Title: The Panopticon
Author: Jenni Fagan
Publication Year: 2013 Publisher: Hogarth
Edition: arc/eGalley
Source: Amazon Vine/Edelweiss
Date Completed: Sept - 2013
Rating: 4/5
Anais Hendricks is a 15-year-old who has been in and out of the foster care system in England. Her mother gave birth to her in a mental institution, and later abandoned her. Her adoptive mother, Theresa, a prostitute, was murdered in a bathtub, while Anais waited for her in a room nearby, not aware of what was happening.
Anais has coped with booze and drugs, and after being
accused of beating a police woman into a coma, she is brought
to The Panopticon, a detention center for kids in trouble. She was
covered in blood, but because she was high on drugs, she doesn't
remember the incident she is accused of.
The Panopticon, is a Scottish facility for young
offenders up to the age of 18. It is an unusual circular facility where everyone can
be observed 24/7 from a watchtower. At the Panopticon, Anais thinks she and other
inmates that she befriends are part of some grand experiment. Could she be right?
The story is told by Anais, and her voice is one of
teenage angst. She's an unreliable narrator, and given the fact she has
spent years on drugs, the reader is never sure what is real or the
result of hallucinations or even paranoia. As the reader, you'll have to
sort all that out for yourself.
The author has done a terrific job on this debut novel,
but be advised it is a tough story to read. It's raw and gritty and
there is sex, drugs, violence and foul language as well. The Scottish dialect takes some getting use to as well.
It's a pretty realistic story about cast off children
who are trying to find their way in a society that has failed them, and reading about that will make many readers cringe. The author has done her
homework and seems to know an awful lot about her subject.
I'm glad I read it, but definitely not for everyone.
My sister liked this one too.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound gritty but good. Reality fiction....
ReplyDeletePretty serious topic. Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't think I could read this.
ReplyDeleteI saw this one somewhere before and thought it sounded fantastic. I'll have to put this one on my to read list.
ReplyDeleteI agree that many will not like the reading experience of The Panopitcon, but I think it's such an important book even if it makes you uncomfortable. So many children actually live like this and the system fails them every day. Such a good book and I love seeing other people read and enjoy despite all of the bleakness and nastiness!
ReplyDeleteI can deal with the raw gritty part but I am concerned about the dialect.
ReplyDeleteAnother book that I've been meaning to get to this summer. So glad you liked this one!
ReplyDeleteI brought this book home in print, but wonder if I want to listen instead with the dialect of the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to this one but it sounds like I'm going to have to be in just the right mood to work for it.
ReplyDeleteProbably not for me!
ReplyDelete