Review: Apple Tree Yard

Apple Tree Yard 

By Louise Doughty

Basically the story is about Yvonne Carmichael (who is the narrator) she has the 'perfect' but boring life. Married, lives in A detached house at the End of a suburban cul-de-sac, two children, two cars, two good careers kind of life. She randomly meets a bloke (who is fishy AF by the way) and has a slightly sordid affair; lots of sex in public and not a lot else. Then something tragic happens and her whole life is ruined. It's all very BBC drama (I am fully aware this was on the BBC and I can totally see why)

The story it's self is good, I knew this idyllic life was going to be ruined, I knew the unnamed lover was not to be trusted, I wanted to see the demise of the narrator. However I didn't like the narrator. I found her very 2D and a massive cliché that has been over done in the media and literature.  Doughty has tried to add depth: her son, who she loves very much has bipolar, her husband had an affair, she is pissed because she had to work harder raising two kids and doing her PhD, but I feel it's all just mentioned in passing. 

The worst bit is that ending is totally flat! The court case builds, there is moments of suspense but her life never fully falls apart. Everything that happened to her in the story is truly traumatic, but she sounds like a smug middle aged lady warbling on about her lover. 

I feel I am being unfair, I enjoyed the book a lot. The story is great, there are quite a few shocks; I constantly felt like 'how is this all going to go so bad' and there are real moments that highlight how skewed the legal system is against rape victims (there is a couple of paragraphs that left me feeling sick). I just have no feelings toward Yvonne Carmichael. But then maybe that's the point, she is a scientist maybe she is meant to be a very clinical person? I would love to know what other people thought maybe I'm just being hard on the woman! 

Review by Amy @kittyandpip

Buy the book here.