This week’s book revolves around the disappearances of two beloved locals from the small Australian town of Goodwood, and the ways in which their departures shape the community around them.
Equal parts mystery, comedy and love story, Goodwood is everything I hoped it would be.
Goodwood
Holly Throsby
Pages per day: 54
Rating: 4.5/5
I’ve been a big fan of Holly Throsby since her solo music days, then during her time as part of girl band Seeker Lover Keeper, so I couldn’t resist reading this book when I saw it on the shelf! Each page I was pleasantly surprised at Holly’s wonderful style of writing, and the characters she brought to life.
Set in the early 90s, the premise of this book centres around the disappearance of two beloved members of a small community called Goodwood – a teenage girl, Rosie, and the local butcher, Bart. The mystery surrounding the disappearances create tension through the town, and bring up deeply buried secrets and tensions. Goodwood is told from the point of view of 17-year-old Jean who is trying to make sense of the situation while keeping secrets of her own.
One of my favourite things about this book is the real Australian vibe to it. I grew up in a small town in Tasmania, and I feel as though Holly perfectly captures the feel of a small community in Australia. Each sentence oozes Aussie-ness, and I love it! From the descriptions of people and places, to the funny anecdotes spoken by the characters, it all feels very realistic and relatable. People from outside of Australia may find this harder to connect with, those who enjoy reading and learning about other countries will appreciate it.
The only downside I found to this book was that the ending seemed to all happen very quickly. The resolution and the discovery of Rosie and Bart’s fate felt vaguely anti-climactic after such a long lead-up during the book. That’s not to say that the ending wasn’t satisfying, however – I just wish there had been slightly more fleshing-out of the final chapter.
If you’re after a book that’s intriguing, mysterious and typically Australian, Goodwood is just the book for you. The conclusion will keep you guessing until the very end, and I have no doubt that you will enjoy every page.
You can pick up your very own copy of Goodwood from Book Depository right here, with free shipping worldwide. I hope you love it as much as I did!
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Next week’s book is Storm and Grace by Kathryn Heyman – make sure to check in! If you’ve got any other suggestions for book for my challenge, I’d love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments below.
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~Some links in this article are affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase something from them, but I will earn a small commission (while not costing you any extra). This does not influence my recommendation in any way, I would still use and recommend this product even if I were not an affiliate.~
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