Too Dark to See

Disgrifiad Cymraeg / Welsh Description

Wedi marwolaeth ei mam, mae Kay fel petae hi ar ymgyrch i chwalu ei bywyd, gan beryglu cyfeillgarwch, ei gwaith ysgol a'i lles ei hun yn ei hawydd i beidio teimlo ei cholled.

Disgrifiad Saesneg / English Description

After the death of her mother, 16-year-old Kay is on a mission to self-destruct, risking her friendships, her school work and herself in her drive not to feel anything.

Dosbarthu

Byddwn yn dosbarthu eitemau sydd mewn stoc o fewn 3 diwrnod gwaith, fel arfer drwy Royal Mail Tracked 48. Ar gyfer archebion o flaen llaw, byddwn yn dosbarthu’r eitem o fewn 3 diwrnod gwaith ar ôl ei derbyn gan ein cyflenwr.

Dispatch

In-stock items will be dispatched within 3 business days, usually by Royal Mail Tracked 48. For pre-orders, we’ll dispatch within 3 business days of receiving the item from our supplier.

Bywgraffiad yr Awdur / Author Biography

Chloë Heuch was born in Taunton and lives near Pwllheli on the North Wales coast with her partner, two children, her psychopath cat and the dog. Past jobs have included working in a children’s home, teaching, bar work and working in the local post office. She has a Creative Writing MA from Lancaster University and is a member of SCBWI.

Adolygiad y Cyhoeddwr / Publisher Review

On picking up this novel with its brooding title and atmospheric cover, older teenagers might expect a wintry, Scandinavian thriller. The darkness here does not lie particularly in grim deeds but in the protagonist’s head as she struggles to overcome the challenges of loss, love and seemingly being out of step with those around her. The writer explores Kayleigh’s challenges very bluntly and starkly following the death of her mother and descent into her own very personal darkness. The story begins with a sense of foreboding as Kay visits Black Moss, her future home. The season is autumn and this is reflected in the mood of the family. Tension is increased when the novel’s most objectionable character, the aptly named Croaker, and his son Sion, damage the family car. This meeting will have a greater significance than Kay could ever have realised. Kay’s decline begins inevitably with her mother’s funeral: the emotional shutting down, the discordance of those trying to help like her aunt Theresa but failing miserably, and those whose friendship is indispensable and sustaining like her friend, Anna. The novel is structured by the seasons but in many ways it is the ebb and flow of the characters who give the novel its shape. The sense of being suspended in time is reinforced by the author’s atmospheric depiction of Kay’s school life and this will be familiar to KS4 readers. From the crying in “Of Mice and Men” to the camaraderie of “the girl ship” and the overwhelming need to belong to the group, “we are fifteen”, there will be much to engage with here. This is a very direct and blunt account of the teenage “family”, however, and younger readers should beware. Kay’s first sexual experience is juxtaposed poignantly with her father’s clearing out of her mother’s belongings and the “life in black bags” is a very powerful image. The contradictions of Kay’s behaviour are reinforced by the contrast in her friendships with the fun yet sensible Anna and archetypal party girl Jess. Alcohol is depicted as a driving yet demeaning force in Kay’s self destruction and the writer’s very atmospheric descriptions raise many questions with candour and intelligence. As an antidote to this often overwhelming depiction of teenage life the author offers the beauty and comfort of nature and landscape. Here the writing is subtly evocative and the environs of her village and the atmospheric Haggar Tor offer Kay a portal into a different world. Ponies, as they do for so many teenagers, offer distraction and purpose. In the same way, Kay’s relationships, both with her father Sion and Anna are shown as essential to her survival and this is conveyed with a direct sensitivity. This is a novel of contrasts and has a strong moral message. It is very authentic in many ways with the swearing, sex and alcohol that the author mentions specifically at the end of the book. Through juxtapositions of characters and experience, we are shown that everyone is worthy of love, particularly self-love and that we are not always as badly off as we first imagine; others may be suffering too, often violently. Being true to yourself and the power of nature are strong themes throughout and the novel offers some way out of the darkness.