The Undoing of Violet Claybourne – Emily Critchley | Book Review | #TheUndoingOfVioletClaybourne | @ZaffreBooks

A dark, captivating novel of family secrets, desperate ambition and the deepest betrayal . . .

TO BECOME ONE OF THEM, SHE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.

1938. Gillian Larking is used to blending in and going unnoticed, until she is befriended by her new roommate at boarding school, the vibrant and spirited Violet Claybourne. As the Christmas holidays approach, Gilly can’t believe her luck when Violet invites her to spend them at her home, the crumbling Thornleigh Hall.

At Thornleigh, Gilly is dazzled by the family’s faded grandeur, and above all by Violet’s beguiling older sisters who seem to accept her as one of their own. But following a terrible incident in the house’s grounds, Gilly begins to realise the Claybourne sisters aren’t quite what she thought they were. And if she’s to survive in their world, she may have to become just like them . . .

MY THOUGHTS

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is published by Zaffre, and currently available in ebook, audiobook and hardback formats (7 November 2024). I loved One Puzzling Afternoon, Emily’s debut adult novel and I was so excited when I saw she had a new book out. My copy was borrowed from the library.

With opening and closing chapters set in 1999, the main part of the story takes place in the late 1930s/early 1940s. 16 year old schoolgirls Gillian (Gilly) Larking and Violet Claybourne become room mates at their boarding school. They really are chalk and cheese with Gilly’s quieter demeanour the foil to Violet’s spirited and lively behaviour. With no other friends and hardly any family of her own, Gilly happily accepts an invitation from Violet to spend Christmas with hers at the family home of Thornleigh Hall.

If only Gilly had said no thank you! Because this is where everything changes. Following an awful tragedy, Gilly must decide which camp she is in, a decision which has devastating consequences.

I was hooked by this story of toxicity, betrayal and secrets. Gilly desperately wanted to fit in with the enigmatic and glamorous elder Claybourne sisters, 23 year old Emmeline and 18 year old Laura. The family’s standing in the community was everything and following their awful mother’s lead, they did whatever was necessary to preserve it. They didn’t want anyone to know about the lack of money that was required for the upkeep of the shabby and crumbling Hall, or the need for the girls to marry well to secure the family’s fortunes. Gilly desperately wanted acceptance from the two sisters and to be considered their confidant and friend but although she was treated hospitably as a guest by this aristocratic family, when push came to shove she was subject to manipulation and deceit to protect their own interests.

Despite her lively personality, Violet was a terribly anxious person and prone to emotional outbursts. She has a series of rituals (her ‘undoings’) that she must perform in a certain order and took solace in rather childish activities. In today’s society, this would probably be seen as being OCD/neurodiverse but at that time it was more of an embarrassing mental health problem with the accompanying lack of empathy and compassion. With Gilly’s increasing closeness to her sisters, Violet’s rituals and emotions become ever more consuming.

“No wonder Violet had to do her undoings, why she constantly worried about being responsible for something bad, why she needed to make amends with herself for the tiniest inconsequential mistakes.”

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a dark and disturbing read with complex characters that you will either like or loathe. Personally, the only one I felt any real sympathy for was Violet and I was increasingly disturbed by Gilly for the decisions she made. Superbly written and atmospheric, the shocking turn of events and surprises made this one of my favourite books of 2024.



Emily Critchley has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London. She currently lives in Hertfordshire in the UK.

Author Links: Website | X/Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon UK

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