The Little Friend - Donna Tartt

 

 I have already read both The Secret History and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and absolutely loved them, so I knew I’d love The Little Friend too - and of course, I did! This is such an underrated novel, and I would highly urge you to read it if you’re a Tartt fan. Her most famous two novels get lots of praise (deservedly) but I fully believe this one should be appreciated more too. 

The novel follows the Cleve family, who were met with an unbelievable horror one Mother’s Day. Whilst the adults prepared the dinner in the house, nine-year old Robin was swinging from a rope by his neck in the front garden. Eleven years later, the presumed murder remains unsolved, and his younger sister Harriet and her friend Healy set out to find the culprit. What begins as childish adventuring and innocent mystery-solving leads the two children towards the dark underworld of the small Mississippi town they have never ventured from.

The writing of this is extremely clever and the story is complex yet still gripping. The novel is written in third-person and focuses in on Harriet’s experience primarily, yet Tartt also zooms in on the villainous characters’ perspectives too which provides an interesting angle to the story. The fact that the primary protagonist is a child adds an unreliable element to the story, yet also means that the tension and fear is heightened through her innocent eyes. 

As always, Tarrt’s writing is layered, complex and utterly enchanting - I just want her to write more and more! This is a brilliant, menacing and at times extremely dark story and the moody atmosphere makes it perfect for this time of year.