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ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Cactus in Books

Jan 27, 2018  
The Cactus
The Cactus
Sarah Haywood | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A rather unexpected story!
I noticed the cover of this first - it's not like the picture here. It's densely covered with cacti (no humans!). I've bought so many books based purely on the cover and surprisingly (or is that 'fortunately'?), it's not often that I'm disappointed. I certainly wasn't disappointed here either. The main character, Susan, you quickly learn is the cactus. She collects them, and she seems to have learnt from their defence mechanism: if you're prickly, no one wants to get too close. I've seen a few reviewers refer to her as being on the autistic spectrum, but I would argue that that really isn't the case at all: and as you read further in to the story, you can see that this stand-offishness has been cultivated on purpose.
There is no rush to this story, but plenty happens. There's LOADS of character building: we get a really good insight into Susan and how she ticks. I found myself really plugging for her and wanting her to find her happy ending. The characters who populate her world are also really likeable, even her rogue of a brother (who she has the measure of right from the beginning). I'd love to know what happens next - I'm not a huge fan of sequels, but if someone (the author, perhaps!) could just satisfy my curiosity, that would be great!
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read such a great book!