Absolutely fascinating story about the intricacies of relationships told from the perspective of an infatuated girl, Sukie. Her emotionally sterile father has taught her what life and love are and she subsequently sees herself as a 'smooth, hard little ball that just rolled away.' Modelling her relationships on what she's learned, she falls for another emotionally unavailable older man, Nathan, who is not directly related but within the family circle. Their relationship is not incestuous, but.
Rooney's detail is forensic, and her themes profound. She explores class tensions and the kind of distracted attitude to life that comes with modern living: no one really looks at each other, and the only time people pay attention in the story is when there is a suspected drowning, then 'even the man on the phone silent' until 'everything was normal that quickly.'
A compelling read.