I’m pleased to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for the dark and disturbing Real Life by Adeline Dieudonné. Thank you to Anne Cater and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this memorable book.
About the book:
Translated from the French by Roland Glasser
At home there are four rooms: one for her, one for her brother, one for her parents … and one for the carcasses. The father is a big game hunter, a powerful predator; the mother is submissive to her violent husband’s demands. The young narrator spends the days with her brother, Sam, playing in the shells of cars dumped for scrap and listening out for the chimes of the ice-cream truck, until a brutal accident shatters their world.
The uncompromising pen of Adeline Dieudonné wields flashes of brilliance as she brings her characters to life in a world that is both dark and sensual. This breathtaking debut is a sharp and funny coming-of-age tale in which reality and illusion collide.
‘A magnificent heroine of freedom and intelligence’ Le Figaro
About the author:
ROLAND GLASSER is an award-winning translator of French literature, based in London.
My Review:
Real Life, the debut novel by Adeline Dieudonné, isn’t an easy read by any means. Superbly translated by Roland Glasser, it is a haunting and deeply disturbing coming of age story that unflinchingly portrays the devastation and emotional trauma caused by domestic violence.
This is a difficult book to review as it’s one of those books that you need to read and experience for yourself. With an unnamed narrator who you can’t help but admire, the story takes place over a number of years, beginning with a catastrophic event that changes the young narrator’s life forever. There is a chilling undercurrent of fear and foreboding throughout, leaving you with a sense of unease as you move through the story, never quite knowing which direction this dark and shocking tale is going to take you next.
Real Life is a horrifying but gripping read that once started I could not put down. It is a deeply disturbing, dark and brutally honest coming of age tale that due to the subject matter I can’t say I enjoyed, but is one I’m so glad I decided to read. Adeline Dieudonné has written an important and impressive debut that gives a voice to those touched by domestic abuse, with a young narrator who grows in strength as the story continues. A haunting, dark and memorable read I would recommend.
Real Life by Adeline Dieudonné is available to buy now: Amazon UK
Check out what these other lovely bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 
Huge thanks for the blog tour support Cal xx
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You’re very welcome, Anne. xx
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