The Quelling

by Barbara Barrow

Addie and Dorian have always been together. They’re clever, beautiful—and hopelessly violent. Diagnosed with a rare psychiatric condition and accused of murder in childhood, the sisters have spent most of their lives in a locked ward under the supervision of eccentric researcher Dr. Lark. Now on the cusp of adulthood, Addie has a plan: start a new family, to replace the one she lost. Dorian struggles to quell her violent tendencies in time to help raise her sister’s child.

But Dr. Lark sees these patients as key to the completion of his revolutionary cure, and he will not allow Addie’s absurd ideas to get in the way. As his “treatments” become increasingly bizarre, they put Addie and Dorian’s safety at risk. The girls’ only lifeline may be Ellie, a ward nurse with troubles of her own, who’s never felt the need to protect anyone—until now.

Harrowing and bittersweet, at times claustrophobic, this gritty debut explores the fragility of familial bonds and the sometimes intractable tension between freedom and safety.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2018

Reviews

[Geoff Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's one of those novels where I wanted to linger in the storyworld and over the prose yet simultaneously couldn't put it down because the plot develops in such a natural, engaging way. With the story set in eastern Tennessee along with the aforementioned prose, there's a Southern Gothic atmosphere to the examination of two sisters with Attachment disorder that enhances the tension in a very satisfying way. I can't recommend enough.

[Chris Girman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Disclosure: I am a professor peer of author Barbara Barrow and like to think I am somewhat objective about things (former lawyer lol), but I can honestly say this is one of the most well-written and scintillating books I've read in some time. We get so much of the psychological makeup of each of the sister twins, who desperately want a piece of normalcy in the midst of the dreary psychiatric institution and the career-driven Dr. Lark. This book demands to be told in the first person (as it is) as we get the conflicting motivations of each character. Well, not so much the conflicting motivations, but the slow recognition that all of us -- including the main five characters -- are really seeking the same mutual recognition of our own self-worth. One twin seeks it from men, the other from an imagined freedom. Even the doctor wants his own fame, and the two side characters around which the novel makes a sharp pivot seek something akin to love from the twin sisters. Is all of the novel believable? Well, no. It's not supposed to be. Read it as Gothic, I suppose, but this book is not imbued with the supernatural. It's real. The misdiagnosed madness and hysteria puts the medicinal and gendered repression in full view. Throw in an unplanned pregnancy and Foucault's critical Panopticon is evident all over. What Foucault missed, however, was the emotional impact of such surveillance and the personal toll of both physical and mental confinement. Barrow's book gives us this. And that's why I most enjoyed the VOICE of this novel, especially that of the sisters. Their troubled souls bleed cathartic and figurative prose all at once. One of the sisters sees the world through sharp comparisons, while the other recalls and imagines. The prose allows these personalities to sharpen and refine, and obviously this comes from the author herself, who levies a poignant critique of a world where such a tale might take shape, but does so through lithe and supple prose fanned out from an unlikely source: the sisters. We realize by the end how the "unlikely" aspect is a fault all our own, as we rarely allow the subjective desires, loves, and indulgences of the "damaged" to take root. By the end we never know if the damaged can be undamaged, but that's beside the point. Aren't we all -- including the other 3 characters in the book -- damaged in our own ways?

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addie and Dorian are sisters. Wait. They are more than sisters. They do not exist without each other. Living together in an mental facility since their childhood, they only interact with each other, their strange doctor, Dr Lark, and Simon and Ellie - their nurses.

The sisters are suffering from attachment disorder, as result of their traumatic childhood. This isn't trauma in the way that some books will gloss over - this is trauma where they beat the shit out of each other, breaking bones and disfiguring each other. This is trauma where they only watch nature programs and are made to hold hands constantly. There are elements of Constance and Merricat from "We Have Always Lived In A Castle" minus the wonder and beauty of Shirley Jackson. This is gritty.

Told in a few different point of view (the sisters, Simon, Ellie, Dr Lark), we see the sisters growing and changing, while Dr. Lark spirals in his need for a 'cure'. This is a story of more than just the sisters, but also of the state of mental health.

Some readers have noted the rather rushed and abrupt ending. Frankly, I loved it. It was exactly what this story needed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am unquelled by The Quelling

What an unsettling book and an impressive debut. This is a story about extreme family dysfunction, a psychiatric disorder, a fame hungry psychologist, a murder, and a twisty ending.

Addie and Dorian are sisters accused of committing murder when they were young children. They have lived their lives in a psychiatric hospital under the care of Dr. Lark. The book begins as they are entering adulthood. The girls have been diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder and Dr. Lark has a plan for their “cure.” He calls it “the quelling” and the idea is to extinguish their violent behaviors by forcing them to spend every minute together. He is aided by a young nurse and a male attendant. The quelling treatment will culminate in their “rebirth” as emotionally stable people. The girls suffer through the treatment but do make some progress. However, Addie decides that she wants to have a baby and succeeds in getting pregnant. This causes a host of problems but does result in Dorian become protective of her sister and the unborn baby. As the pregnancy progresses, Dr. Lark decides it is time to prepare for the rebirthing. Nurse Ellie does not agree and does further investigation into this technique. Her efforts to stop the treatment fail and Addie goes into labor. She has a plan to get the girls and the baby out of the hospital, but the girls have other ideas. It appears that some but not all of their symptoms have been quelled.

This is a fast-paced page turner. The writing is very good and I thought that the ending was chillingly perfect. The book is narrated in turns by Addie, Dorian, Dr. Lark, and Ellie. My only quibble is that I wish the author had included some information about Reactive Attachment Disorder and the ill-defined “attachment disorder” for people who may be unfamiliar. RAD is a childhood disorder in which the young child is unable to form normal attachments to caregivers. These children can be violent, inappropriate in their behaviors and relationships, emotionally labile, and unpredictable. This book is really about “attachment disorder” and “attachment therapy” which is pseudoscience at best and dangerous and abusive at worst. I assume that the author is basing some of the material in her book on real cases of child death during some of these “treatments.” I read the Kindle version of this book, so perhaps there are authors notes in the print version. Regardless of your knowledge base, this is a twisty good novel.

[Jen Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from netgalley for my honest review.
This book follows two sisters who suffer from attachment issues. That's the most I will say about the plot. I started this book around 10 AM and it is now 9:20 and I finished it. Unable to put it down all day. The ending completely took me by surprise. The relationship between the sisters reminds me a lot of Shirley Jackson's "We Have Always Lived in the Castle". Will definitely be recommending this

[Amanda (aghostinthelibrary) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this horror novel set in a psychiatric clinic following the treatment of two sisters Addie & Dorian who have a strange condition in which they're violent tendencies have stopped them from being 'quelled' or form attachments to people, other than each other.
I was intrigued at first, the imagery was punchy and there were some horrific moments at the beginning. I was also interested in Dr Lark the psychiatrist in charge of the sisters care. The book looks at at control and nature vs nurture but doesn't go into much depth so I was left wanting.
Unfortunately not very interesting and I ended up skimming the final 50 pages or so just to get it finished.

[Ryan Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book mixes two genres: the first a Gothic look into mental health cures and doctors' obsessions with mastering their unruly patients, the second a more romantic reflection on birth and beset motherhood. I like that they're both in here, mixing and matching and complicating each other.

Although I admire the multiple POVs and the way they undercut each other, I do sometimes wish they didn't retread the same ground multiple times and share so much of the same voice. (Dr. Lark was the only character who seemed distinctive in his paternal Dr. voice.) I wanted there to be more of a collision of wills at the end, but instead most of the characters looked past each other, instead.

My favorite character was probably Addie; I was genuinely surprised by her decision on the last page of the book! I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Phil Herbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great - dark and compelling subject matter, with a plot that unfolds wonderfully slowly, and structured perfectly to emphasise all the themes and relationships.

Shout-out to the final Dorian & Addie chapter - the horribly surreal setting, the urgent circumstances, the switching of perspectives, the gradual reveal of the murder. Really really engaging and moving.

[Sommer Schafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible, brilliant debut novel. This one will haunt me for a while.

[Barbara Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the strange story of two sisters, Addie and Dorian, who have been institutionalised in a mental facility since children. They have been diagnosed as suffering an attachment disorder as a result of their traumatic childhood. Under the management of Dr Lark who uses them to find a 'cure' for their disorder, the story explores themes of psychiatric treatments and abuses.

It is very engaging and accessible in terms of the writing and subtle in the points it's making. There are numerous layers and would make for a good discussion as important turning points are open to interpretation. The characters aren't particularly likeable but the intriguing story makes that irrelevant. I've not read a story quite like it before and as such it was an original take for me. I found the ending sudden and didn't expect it. It was almost like someone said to the writer: 'Ok, that's enough, wrap it up now' and she did - very quickly. Overall, well worth a read and a good book for book clubs.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alien-like Tennessee siblings neglected by an unstable mother and absent father, are blamed for a gruesome and wholly unfathomable crime and fueled by wildlife TV programming at their childhood home and subsequent psychiatric institution. The narrative point of view switches jarringly from Dorian and Addie the patients and members of their medical team, Dr. Lark, Evie and Simon. Everybody's objectives and motivations were so skewed I found it debilitating. I liked the title, and the theme of divergence among family members (sister victims Addie and Dorian, sister heroes Evie the nurse and Mel the activist, Dr. Lark and his mother, etc) and the author does an epic job of presenting medical horrors - from new age quackery to opiate addiction to the loss of basic mental health. All the elements just didn't come together cohesively for me.

[Sharon Sample · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two sisters who are now in their late teens, have been in a secure mental institution since they were young children. The story revolves around the girls and the people treating them. In this literary novel, the theme of how the most severally mentally ill are treated along with the intentions of those who provide the treatment are vividly illustrated. There is also an explanation motives of the people in the anti-abortion movement.

The writing is tight with no extra words added. The story is propelled by several unique points of view that each add a layer to the narrative.

I hope this book gains the success I think it deserves as it is amazing.

#TheQuelling #NetGalley

[Charlie Eskew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barrow's prose hits hard, and dissects something primal about human needs; there is a theme in each character of both hedonistic and discovery. Barrow effortlessly migrates us from understanding and appreciating each character and the distinct voices they have, but my personal opinion is this is most successfully done with one of our protagonists, Dorian, who steals the spotlight in a Barrow's world already rich in illumination.

[Kat Trent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily my favorite book of this year. The writing was phenomenal, the switching in perspectives that offered more context, and how the lives of these two sisters were altered heavily by their mother. This does raise the question of nature vs. nuture, and how far people are willing to go, but also how women develop, and how that needs to be taught and explained.
The horror of this novel comes specifically from the people that are supposed to help the most. All of main characters were well rounded and were provided with flaws that seem logical rather than thrown in to cater to the audience.
When this novel ramped up, it just kept going. Every action spurrred another, everything had a logical rise and fall, and still the novels ideas and morals shine through. This novel contains a kind of horror that drills into our greatest fears that relates directly to the feeling we all have: that the people who are supposed to care and look after us are not looking out for our best interest and are what we should be most scared of.

[John Zeller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Barrow's "The Quelling" is one of the most engrossing pieces of fiction I have ever read. It puts you in the minds of its five narrators at different times and for different reasons, as they all have their own motivations and varying levels of mental clarity. The sisters' relationship and prognosis is so intriguing that Barrow allows you to see it from all angles. It was at various times heartbreaking, gorgeous, thrilling, and mysterious. This ability to change mood and tone, while setting up in the first few pages that this is a world where mood and tone change frequently, is something only a master fiction writer can do. I anxiously await Barrow's future novels and I encourage anyone interested to look for her short fiction that is currently available. I love this book and I'm sure I will read it again.

[David Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Barrow’s The Quelling is a marauding journey into the psychology of the American south. While the majority of the novel concerns the fate of the twin sisters, Barrow’s careful examination and portrayal of their lives in a mental institute, as well as her telling of the harrowing events that unfold there, come to speak for much of the concerns of the southern consciousness, if not the American consciousness. Barrow’s narrative voice is at once agile, staid, and sharp. This book – her debut – is a wonderful work of fiction by a true literary craftsperson

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't see what the point of this book was. It was about a treatment that I thought was discredited long ago, so I don't know why the author was writing about it in the present day. I never had much of a sense of the two main characters, even though you'd think they would have vivid personalities. And the positioning of the pro-life activist as the savior was odd - she happened to be the right person to help in this case, but was this supposed to mean something?

[Elizabeth Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely riveting! Could not put it down, Barbara Barrow pulls you into the characters lives, thoughts, and feelings within the first few pages. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone I know.

[Hank · Rating 5 out of 5]

A disturbing read full of intrigue and mystery that withholds information properly to keep the reader moving and thinking at the same time. Not usually a fan of multiple character perspectives, but Barrow makes it work beautifully.

[Ktbird · Rating 3 out of 5]

An oddly intimate, cloying book about sisters with an inability to function without violence and a physician who is crazed about his idea for a cure. Although babies don't usually fix broken relationships, can they bring the sisters together?

[Katherine Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book. I flew through it. Every character was so complex and fleshed out.
And that ending....
Please please read it.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.5

[Rachel Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Quelling follows sisters Dorian and Addie, both who suffer from severe attachment disorders. They live in a hospital ward under the supervision of Dr Lark, who is seeking to cure their disorder. Told from the perspectives of both sisters, the doctor, and two nurses, the story is captivating and I didn't want to put this one down!!

That being said, I still have so many questions!! Perhaps that was the author's intent?

[Marybeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically: Two feral-like sisters with attachment disorder, their two nurses with their own backstories fueling their motivations, and a selfish doctor who claims he can cure, or quell, the girls using increasingly questionable tactics.

I love a book with multiple POV. Barrow built the story very well and allowed us insight into the well developed, damaged characters and how their pasts and present influence how they act and react with the girls. All told, I did like The Quelling. Some parts seem to drag on a little, but other parts were gritty and wonderfully descriptive. Addie/Dorian chapters were definitely the best. I’m not sure I enjoyed the ending - it seemed rushed and not as thought out as the rest of the story.

I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys Gillian Flynn. Barrow’s writing style and plot points are very similar to Flynn’s.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lanternfish Press for providing an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.​

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows two sisters who suffer from attachment issues. I enjoyed(?) the themes about mental illness and how the book was told from different perspectives. It also left me with lots of unanswered questions but not necessarily in a bad way.