When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins

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Publication date - 6th August 2020

Publisher - Macmillan

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for the arc.

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Description

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'A rich, intricately-woven novel of childhood crime and adult redemption. I finished it with my heart in my mouth. Highly recommended.' - Louise Candlish

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The little Carter sisters live in a beautiful house on the hill. To the outside world, their childhood is perfect.

Then one day, ten-year-old Sara does something unforgivable.

On the anniversary of the trial, the sisters are forced to confront what really happened for the first time – with devastating consequences for them both.

What drives a child to do the unthinkable? And even if you manage to escape from your past, can you ever be truly forgiven?.

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Review

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Sara and Shannon are sisters and Brin is their next door neighbour and best friend. Sara and Shannon’s parents are the respectable village doctor and his wife but inside their house they are abusive evil parents that make their daughters lives a misery.

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One day the village wakes up to the parents dead, the kids covered in blood. But what is the story behind the story?!

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The book has two time periods running through it. Catherine is watching the news when her life comes to a halt - her sister is on the news talking about when their parents were brutally killed by being stabbed 14 times with a pair of scissors. Brin is now a journalist and is hoping to break the story but she really is the story. There are also flashbacks to the night when the parents were killed and the real circumstances surrounding it.

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Some of the passages may be triggering for some readers as it involves emotional and physical abuse against children. However, I think it needs to be brutal and shocking as it allows the reader to understand the reasons behind the killings. The topic of child killers is an emotive one and Fiona writes with empathy in relation to the victims.

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The characters of the three children are extremely well written - complex, multilayered and leave you asking questions!

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The only part I didn’t get was the inclusion of the politician as part of the narrative. It’s seem redundant to me, it definitely wasn’t necessary and there was enough in the other characters to explore.

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This is a great read with amazing twists! I really didn’t see the final one coming! It is brilliantly written, show empathy while dealing with a difficult subject and is so compelling that you can easily devour it in one sitting!