Seas of Snow by Kerensa Jennings

Synopsis:

"A psychological thriller that explores whether evil is born or made

Is evil born or made?

Seas of Snow is a story of broken trust and shattered dreams. Of consequences. Of a life lifted and liberated by poetry. Of a life haunted by darkness and lived in fear.

This is the tale of Gracie Scott, who becomes fascinated by the work of Rainer Maria Rilke and delights in his words for guidance and succour. But when her psychopath uncle Joe enters her life, is poetry enough?

Alternating between contemporary North Tyneside and around the time of World War Two, Seas of Snow dances through time, backwards and forwards between the literary reveries and troubles of the young girl, and the old woman of today, frail and isolated in a nursing home.

Seas of Snow is a bleak psychological thriller about trust and betrayal told with a distinctive and complex narrative voice"

The publication of Seas of Snow was made possible through a crowdfunding website called Unbound. I heard about it on a facebook group and watched a video trailer of it which you can find here. It was this video, the synopsis and reading the first few pages of this novel that made me buy it straight away, although of course I took a while to get around to reading it. I am interested in psychology myself and this book got my attention.

Here's My Review:

This is a shocking thriller but also a deeply moving and poetic story. Throughout the novel poems are quoted as the character Grace develops an interest in poetry which helps her to cope with life. The novel itself uses poetic imagery throughout that adds depth to the story. 

I love the authors style:

"There was something deliciously intoxicating about squirreling yourself away for a while and letting your thoughts take flight."  

"If something is written beautifully, it can spark something special in us, make us feel a little bit more alive"

I never expected a thriller to make me love the words and to make me want to quote the book! 

Although as I've said it's a poetic story it's chilling when it needs to be, some of the scenes are so shocking that at some points I've wanted to turn away and stop reading. But the story is so riveting that I couldn't stop. This story shows you the inner workings of a psychopaths mind, it's very interesting if disconcerting.

 Wonderful read from beginning to end. Will have to read more by this author.