Hi there,

I recently finished reading the book Play Nice by Rachel Harrison (ISBN: 9780593642573). When I say I finished reading, I should clarify: I had to finish reading the book because it was holding me hostage. Instead of sleeping, I was forced to keep reading until 1am when the book was finished. Now, free but slightly sleep-deprived, I’m ready to write a book review.

The book is about 6 Edgewood Drive, the childhood home of our main character and the site of her horrible childhood. In that house, we are forced to confront the realities of her childhood and her family in a terrifying recollection. As it frequently happens with childhood stories, the problems that were present in the past carry over to the present, showing their face again in horrible but eerily similar ways.

It is also about madness. In particular, it is about madness in how it is frequently described to women who fail to fit the mold in particular ways and how it is used to silence the voices of these women. It is also about abuse: how it travels through generations and how it is inflicted on women. Particularly by men who are narcissistic, abusing women just because they’re bored and can.

I went into the book without any expectations and was completely sucked in. I, personally, struggle a little bit with books about abuse because of my own experiences, but I thought it was beautifully done. Initially, I was captured by the representations of the abuse within the book, and I started feeling more and more scared for the main character as the story moved forward. In the end, like I said above, I was possessed by the book until it completely took over my ability to maintain a reasonable sleep schedule.

I think this book is great, and I highly recommend it as easy reading. It is, of course, highly recommendable for people who like horror books, but I’d also recommend picking it up even if it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea. It is just a good book.