Monday 29 June 2015

Review - Precocious by Joanna Barnard




Title: Precocious
Author: Joanna Barnard
Publisher: Ebury Digital
Release date: 2nd July 2015

Blurb from Goodreads: 

There are some lessons you shouldn’t learn in school…

Fiona Palmer is (un)happily married when a chance meeting with her former teacher plunges her headlong into an affair.

Intercut with the realities of their adult relationship, Fiona remembers first meeting the enigmatic Henry Morgan as a precocious and lonely fourteen-year-old. Her schoolgirl crush developed into an intense relationship, but it was always one which she controlled.

Or did she?

A controversial, compelling debut novel from an award-winning writer.










My Review:
 
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Random House UK, Ebury Press and NetGalley*

3/5 stars

When Fiona Palmer was at school she had a relationship with her teacher Henry Morgan.
The next time they meet, Fiona is unhappily married and it isn't long before they start an affair.
Fiona always thought that she was in control of what happened when she was a schoolgirl but as memories start to return, she wonders if she was wrong.


Precocious is written as if Fiona is talking to Morgan which I enjoyed.
Fiona was an okay protagonist but I didn't really connect with her or like her that much, especially when she threw away her marriage so quickly. True she wasn't happy but from the timescale of the book, one second Fiona was meeting Morgan and then the next she was leaving her husband to move in with him. I thought there could have been a lot more in between this to show us how she felt at his reappearance.
I really didn't like Henry Morgan. Having a relationship with a student was completely inappropriate and he should have known better. What makes it worse is that Fiona wasn't the only one.
Part of the story is told through Fiona's diary entries. I found these parts interesting as it showed how their relationship changed from being merely student and teacher.
Fiona only really hints at things happening when she was younger that she didn't want which I found a bit frustrating. I did feel sorry for her at a certain thing that happened.


Overall this was an enjoyable read. 





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