up the status quo by inserting Eunice into the mix – a ball of energy that makes everyone reasses life and love.
The author has a fine eye for walking the character line – Everyone you meet here is well drawn and compelling. I loved Lizzy and the way she fell into things, as for Eunice, well. She exhausted me just reading about her I could easily imagine how having someone like her in your life would keep you on your toes.
It is an intriguing and clever take on the state of grief – emotionally resonant but very real – done in a way that keeps you turning those pages to find out the outcome for Lizzy and co – and whether Eunice would end up being a blessing or a curse. Her actions and the consequences made for a really really great read.
Recommended
April 1, 2016
Look at Me is part family drama, part psychological suspense. The family - narrator Lizzy, her brother Ig and father Julian - are an intriguing lot, to say the least: wealthy but bohemian, determinedly artistic and louche. Lizzy is a jobbing actress; Ig a Reiki teacher. Julian, who runs a wine business, is a charming womaniser who refuses to give up on the idea of being a free spirit. Lizzy and Ig, both nearing thirty, still live with Julian - albeit in studio flats built for them as annexes to the family home - and have little intention of leaving. Above all, the whole family reveres the memory of Lizzy and Ig's late mother, Margaret. Following her death a couple of years earlier, they are still in mourning; their easygoing behaviour belies how carefully they are controlling the tumult of emotions bubbling away under the surface, and Lizzy's grief in particular is a defining force in the novel.
Into this precariously balanced existence comes a woman claiming she is also Julian's daughter, the long-lost result of an affair while he was still married to Margaret. Married at 23, working as manager of her mother-in-law's gift shop, Eunice is the antithesis of the Knight family: fussy and conventional, with hopelessly unfashionable taste in ornaments. Lizzy rebels against Julian and Ig and impulsively makes contact with her newly-discovered half-sister, but it isn't long before Eunice worms her way into the Knights' home, making changes that become increasingly insidious and worrying.
Sarah Duguid really gets to the heart of how this sort of thing feels, and it's largely because of this - the intense evocation of all the layers of Lizzy's anxiety, such a strong sense of how closely she associates her home and its contents with memories of her mother - that the story works, that your sympathies remain with Lizzy. But then, at some points, I felt myself standing firmly in Eunice's shoes. The provincial ingénue thrown into this gang of upper-middle-class hippies, people who find it unbelievable - even suspicious - that a mere 'shop girl' would be able to spell out the word 'saturnine' during a game of Scrabble. Sometimes Duguid illuminates Lizzy's snobbery and selfishness, and just for a second we see her cast in a very unflattering light. Those pivotal words, 'look at me', are spoken by both Lizzy and Eunice; perhaps they're more alike than Lizzy would ever want to believe.
The whole story has a timeless feel about it - only a couple of details give away the fact that it's taking place in the present day; otherwise it could be set in almost any decade of the 20th century - and Duguid's intelligent, economical style works wonders on her characters. Look at Me blends a candid portrait of a family with the tension of a thriller, and the combination makes for a taut yet elegant novel.
Into this precariously balanced existence comes a woman claiming she is also Julian's daughter, the long-lost result of an affair while he was still married to Margaret. Married at 23, working as manager of her mother-in-law's gift shop, Eunice is the antithesis of the Knight family: fussy and conventional, with hopelessly unfashionable taste in ornaments. Lizzy rebels against Julian and Ig and impulsively makes contact with her newly-discovered half-sister, but it isn't long before Eunice worms her way into the Knights' home, making changes that become increasingly insidious and worrying.
Sarah Duguid really gets to the heart of how this sort of thing feels, and it's largely because of this - the intense evocation of all the layers of Lizzy's anxiety, such a strong sense of how closely she associates her home and its contents with memories of her mother - that the story works, that your sympathies remain with Lizzy. But then, at some points, I felt myself standing firmly in Eunice's shoes. The provincial ingénue thrown into this gang of upper-middle-class hippies, people who find it unbelievable - even suspicious - that a mere 'shop girl' would be able to spell out the word 'saturnine' during a game of Scrabble. Sometimes Duguid illuminates Lizzy's snobbery and selfishness, and just for a second we see her cast in a very unflattering light. Those pivotal words, 'look at me', are spoken by both Lizzy and Eunice; perhaps they're more alike than Lizzy would ever want to believe.
The thought of what Eunice might be planning filled me with a kind of animal fear. I feared she might be the sort of insecure woman who could only tolerate primacy. To that end, she'd work on my father, persuade him that it was right, it was time, for me to be forced to give up my studio to her. She'd do it behind my back, all the time smiling to my face. But she wouldn't see herself as cold or spiteful or envious, she'd see herself as a victim. She'd believe she had finally received what was rightfully hers.This passage is a perfect encapsulation of the raw, honest way characters' emotions are portrayed in this book. Lizzy's fear that Eunice will literally force her out of her studio is, objectively, ridiculous, a thing blown out of all proportion by her profound unease, and her sneery attitude to Eunice ('the sort of insecure woman...') comes off terribly. But her assessment of Eunice's motives (and methods of self-justification) doesn't seem, in the end, to be all that wide of the mark. That those two paragraphs of Lizzy's spiralling horror are capped off with Eunice's 'Do you think I could be an actress?' is a tiny stroke of genius.
The thing I feared most was her lack of empathy, her hysterical self-absorption. I feared her absolute, demonic, all-consuming belief in the supremacy of her own needs. If she caused me pain, it wouldn't bother her. In fact, it might even give her pleasure. If she took what was mine, it wouldn't occur to her that I might miss it. I wouldn't even have the slight consolation of knowing that she understood what she had done, because the part of her brain that should be able to imagine how others felt appeared to be malfunctioning. I'd just be collateral damage, and she'd just be pleased that she had what she wanted. I feared that she was nothing more than a proper little manipulator, disguised in pink kitten heels, putting everyone off the scent with her tears while she told people she loved me like a sister.
'Do you think I could be an actress?' Eunice said.
The whole story has a timeless feel about it - only a couple of details give away the fact that it's taking place in the present day; otherwise it could be set in almost any decade of the 20th century - and Duguid's intelligent, economical style works wonders on her characters. Look at Me blends a candid portrait of a family with the tension of a thriller, and the combination makes for a taut yet elegant novel.
January 27, 2018
At first a quietly unassuming novel that unflinchingly observes family dynamics between father, daughter and half-sister but slowly becomes darker, sharper and makes you question everything you read by the end!
March 31, 2016
Look at Me is a beautifully assured novel that crackles with the drama and complex dynamics of family life. So, make no mistake about it: Sarah Duguid has arrived with a debut that is going to whip up a storm this spring.
Our narrator Lizzy is an aspiring actress in her thirties, who lives with her brother and father in London—but also, seemingly, with the ghost of her mother Margaret: loving, caring, lively, fun, someone that held the family together, before she died two years ago. Theirs is a sprawling house which contains multitudes, but suffers from its absences.
Wasting no time in setting the scene, Duguid soon ratchets up the tension a couple of notches when Lizzy finds a letter in her father’s drawers. It soon transpires that Julian had an affair: out in the world is his other child, who, in a sudden burst of defiance and outrage, Lizzy invites into their still-grieving home.
It doesn’t take long before she realises her mistake. Eunice moves into their life in a flurry of pink, fluffy sweaters, ready with her kind words and over-bearing eagerness to be a part of the family. The problem is, Lizzy is far from ready to great her with open arms, struggling to come to grips with the idea of Eunice’s very existence: of a half-sister waltzing into her home and stealing the attentions of her father.
Lizzy’s life up until this point has been a closed book when it comes to outsiders: it’s just her, Ig – her bohemian brother – and her father Julian: a somewhat sheltered existence. That’s what makes this novel so effective: Duguid creates a brilliantly tense atmosphere by introducing Eunice and upsetting the status quo. She quickly makes the rest of the family re-evaluate everything they previously thought about love and loss.
Look at Me is a compelling psychological take on dysfunctional family life and what it means when circumstances beyond your control impact on an existence you have grown accustomed to. The novel is mysterious, intriguing, and probing—often all the same time—as we race to a breathless conclusion where the tension, that has been lurking just beneath the surface, finally boils over in an explosive fashion.
Duguid writes with an assured touch and has given us a debut that will have people wondering what might come from her pen next. I for one am excited to find out.
—-
My thanks to the wonderful Georgina Moore at Tinder Press for the ARC.
June 10, 2016
There's no such thing as "a perfect family". This is very apparent in "Look at Me".
The narrator is Elizabeth, a struggling actress, almost thirty years old, still living at home with her former hippy - now kind-of-burgeois father, Julian, and her reiki practicing brother, Ig.
There's a new person taking residence in their big London house - Eunice, a daughter of Julian's from a short-lived, extra-marital relationship. Eunice is twenty-three and has been longing all her life to find her real parents. Now that she's found her father and half-siblings, she's become very clingy. Elizabeth is quite reticent and wonders what her motives are, but she's too nice to say or do anything about it. Elizabeth is lost. She still grieves her mum, three years after her untimely passing.
Slowly but surely, Eunice insinuates herself into their lives, cleaning and cooking for them. She loves the house, the life-style, the restaurants and the parties. She probably tries too hard to fit in, to be accepted still feeling like an outsider.
There isn't that much happening in this novel. Look at Me is a character driven novel. The main characters and some of the secondary ones are well fleshed out, although I didn't quite connect or feel much for them. The writing was relatively simple, not overly descriptive.
Look at Me is a good debut novel about grief, relationships, belonging and feeling accepted.
3.5 stars
I've received this novel via NetGalley. Many thanks to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Cover: 4 stars
The narrator is Elizabeth, a struggling actress, almost thirty years old, still living at home with her former hippy - now kind-of-burgeois father, Julian, and her reiki practicing brother, Ig.
There's a new person taking residence in their big London house - Eunice, a daughter of Julian's from a short-lived, extra-marital relationship. Eunice is twenty-three and has been longing all her life to find her real parents. Now that she's found her father and half-siblings, she's become very clingy. Elizabeth is quite reticent and wonders what her motives are, but she's too nice to say or do anything about it. Elizabeth is lost. She still grieves her mum, three years after her untimely passing.
Slowly but surely, Eunice insinuates herself into their lives, cleaning and cooking for them. She loves the house, the life-style, the restaurants and the parties. She probably tries too hard to fit in, to be accepted still feeling like an outsider.
There isn't that much happening in this novel. Look at Me is a character driven novel. The main characters and some of the secondary ones are well fleshed out, although I didn't quite connect or feel much for them. The writing was relatively simple, not overly descriptive.
Look at Me is a good debut novel about grief, relationships, belonging and feeling accepted.
3.5 stars
I've received this novel via NetGalley. Many thanks to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Cover: 4 stars
December 9, 2015
Lizzie, her father Julian and her brother Ig live together in a house in North London. Lizzie and Ig are adults who didn't fly the nest. Their nest is the house that their mother Margaret made into their sanctuary during their childhood, into adulthood and then she died. Margaret lives on in their memories and their routines and in her belongings that are scattered around the house, left in the places that she put them. Lizzie feels that to disturb Margaret's belongings would disturb their memories.
They have always been an unconventional family. Julian and Margaret led a bohemian lifestyle of travel and drugs, flared trousers and sheepskin jackets, swirling colours of crushed velvet and sparkling costume jewellery. Lizzie and Ig have continued this theme; Lizzie is a struggling actress whilst Ig is an alternative therapist and surrounds himself with joss sticks and meditative music.
Although two years have passed since Margaret's death, the family still mourn. They feel incomplete without her presence and their comfort is in their house, surrounded by memories of her. When Lizzie discovers that Julian has another daughter; Eunice, who is younger than her, she feels angry and betrayed. She is indignant with rage and invites Eunice to their house.
Eunice is a whirlwind. She's inquisitive, determined and interfering. She quickly immerses herself into this family that she has been desperate to be a part of. The impact that Eunice has is massive, the small family unit find themselves exposed and fractured by this small girl with the huge personality.
Look At Me is beautifully constructed, the prose is sparse and revealing. Sarah Duguid's characters are flawed and keenly observed. This story is a glimpse into a family that have barely papered over the cracks caused by grief, and is then fully exposed by secrets that cannot remain hidden.
Lizzie's voice is strong, she is impetuous, remorseful and determined that her family will continue to mourn Margaret, yet she is also passionate and spontaneous when she becomes involved with man who remains nameless. Julian is unrepentant, a nonconformist who refuses to acknowledge that his actions have hurt and will continue to hurt those closest to him. And Eunice; the unsettling, yet lovable young woman who rocks the boat so hard, and makes waves that will change things forever.
Look At Me is polished, precise and sensitive. Sarah Duguid is a very skilled and capable author, this is a short novel that packs a very heavy punch. I enjoyed it very much.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
They have always been an unconventional family. Julian and Margaret led a bohemian lifestyle of travel and drugs, flared trousers and sheepskin jackets, swirling colours of crushed velvet and sparkling costume jewellery. Lizzie and Ig have continued this theme; Lizzie is a struggling actress whilst Ig is an alternative therapist and surrounds himself with joss sticks and meditative music.
Although two years have passed since Margaret's death, the family still mourn. They feel incomplete without her presence and their comfort is in their house, surrounded by memories of her. When Lizzie discovers that Julian has another daughter; Eunice, who is younger than her, she feels angry and betrayed. She is indignant with rage and invites Eunice to their house.
Eunice is a whirlwind. She's inquisitive, determined and interfering. She quickly immerses herself into this family that she has been desperate to be a part of. The impact that Eunice has is massive, the small family unit find themselves exposed and fractured by this small girl with the huge personality.
Look At Me is beautifully constructed, the prose is sparse and revealing. Sarah Duguid's characters are flawed and keenly observed. This story is a glimpse into a family that have barely papered over the cracks caused by grief, and is then fully exposed by secrets that cannot remain hidden.
Lizzie's voice is strong, she is impetuous, remorseful and determined that her family will continue to mourn Margaret, yet she is also passionate and spontaneous when she becomes involved with man who remains nameless. Julian is unrepentant, a nonconformist who refuses to acknowledge that his actions have hurt and will continue to hurt those closest to him. And Eunice; the unsettling, yet lovable young woman who rocks the boat so hard, and makes waves that will change things forever.
Look At Me is polished, precise and sensitive. Sarah Duguid is a very skilled and capable author, this is a short novel that packs a very heavy punch. I enjoyed it very much.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
April 5, 2016
This one had some interesting themes but unfortunately it failed to do anything with them and there was way too much middle class pontificating for me.
April 6, 2017
I spotted this in the library catalogue quite by chance when I was searching for Anita Brookner's novella of the same name. It wasn't a book which I'd heard of before, but its storyline sounded so good that I decided to add it to my reserve list. Tinder Press is also a favourite publishing house of mine, which was a further reason to borrow it.
Look at Me is absorbing, and so cleverly written; its suspense is built beautifully, and a claustrophobia becomes apparent at around the halfway point. It put me in mind of books by Harriet Lane (also a positive). It is especially vivid in terms of space and place. Well written and well paced, Look at Me kept me interested and entertained throughout, and I am very much looking forward to Duguid's next novel.
Look at Me is absorbing, and so cleverly written; its suspense is built beautifully, and a claustrophobia becomes apparent at around the halfway point. It put me in mind of books by Harriet Lane (also a positive). It is especially vivid in terms of space and place. Well written and well paced, Look at Me kept me interested and entertained throughout, and I am very much looking forward to Duguid's next novel.
March 6, 2016
This was an easy read as it was quite short and moved along with good pace. Not really a book that you could easily pop into a genre category as it had elements of a psychological thriller that could have been developed more but it was also about relationships, family dynamics and secrets.
Told by the main character Lizzie a struggling actress it follows what happens when she discovers that she has a sister she knew nothing about after she discovers a letter from Eunice (her half-sister) written to her father Julian. She confronts him and is determined to contact Eunice much to the dismay of her father and her brother Ig who prefer to let 'sleeping dogs lie'.
Once she has made contact things seem to move on at a pace when Eunice wants to meet Lizzie and finally worms her way into staying at the family home when she splits with her husband Mike. Things then appear to take a more sinister turn (this is when I believed it might be a psychological thriller) when Eunice seems to 'take over' in the house, making herself indispensable, poking into Lizzie's mothers things, putting her stamp on everything. This was such a good opportunity to develop the psychological thriller angle but it didn't happen.
We learn of Lizzy's past, Julian's love of her mother and a little about Ig her brother. Ig's character is not really developed and I felt that Lizzy's relationship with 'the director' was a bit weird. Certainly that we never learn his name is strange and makes her relationship with him appear to be very unnatural almost creepy.
Eunice appears to be neurotic and controlling, one moment appearing naive and childlike the next manipulative and scheming and I got the feeling that she was not to be trusted. In the beginning the family appear to welcome her into their home but little by little she starts to manipulate and control them.
With Lizzy having lost her mother only a few years before we see the whole family are still trying to process their grief and this really allows Eunice to gain a foothold as she slowly takes over almost without anyone really noticing - except Lizzy. When Eunice suggests clearing out some of Lizzy's mothers things that's the last straw for Lizzy and she just wants Eunice out of their lives.
I felt that the ending of the story lacked punch, I was expecting much more. I felt that Eunice arrival and her effect on the family forced them to move on after the death of the mother but Eunice character was under developed, we knew little about her apart from her being their half sister, nothing of her marriage and why she left Mike in the first place, why he took her back when she left Julian's or anything about her mother's relationship with Lizzy's father Julian.
All the characters had flaws and defects which made this fractured family work but I just felt there was something missing and the ending was not strong enough and for that reason I have given this 3 stars.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Told by the main character Lizzie a struggling actress it follows what happens when she discovers that she has a sister she knew nothing about after she discovers a letter from Eunice (her half-sister) written to her father Julian. She confronts him and is determined to contact Eunice much to the dismay of her father and her brother Ig who prefer to let 'sleeping dogs lie'.
Once she has made contact things seem to move on at a pace when Eunice wants to meet Lizzie and finally worms her way into staying at the family home when she splits with her husband Mike. Things then appear to take a more sinister turn (this is when I believed it might be a psychological thriller) when Eunice seems to 'take over' in the house, making herself indispensable, poking into Lizzie's mothers things, putting her stamp on everything. This was such a good opportunity to develop the psychological thriller angle but it didn't happen.
We learn of Lizzy's past, Julian's love of her mother and a little about Ig her brother. Ig's character is not really developed and I felt that Lizzy's relationship with 'the director' was a bit weird. Certainly that we never learn his name is strange and makes her relationship with him appear to be very unnatural almost creepy.
Eunice appears to be neurotic and controlling, one moment appearing naive and childlike the next manipulative and scheming and I got the feeling that she was not to be trusted. In the beginning the family appear to welcome her into their home but little by little she starts to manipulate and control them.
With Lizzy having lost her mother only a few years before we see the whole family are still trying to process their grief and this really allows Eunice to gain a foothold as she slowly takes over almost without anyone really noticing - except Lizzy. When Eunice suggests clearing out some of Lizzy's mothers things that's the last straw for Lizzy and she just wants Eunice out of their lives.
I felt that the ending of the story lacked punch, I was expecting much more. I felt that Eunice arrival and her effect on the family forced them to move on after the death of the mother but Eunice character was under developed, we knew little about her apart from her being their half sister, nothing of her marriage and why she left Mike in the first place, why he took her back when she left Julian's or anything about her mother's relationship with Lizzy's father Julian.
All the characters had flaws and defects which made this fractured family work but I just felt there was something missing and the ending was not strong enough and for that reason I have given this 3 stars.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
February 21, 2016
*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
The blurb and the beginning of this book just suck you in immediately, I was hooked and wanted to find out more.
Two years after her mother’s death, Lizzy, her dad Julian and her brother Ig are still struggling with the situation. Their lives are practically standing still.
Just then Lizzy finds a letter from her half sister Eunice. They let Eunice into their lives, which changes a lot. The are revisiting their past. And Eunice?! Well, she doesn’t seem trust-worthy and is very needy. She opens unknown wounds and the meeting Eunice dissolves into a disaster.
All the characters were not very likable, which made it difficult for me to follow the story. Yes, in a way it added to the mystery, but I couldn’t really dive into it. I was hooked at times, but them other times I felt far away from it all.
This story is mysterious, sinister, secretive and very psychological. I usually like this, but something was missing for me. It is about family and relationships and touches a deep meaning of it all.
One thing I really liked about this book were the themes and terms. It was all divided into acts. This gave the story a unique and special touch.
The blurb and the beginning of this book just suck you in immediately, I was hooked and wanted to find out more.
Two years after her mother’s death, Lizzy, her dad Julian and her brother Ig are still struggling with the situation. Their lives are practically standing still.
Just then Lizzy finds a letter from her half sister Eunice. They let Eunice into their lives, which changes a lot. The are revisiting their past. And Eunice?! Well, she doesn’t seem trust-worthy and is very needy. She opens unknown wounds and the meeting Eunice dissolves into a disaster.
All the characters were not very likable, which made it difficult for me to follow the story. Yes, in a way it added to the mystery, but I couldn’t really dive into it. I was hooked at times, but them other times I felt far away from it all.
This story is mysterious, sinister, secretive and very psychological. I usually like this, but something was missing for me. It is about family and relationships and touches a deep meaning of it all.
One thing I really liked about this book were the themes and terms. It was all divided into acts. This gave the story a unique and special touch.
January 17, 2023
A book about loss and how the characters in the book deal with it alongside the arrival of another sibling looking for her 'place'.
I suppose the book is asking the question, 'what would you do if a half-sibling you didn't know existed enters your family'.
Lizzy has to deal with the fact she invited the half-sister into the family home and now can't get here to leave. Lizzy is also dealing with the loss of her mother and a relationship with a theatre director.
There are some strange scenes, the night time swim in the park and the hog roast but a good read that makes you think.
I suppose the book is asking the question, 'what would you do if a half-sibling you didn't know existed enters your family'.
Lizzy has to deal with the fact she invited the half-sister into the family home and now can't get here to leave. Lizzy is also dealing with the loss of her mother and a relationship with a theatre director.
There are some strange scenes, the night time swim in the park and the hog roast but a good read that makes you think.
March 26, 2016
I loved this book and once I started reading it I honestly couldn’t put it down. I’ve been in a major reading slump for weeks but this book just caught my imagination and I devoured it. I’ve stuck sticky notes all over the book, not just to remind me of things I wanted to make sure I referred to in this review but also for me to look back on myself. The passages about grief in this book were so poignant and really captured what grieving for a parent is like.
Lizzy and Ig are both adults but still live within the family home they grew up in, and in many respects they have remained child-like. The day Lizzy finds out she has a sister that she’d known nothing of she immediately reacts and sends a letter off to the mystery woman without ever stopping for a moment to consider the possible consequences; it’s an immature reaction but an understandable one.
Eunice then arrives in their lives; she is very girly and inquisitive, immediately wanting to see all of the family home and speculating about where she would have fit in if things were different. She is very perceptive and this isn’t particularly noticed by Julian, Lizzy or Ig and it allows Eunice to get under their skin and to find a way to really insert herself into their lives. Lizzy becomes increasingly discomfited by Eunice’s presence and often wonders how she can be rid of her yet, even though they are all adults, she never actually just has the conversation with Eunice about when she is likely to leave; ultimately she’s partly intimidated by her and partly still so mired in grief that it all takes too much energy and thought to deal with.
I couldn’t help but empathise with Lizzy over the pain she felt at the loss of her mother, at times it was visceral and it brought back the pain, and the strange sense of bewilderment – those moments of being somewhere but not really being fully present – that I felt at losing my own mum. Duguid demonstrates Lizzy’s grief so poignantly and I felt so sad for her, yet at the same time I was never sure how much I could trust Lizzy, she seemed to be telling the truth and yet she felt like an unreliable narrator. We mainly see Eunice through Lizzy’s eyes, which meant the reader’s view is tainted by what Lizzy sees, or wants to see, in her. It makes for a brilliant dynamic in the novel and although I knew from the prologue that something terrible was going to happen, I never predicted exactly what, or who, that incident would involve.
I found Eunice exhausting to read about, she is ever present and always trying to be right in the centre of everything that happens. She wants to make her newly discovered family revolve around her. I could feel the increasingly stifling atmosphere closing in around the three original members of the family; it made me feel quite claustrophobic at times. I did ponder over the way that it felt like Eunice as a character was a metaphor for the way grief enters your life so suddenly and with no guidebook, it turns everything on its head, it makes you view your whole life in a different way and from a completely different angle. And eventually the raw, disturbing nature of it goes away and what is left is a sense of peace but everything is still forever changed.
This is a short novel but it packs one hell of a punch. I actually finished reading it a couple of weeks ago and I’m still thinking about it now. I was very lucky to receive an advanced reading copy of this novel but I loved it so much that I treated myself to a finished copy to put on my favourites bookcase. Not many books make it onto there but this one absolutely deserves its place, I know it will be one that I read again and again over the years.
Look At Me is disturbing and beautiful, and is so honest and raw; a stunning debut that you absolutely won’t want to miss!
I rated this novel 5 out of 5 and can’t recommend it highly enough!
Look At Me is out now and available from all good bookshops.
I received a review copy from Tinder Press in return for an honest review.
Lizzy and Ig are both adults but still live within the family home they grew up in, and in many respects they have remained child-like. The day Lizzy finds out she has a sister that she’d known nothing of she immediately reacts and sends a letter off to the mystery woman without ever stopping for a moment to consider the possible consequences; it’s an immature reaction but an understandable one.
Eunice then arrives in their lives; she is very girly and inquisitive, immediately wanting to see all of the family home and speculating about where she would have fit in if things were different. She is very perceptive and this isn’t particularly noticed by Julian, Lizzy or Ig and it allows Eunice to get under their skin and to find a way to really insert herself into their lives. Lizzy becomes increasingly discomfited by Eunice’s presence and often wonders how she can be rid of her yet, even though they are all adults, she never actually just has the conversation with Eunice about when she is likely to leave; ultimately she’s partly intimidated by her and partly still so mired in grief that it all takes too much energy and thought to deal with.
I couldn’t help but empathise with Lizzy over the pain she felt at the loss of her mother, at times it was visceral and it brought back the pain, and the strange sense of bewilderment – those moments of being somewhere but not really being fully present – that I felt at losing my own mum. Duguid demonstrates Lizzy’s grief so poignantly and I felt so sad for her, yet at the same time I was never sure how much I could trust Lizzy, she seemed to be telling the truth and yet she felt like an unreliable narrator. We mainly see Eunice through Lizzy’s eyes, which meant the reader’s view is tainted by what Lizzy sees, or wants to see, in her. It makes for a brilliant dynamic in the novel and although I knew from the prologue that something terrible was going to happen, I never predicted exactly what, or who, that incident would involve.
I found Eunice exhausting to read about, she is ever present and always trying to be right in the centre of everything that happens. She wants to make her newly discovered family revolve around her. I could feel the increasingly stifling atmosphere closing in around the three original members of the family; it made me feel quite claustrophobic at times. I did ponder over the way that it felt like Eunice as a character was a metaphor for the way grief enters your life so suddenly and with no guidebook, it turns everything on its head, it makes you view your whole life in a different way and from a completely different angle. And eventually the raw, disturbing nature of it goes away and what is left is a sense of peace but everything is still forever changed.
This is a short novel but it packs one hell of a punch. I actually finished reading it a couple of weeks ago and I’m still thinking about it now. I was very lucky to receive an advanced reading copy of this novel but I loved it so much that I treated myself to a finished copy to put on my favourites bookcase. Not many books make it onto there but this one absolutely deserves its place, I know it will be one that I read again and again over the years.
Look At Me is disturbing and beautiful, and is so honest and raw; a stunning debut that you absolutely won’t want to miss!
I rated this novel 5 out of 5 and can’t recommend it highly enough!
Look At Me is out now and available from all good bookshops.
I received a review copy from Tinder Press in return for an honest review.
February 12, 2016
A no spoilers review of this brilliant book here http://lindasbookbag.com/2015/12/22/l...
Elizabeth’s mother is dead. Her father, Julian, has a daughter by another woman. When Lizzie decides to make contact with her half-sister Eunice, having found a letter from Eunice in Julian’s drawer, she is perhaps making the biggest mistake of her life.
From the moment I read the prologue to the final line that left me wondering if the book had actually ended as I wanted, as the characters needed or in a manner that was possibly unfair to them all, I loved ‘Look At Me’.
There is an iterative image of the theatre that runs through the book so intelligently. It is divided into the classical five acts, for example, and Lizzie is herself an actress, but so too are many of the others even without knowing it. The whole of life, and death, is exposed as an act or performance. The title ‘Look At Me’ can refer to so many moments and people that the book couldn’t be more fittingly named. The psychological need for attention, for others to ‘look at me’, is so deftly written that it’s hard to believe this is a debut novel.
Although hate is a strong word, I can honestly say I hated Eunice from the moment she was introduced. She is gloriously invidious and I wanted to step into the pages and slap her – hard. But Sarah Duguid has created the full range of tragic heroes. Every character is realistically flawed and every character is utterly believable. Indeed, Sarah Duguid’s writing is so compelling that the feelings of grief, of need and of longing thrum like electricity through the narrative. I found the prose hypnotic so that there is a creepiness that builds and builds until it is impossible to leave the book alone. I read it in one go.
A further delight is the author’s attention to detail. She is like a painter with words, skilfully creating the physical appearances of the people, the sounds, scents and sights of the surroundings. I could taste the gin on my tongue and smell pot in the air in the heat of the summer in this amazingly well crafted novel.
It’s hard to convey the quality of ‘Look At Me’. Essentially the plot is quite simple, but it is the depth of understanding of relationships that make it brilliant. Sarah Duguid’s writing is so good that I’m sure it will resonate with anyone who reads it. I can’t recommend ‘Look At Me’ highly enough.
Elizabeth’s mother is dead. Her father, Julian, has a daughter by another woman. When Lizzie decides to make contact with her half-sister Eunice, having found a letter from Eunice in Julian’s drawer, she is perhaps making the biggest mistake of her life.
From the moment I read the prologue to the final line that left me wondering if the book had actually ended as I wanted, as the characters needed or in a manner that was possibly unfair to them all, I loved ‘Look At Me’.
There is an iterative image of the theatre that runs through the book so intelligently. It is divided into the classical five acts, for example, and Lizzie is herself an actress, but so too are many of the others even without knowing it. The whole of life, and death, is exposed as an act or performance. The title ‘Look At Me’ can refer to so many moments and people that the book couldn’t be more fittingly named. The psychological need for attention, for others to ‘look at me’, is so deftly written that it’s hard to believe this is a debut novel.
Although hate is a strong word, I can honestly say I hated Eunice from the moment she was introduced. She is gloriously invidious and I wanted to step into the pages and slap her – hard. But Sarah Duguid has created the full range of tragic heroes. Every character is realistically flawed and every character is utterly believable. Indeed, Sarah Duguid’s writing is so compelling that the feelings of grief, of need and of longing thrum like electricity through the narrative. I found the prose hypnotic so that there is a creepiness that builds and builds until it is impossible to leave the book alone. I read it in one go.
A further delight is the author’s attention to detail. She is like a painter with words, skilfully creating the physical appearances of the people, the sounds, scents and sights of the surroundings. I could taste the gin on my tongue and smell pot in the air in the heat of the summer in this amazingly well crafted novel.
It’s hard to convey the quality of ‘Look At Me’. Essentially the plot is quite simple, but it is the depth of understanding of relationships that make it brilliant. Sarah Duguid’s writing is so good that I’m sure it will resonate with anyone who reads it. I can’t recommend ‘Look At Me’ highly enough.
February 14, 2016
This is another very accomplished debut novel about a fractured family and difficult relationships.
Lizzy lives with her Dad and her brother Ig, following their Mums death a couple of years earlier. The fury she feels on discovering the existence of her father's daughter to another woman, knows no bounds and she recklessly contacts her half sister, allowing her to enter their lives - and create havoc!
The family have always had a very hippy dippy love and peace, drugs and rock and roll kind of set up and Ig in particular has followed in their lead and has a slightly off the wall personality. Lizzy is an angry young woman feisty, yet soaked in ill concealed grief.
When she invites Eunice into their midst she is only too eager to accept and Lizzy is reluctant to admit the repercussions this is having by unsettling the equilibrium. Eunice turns out to be a very complex character and not the sweet, innocent sister she at times appears to be on the surface.
I always find it quite difficult to relate to bohemian lifestyles, perhaps as my family was so old fashioned and straitlaced. Yet the characters are so well created I still found them believeable.
Its a story of family and loss and grief, quite a quick read and very well written.
Lizzy lives with her Dad and her brother Ig, following their Mums death a couple of years earlier. The fury she feels on discovering the existence of her father's daughter to another woman, knows no bounds and she recklessly contacts her half sister, allowing her to enter their lives - and create havoc!
The family have always had a very hippy dippy love and peace, drugs and rock and roll kind of set up and Ig in particular has followed in their lead and has a slightly off the wall personality. Lizzy is an angry young woman feisty, yet soaked in ill concealed grief.
When she invites Eunice into their midst she is only too eager to accept and Lizzy is reluctant to admit the repercussions this is having by unsettling the equilibrium. Eunice turns out to be a very complex character and not the sweet, innocent sister she at times appears to be on the surface.
I always find it quite difficult to relate to bohemian lifestyles, perhaps as my family was so old fashioned and straitlaced. Yet the characters are so well created I still found them believeable.
Its a story of family and loss and grief, quite a quick read and very well written.
March 26, 2016
A short book which reads in a blur -- much like the whirlwind that is Eunice coming to stay. She enters your brain for the time you are reading and then, whoosh she’s gone again in a flash. But like in one of those time delay pictures, you see traces of her everywhere, the outline of where she’s been lingering in mid air....
That’s how I felt after reading this short novel. Elizabeth doesn’t realise until it’s too late what she’s let into the family home, what Eunice staying there makes her feel like and how she feels finding out she now has a sister and her life has been a partial lie up until this point. Hidden and suppressed emotions come flooding out and the result is messy. I often had the feeling of watching a car crash waiting to happen. Should I be reading this, watching these people? However I did, and the feeling of ‘ what just happened?’ was my main emotion after finishing it.
Not one for the booktrail as far as locations go but a one which does delve into a broken family and rip it right open. A bit short for any real development of the characters although this is probably what makes it so effective as it punches you then lets right go.
That’s how I felt after reading this short novel. Elizabeth doesn’t realise until it’s too late what she’s let into the family home, what Eunice staying there makes her feel like and how she feels finding out she now has a sister and her life has been a partial lie up until this point. Hidden and suppressed emotions come flooding out and the result is messy. I often had the feeling of watching a car crash waiting to happen. Should I be reading this, watching these people? However I did, and the feeling of ‘ what just happened?’ was my main emotion after finishing it.
Not one for the booktrail as far as locations go but a one which does delve into a broken family and rip it right open. A bit short for any real development of the characters although this is probably what makes it so effective as it punches you then lets right go.
June 14, 2018
2/10 : I’m not sure how to describe this book. For the vast majority, I was reading with a sense of confusion, two stories being told parallel to each other, yet neither was particularly engaging, and one felt entirely pointless. The characters were all unlikeable, & it left me feeling pretty flat & wondering if I’d missed the point. The only part of the book that actually interested me was the final chapter...
March 16, 2016
Intriguing, compelling, disturbing. A deft observation of a grieving girl, a hedonistic and yet loving father and another girl in search of identity and belonging.
November 1, 2016
A really strange little book. It was overwritten and all the characters were awful but their little world really drew me in.
December 5, 2018
Ok, so this is a confusing one for me. I wasn’t necessarily a huge fan of Look at Me but it is undeniable that the writing was good. I say this because Sarah Deguid genuinely managed to creep me out. Her story telling was exceptional in the sense that the character driven tale was really engaging and you felt Lizzy’s discomfort so fervently that it could quite easily be your own discomfort. So whilst I say I didn’t like the book it was not because it wasn’t good but I was so uncomfortable that it made me not like it which in my view is the sign of good writing.
Sorry Sarah Deguid, I didn’t like your book but in the most positive way.
Look at Me by Sarah Deguid is available now.
Sorry Sarah Deguid, I didn’t like your book but in the most positive way.
Look at Me by Sarah Deguid is available now.
August 16, 2018
I don't know what to say about this book. I didn't hate it but I didn't like it ! I wanted a thriller but it wasn't the case. I hated the characters because they weren't developed enough. The cover is more creepy than the book. I was expecting more. I was expecting more so I am a little disappointed. I felt that the ending of the story lacked punch, I was expecting much more. I think, It was too short to be good.
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August 30, 2020
Purchase Look at Me here for just $8!
The perfect book for those that love a family drama, Duguid is a phenomenal writer who draws interesting and believable characters in a rather brief amount of time. Dramatic, suspenseful and psychological, built around Lizzy who suddenly is made aware of things from her family's past.
Elisa- The Book Grocer
The perfect book for those that love a family drama, Duguid is a phenomenal writer who draws interesting and believable characters in a rather brief amount of time. Dramatic, suspenseful and psychological, built around Lizzy who suddenly is made aware of things from her family's past.
Elisa- The Book Grocer
November 27, 2019
This book isn’t something I’d usually go for as I prefer thrillers or stories with a bit more action, but I did enjoy reading it. I found a lot of the characters quite selfish but I really enjoyed how grief and all of grief’s complexities was explored. I think I could recommend this to a lot of my friends who enjoy this style of fiction.
September 14, 2020
I never thought a book could be lacking in a strong storyline but be interesting at the same time but Look At Me managed it. I was somehow still interested in the characters and the development even though it was a relatively simple story line that didn't seem to go anywhere. I expected a bigger ending, enjoyable though.
January 8, 2021
Excellent drama and mild suspense story, that explores the character’s lives when an unknown sibling enters their home
November 2, 2022
I was invested in the characters and was waiting for something to happen. I'm still waiting. An easy read but not very exciting.
November 7, 2022
Whilst the way it was written was good, with the Chapters broken up with great titles, the story itself had potential but for me ended flatly. Just a gloom to end with.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2023
Beach read predictable but easy to get through kinda funny
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February 15, 2016Originally reviewed for Bookaholic Confessions
Lizzy Knight and her family are still struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother. Two years have passed and their North London home is still exactly as it was before Margaret’s death. Her room is untouched, her clothes hang in the wardrobe – and that’s the way Lizzy and her family want things to stay.
However, when aspiring actress Lizzy discovers that she has a half sister who shares her father, she makes a rash decision and makes contact with the girl, Eunice. Lizzy’s father, Julian, knows of Eunice’s existence and despite the fact that she was conceived whilst Julian was married to Margaret, Lizzy is still determined to meet this mysterious addition to their family. Eunice is thrilled to be welcomed into the fold by Lizzy but she soon starts to make herself a little too much at home.
Eunice is a force to be reckoned with and it’s not long before she firmly gets her feet under the table – literally – when she ends up moving in to the family home. Lizzy quickly grows to hate her interfering ways and when Eunice forces Lizzy to take a good look at her seemingly idyllic childhood, it soon becomes apparent that everything was not as glorious as it once seemed. It’s not long before Lizzy starts to regret the day she ever tracked down her half sister…
Look At Me was one of those books that I had been desperate to read ever since I first learnt of its existence. I don’t think anyone could read the synopsis and not be intrigued and I was fascinated to see how this quirky and unpredictable story would play out.
I was well and truly engrossed in the story from the very first page. We are taken straight into the heart of the story as Lizzy discovers a letter from Eunice to Julian. As soon as she learns of Eunice’s existence and challengers her father about it, there will be no turning back from a readers perspective as you join the family on their journey, full of twists and turns, lies and truths.
The family dynamics were extremely powerful and I was simply fascinated by the Knight family. The relationship’s that they each had- seemingly so open and relaxed with one another, but really hiding a multitude of secrets. You really feel a sense of unease over the whole family and the more that is revealed about life when Margaret was alive, the more compelling the story seems to become.
Lizzy made for a wonderful narrator, although it soon becomes obvious that she is not revealing everything. I didn’t know if I could entirely trust her and this played on my mind throughout the novel. Then there was the way that she behaved towards Eunice; making the initial contact and inviting her into her home and yet once she established a relationship with Eunice her behaviour towards her completely changed. Whilst Lizzy is not the most likeable of characters she certainly is intriguing. It’s clear that she is still hurting over the death of her mother and as you learn more about Margaret, you also come to understand Lizzie’s behaviour a little better. I found her absolutely fascinating and her unpredictability was one of my favourite things about the novel.
Talking of unpredictable characters I felt that most of the characters in the story had a little something mysterious about them. Eunice was another one that I didn’t know whether to trust or not, yet once again she completely fascinated me. At times I was certain that she was up to something, and then other times I felt as though she just wanted a family of her own who would love her unconditionally. I wasn’t sure about Julian, either. Sometimes I just wanted to get a straight answer out of him and find out what was going on one way or another. Whilst they are not the most likeable of characters, they certainly are an electic and wonderfully crafted bunch.
This is an absolutely stunning debut and Sarah Duguid is definitely an author to watch. I always remember when I read Harriet Lane’s awesome debut, Alys, Always and had so many feelings about the book…I felt very much similar with Look At Me and it reminded me of Harriet’s book in a lot of ways. Not necessarily the storyline but the feelings that the characters evoked and just that feeling of being slightly blown away by the whole thing.
Sarah’s writing is assured, strong and unique. She brings her characters to life so well whilst demonstrating the complexities of family relationships and living with loss. I also love the format in which she has chosen to present Look At Me. The story is split into different ‘acts’ which ties in so well with Lizzy being an aspiring actress. There’s even a short quote at the start of each ‘act’, continuing the draw the reader in and giving us a subtle hint of what’s to come.
Quirky and unsettling, this is going to be a massive debut of 2016.
Lizzy Knight and her family are still struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother. Two years have passed and their North London home is still exactly as it was before Margaret’s death. Her room is untouched, her clothes hang in the wardrobe – and that’s the way Lizzy and her family want things to stay.
However, when aspiring actress Lizzy discovers that she has a half sister who shares her father, she makes a rash decision and makes contact with the girl, Eunice. Lizzy’s father, Julian, knows of Eunice’s existence and despite the fact that she was conceived whilst Julian was married to Margaret, Lizzy is still determined to meet this mysterious addition to their family. Eunice is thrilled to be welcomed into the fold by Lizzy but she soon starts to make herself a little too much at home.
Eunice is a force to be reckoned with and it’s not long before she firmly gets her feet under the table – literally – when she ends up moving in to the family home. Lizzy quickly grows to hate her interfering ways and when Eunice forces Lizzy to take a good look at her seemingly idyllic childhood, it soon becomes apparent that everything was not as glorious as it once seemed. It’s not long before Lizzy starts to regret the day she ever tracked down her half sister…
Look At Me was one of those books that I had been desperate to read ever since I first learnt of its existence. I don’t think anyone could read the synopsis and not be intrigued and I was fascinated to see how this quirky and unpredictable story would play out.
I was well and truly engrossed in the story from the very first page. We are taken straight into the heart of the story as Lizzy discovers a letter from Eunice to Julian. As soon as she learns of Eunice’s existence and challengers her father about it, there will be no turning back from a readers perspective as you join the family on their journey, full of twists and turns, lies and truths.
The family dynamics were extremely powerful and I was simply fascinated by the Knight family. The relationship’s that they each had- seemingly so open and relaxed with one another, but really hiding a multitude of secrets. You really feel a sense of unease over the whole family and the more that is revealed about life when Margaret was alive, the more compelling the story seems to become.
Lizzy made for a wonderful narrator, although it soon becomes obvious that she is not revealing everything. I didn’t know if I could entirely trust her and this played on my mind throughout the novel. Then there was the way that she behaved towards Eunice; making the initial contact and inviting her into her home and yet once she established a relationship with Eunice her behaviour towards her completely changed. Whilst Lizzy is not the most likeable of characters she certainly is intriguing. It’s clear that she is still hurting over the death of her mother and as you learn more about Margaret, you also come to understand Lizzie’s behaviour a little better. I found her absolutely fascinating and her unpredictability was one of my favourite things about the novel.
Talking of unpredictable characters I felt that most of the characters in the story had a little something mysterious about them. Eunice was another one that I didn’t know whether to trust or not, yet once again she completely fascinated me. At times I was certain that she was up to something, and then other times I felt as though she just wanted a family of her own who would love her unconditionally. I wasn’t sure about Julian, either. Sometimes I just wanted to get a straight answer out of him and find out what was going on one way or another. Whilst they are not the most likeable of characters, they certainly are an electic and wonderfully crafted bunch.
This is an absolutely stunning debut and Sarah Duguid is definitely an author to watch. I always remember when I read Harriet Lane’s awesome debut, Alys, Always and had so many feelings about the book…I felt very much similar with Look At Me and it reminded me of Harriet’s book in a lot of ways. Not necessarily the storyline but the feelings that the characters evoked and just that feeling of being slightly blown away by the whole thing.
Sarah’s writing is assured, strong and unique. She brings her characters to life so well whilst demonstrating the complexities of family relationships and living with loss. I also love the format in which she has chosen to present Look At Me. The story is split into different ‘acts’ which ties in so well with Lizzy being an aspiring actress. There’s even a short quote at the start of each ‘act’, continuing the draw the reader in and giving us a subtle hint of what’s to come.
Quirky and unsettling, this is going to be a massive debut of 2016.
December 11, 2015
http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
There are already some 2016 releases that are dominating the book chatter on my social media timelines, including The Widow by Fiona Barton, Shtum by Jem Lester, The Trouble With Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon and Look at Me by Sarah Duguid. There is an incredible buzz around these titles thanks to the fantastic publicists behind them and I am thrilled to have early copies in my possession to review in the next few months.
The first one to make its way to the top of my to-read pile was Look at Me, a subtly unsettling tale of a family absorbed by grief and the collapse of their lives as seen through the eyes of an unexpected stranger forcing her way into their home.
Two years ago Lizzy's mother died and her life has been pretty much standing still ever since. She still lives at home, though Lizzy and her brother Ig have their own small units in the garden, detached from the main house, and her acting career has stalled as well; no matter how many auditions she goes to and how carefully she watches her figure, Lizzy never manages to get that elusive lead part.
Now nearly in her thirties, Lizzy's life is very small and is spend going into town for auditions and trying to make the endless hours at home feel a little less menial. Until one day she finds a letter that tuns her mundane life upside down and forces Lizzy to revisit memories about her parents and the way she and Ig have grown up.
The letter is from a woman by the name of Eunice, and Lizzy discovers that she is a half-sister from an affair her father had when he was already married to her mother. Morbidly curious, Lizzy decides to write to Eunice, which leads to them meeting up and ultimately to Eunice visiting her father and half-siblings at their home in London, with disastrous results...
Eunice entering into their lives has a quietly unsettling effect on the story as from the moment her needy personality collides with that of the still grieving family, they're forced to see their lives through the eyes of an outsider, which exposes the cracks in the fake perfect memories their brains have conjured up to be able to deal with the grief of losing their wife and mother.
Not only that, but Eunice's instant dependence on her newly discovered family has suffocating tendencies, and rather than bringing them all closer together her skewed attempts at making everything better is only forcing a rift in a relationship that never even had a chance to grow. She comes across as very needy and irritating, but then again none of the characters in Look at Me are particularly likeable, which is what makes this such a fascinating exploration of family, loss and emotional connections.
From the moment Eunice made an appearance I felt something sinister lingering in the background of the pages and this feeling never went away, which made this an at times uncomfortable yet also intriguing read. Focusing on self-absorbed characters, Look at Me isn't the most enjoyable read in the literal sense of the word, but it's certainly an incredibly engrossing one and well-worth exploring.
The theatrical themes running throughout also add to its uniqueness and combined with the eloquent writing and unsettling nature of the story this forms a novel that will undoubtedly inspire many passionate discussions in 2016.
There are already some 2016 releases that are dominating the book chatter on my social media timelines, including The Widow by Fiona Barton, Shtum by Jem Lester, The Trouble With Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon and Look at Me by Sarah Duguid. There is an incredible buzz around these titles thanks to the fantastic publicists behind them and I am thrilled to have early copies in my possession to review in the next few months.
The first one to make its way to the top of my to-read pile was Look at Me, a subtly unsettling tale of a family absorbed by grief and the collapse of their lives as seen through the eyes of an unexpected stranger forcing her way into their home.
Two years ago Lizzy's mother died and her life has been pretty much standing still ever since. She still lives at home, though Lizzy and her brother Ig have their own small units in the garden, detached from the main house, and her acting career has stalled as well; no matter how many auditions she goes to and how carefully she watches her figure, Lizzy never manages to get that elusive lead part.
Now nearly in her thirties, Lizzy's life is very small and is spend going into town for auditions and trying to make the endless hours at home feel a little less menial. Until one day she finds a letter that tuns her mundane life upside down and forces Lizzy to revisit memories about her parents and the way she and Ig have grown up.
The letter is from a woman by the name of Eunice, and Lizzy discovers that she is a half-sister from an affair her father had when he was already married to her mother. Morbidly curious, Lizzy decides to write to Eunice, which leads to them meeting up and ultimately to Eunice visiting her father and half-siblings at their home in London, with disastrous results...
Eunice entering into their lives has a quietly unsettling effect on the story as from the moment her needy personality collides with that of the still grieving family, they're forced to see their lives through the eyes of an outsider, which exposes the cracks in the fake perfect memories their brains have conjured up to be able to deal with the grief of losing their wife and mother.
Not only that, but Eunice's instant dependence on her newly discovered family has suffocating tendencies, and rather than bringing them all closer together her skewed attempts at making everything better is only forcing a rift in a relationship that never even had a chance to grow. She comes across as very needy and irritating, but then again none of the characters in Look at Me are particularly likeable, which is what makes this such a fascinating exploration of family, loss and emotional connections.
From the moment Eunice made an appearance I felt something sinister lingering in the background of the pages and this feeling never went away, which made this an at times uncomfortable yet also intriguing read. Focusing on self-absorbed characters, Look at Me isn't the most enjoyable read in the literal sense of the word, but it's certainly an incredibly engrossing one and well-worth exploring.
The theatrical themes running throughout also add to its uniqueness and combined with the eloquent writing and unsettling nature of the story this forms a novel that will undoubtedly inspire many passionate discussions in 2016.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews