Genre: Psychological Suspense/Women’s Fiction
POV: 1st Person (told from the alternating points of view of the two main characters)
Sensuality: Subtle
Violence: There are some disturbing scenes but most of the violence occurs off page
My Grade: A
I’ve been a fan of Dorothy Koomson’s books since I read My Best Friend’s Girl four years ago. Her novels are often labelled as chick lit although I would classify them more as general fiction or women’s fiction.
The Ice Cream Girls is the first of Dorothy Koomson’s books to be released in hardback, and marks an exciting new departure for her as a writer. I’ve been looking forward to it since I read the intriguingly vague blurb on her website. Given how much I’d enjoyed her previous books, I had high expectation of this one, and it more than surpassed them. This is a creepy, cleverly constructed tale of psychological suspense which kept me turning the pages until the very end.
As the story of The Ice Cream Girls contains plenty of twists and turns which I’m loath to spoil, I’m going to be deliberately vague in my description of its premise. Pretty teenagers Serena Gorringe and Poppy Carlisle – one black, one white – become embroiled in the most notorious murder trial in decades. Based on a photograph of the girls posing nonchalantly in bikinis and eating ice cream, the press dub them The Ice Cream girls. The photo becomes synonymous with the trial, presenting a stark contrast between the youth and beauty of the girls and the hideousness of their alleged crime.
One of them is sentenced to life in prison, while the other is acquitted on a technicality, and returns to live in a society which believes her guilty. She struggles to carve a life for herself in spite of her past. She succeeds in marrying a nice man and having two gorgeous children. However, she is aware that her present happiness is built on lies and deceit. Plagued by panic attacks, she struggles to maintain a semblance of normalcy while living in daily expectation of her precarious house of cards coming crashing down around her.
After twenty years in prison, the girl who was convicted is released on parole. Shell-shocked and institutionalized, she’s regarded as a pariah by both her family and the world at large. Determined to prove her innocence, she wants to track down her former co-defendant and force her to set the record straight about what really happened that fateful night.
The Ice Cream Girls is a masterpiece. Dorothy Koomson excels at characterization and this is very much a character-driven story. It is told from the alternating points of view of both Poppy and Serena. As each have their own distinct voice, it’s easy to keep track of who is narrating. The book also contains flashbacks which are deftly woven into the story. I’m not fond of flashbacks in general, but I think this book represents one of the best examples of their clever use that I’ve ever read.
For fans of subtle psychological suspense, I can highly recommend The Ice Cream Girls. It’s only February but I already have a book to include on my Best of 2010 list.
(I believe Dorothy Koomson’s books can be hard to find outside Europe, but they are available at The Book Depository.)
Other Reviews of The Ice Cream Girls:
Chick Lit Reviews – 5 out of 5
{ 7 comments }
Yet another book I’ll look forward to borrowing from you!!
@Trish: I think you might enjoy it.
Oh this sounds wonderful. Must get round to reading it soon!
Sounds very intense. I’ve definitely never heard of the author before, but I don’t read chick lit or even general fiction as a rule.
Would my 20-year old dd like (if “like” is the right word) it? She loves books set around the time of the Tudors (and they are bloody indeed), chick lit and dense, Victorian tomes (Eliot and such). Please advise: I’m always looking for new books for her.
@Karen Scott: I hope you like it, Karen. It’s different to her other books but still with her signature style.
@heidenkind: Dorothy Koomson’s books are intense but ultimately uplifting. In other words, she takes her readers on an emotional journey but doesn’t leave you depressed at the end of it.
@Janet W: Yes, I think she might like them. If you think she’d prefer one with a bit more emphasis on romance, I can highly recommend The Chocolate Run. My Best Friend’s Girl is also very good.
I can’t wait to read this. I have been a big fan ever since reading My Best Friend’s Girl.
{ 1 trackback }