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Scabby Queen
‘Gripping and moving. A literary triumph' Nicola Sturgeon
‘A humane and searching story' Ian Rankin
‘Kirstin Innes is aiming high, writing for readers in the early days of a better nation' A.L. Kennedy
Three days before her fifty-first birthday, Clio Campbell – one-hit-wonder, political activist, life-long-love and one-night-stand – kills herself in her friend Ruth's spare bedroom. And, as practical as she is, Ruth doesn't know what to do. Or how to feel. Because knowing and loving Clio Campbell was never straightforward.
To Neil, she was his great unrequited love. He'd known it since their days on picket lines as teenagers. Now she's a sentence in his email inbox: Remember me well.
The media had loved her as a sexy young starlet, but laughed her off as a ranting spinster as she aged. But with news of her suicide, Clio Campbell is transformed into a posthumous heroine for politically chaotic times.
Stretching over five decades, taking in the miners' strikes to Brexit and beyond; hopping between a tiny Scottish island, a Brixton anarchist squat, the bloody Genoa G8 protests, the poll tax riots and Top of the Pops, Scabby Queen is a portrait of a woman who refuses to compromise, told by her friends and lovers, enemies and fans.
As word spreads of what Clio has done, half a century of memories, of pain and of joy are wrenched to the surface. Those who loved her, those who hated her, and those that felt both ways at once, are forced to ask one question: Who was Clio Campbell?
‘A humane and searching story' Ian Rankin
‘Kirstin Innes is aiming high, writing for readers in the early days of a better nation' A.L. Kennedy
Three days before her fifty-first birthday, Clio Campbell – one-hit-wonder, political activist, life-long-love and one-night-stand – kills herself in her friend Ruth's spare bedroom. And, as practical as she is, Ruth doesn't know what to do. Or how to feel. Because knowing and loving Clio Campbell was never straightforward.
To Neil, she was his great unrequited love. He'd known it since their days on picket lines as teenagers. Now she's a sentence in his email inbox: Remember me well.
The media had loved her as a sexy young starlet, but laughed her off as a ranting spinster as she aged. But with news of her suicide, Clio Campbell is transformed into a posthumous heroine for politically chaotic times.
Stretching over five decades, taking in the miners' strikes to Brexit and beyond; hopping between a tiny Scottish island, a Brixton anarchist squat, the bloody Genoa G8 protests, the poll tax riots and Top of the Pops, Scabby Queen is a portrait of a woman who refuses to compromise, told by her friends and lovers, enemies and fans.
As word spreads of what Clio has done, half a century of memories, of pain and of joy are wrenched to the surface. Those who loved her, those who hated her, and those that felt both ways at once, are forced to ask one question: Who was Clio Campbell?
385 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2020
183 people are currently reading
4253 people want to read
About the author
Kirstin Innes
13 books151 followersKirstin Innes is an award-winning journalist and arts worker who lives in the west of Scotland. Fishnet, her debut novel, was published in April 2015 by Freight, and won The Guardian Not The Booker Prize. Her short stories have been published in a number of anthologies and recorded for BBC Radio 4, and she's had short plays performed at Tron Theatre and The Arches in Glasgow. Her journalism has been published in The Independent, The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and The Herald, and she was assistant editor of The List magazine between 2006-2010. Kirstin won the Allen Wright Award for Excellence in Arts Journalism in 2007 and 2011.
She's currently working on her second novel, Scabby Queen, and her first full-length play, Take Your Partners.
She's currently working on her second novel, Scabby Queen, and her first full-length play, Take Your Partners.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
July 23, 2020
It's hard to put into words the sheer exuberant power of Scabby Queen. It's a novel about one person's life, and a celebration of the impact an individual can have on others and the world. It shows us where its protagonist came from, and it shows us how her influence continues to spread after her death. It also shows us the mistakes she made, the things she got wrong and the people she hurt – because that's life. And it's a feminist novel about activism, community and society (but not, lest that sound offputting, in a preachy way).
It opens with the suicide, at 51, of Clio Campbell, a minor celebrity (known for a hit anti-poll-tax song in 1991) and political activist. Jumping back and forth through the decades, the book employs a large cast of narrators to tell the story of Clio's life; some are close friends, others are people she met only once and very briefly. I often find that these kinds of stories – The Life and Death of Sophie Stark being one, The Book of Luce another – reveal much more about the narrators than they do about the central character. Not so here: Clio bounds from the pages in full colour, brilliantly complicated, sometimes hard to like, but never less than 110% alive. It's her friends' and lovers' stories that remain incomplete. I was reminded of David Mitchell's best books (Ghostwritten, Cloud Atlas, Slade House) in that I mourned the loss of each character in turn; wished I could read a whole book about each and every one.
Particularly inspired is the perspective of Neil, a journalist with an unrequited crush on Clio, whose admiration eventually morphs into something uglier. Here, Innes gives us the best bad-sex scene since Kristen Roupenian's Cat Person, and goes one better: she tells it from the point of view of the man, yet the woman's experience rings through loud and clear. There's also Sammi, whose story I think is the most powerful – Sammi who is collateral damage in one of Clio's crusades, and who can never forgive her. I appreciated the inclusion of this viewpoint so much; I appreciated its openness, the way Innes lets Sammi go off and be her own person, rather than bending her story to fit Clio's.
A wonderful book, one I read hungrily, wishing there were hundreds more pages. Awe-inspiring writing of the kind that is both utterly accessible and tremendously meaningful. Really, truly loved it.
I received an advance review copy of Scabby Queen from the publisher through NetGalley.
TinyLetter
It opens with the suicide, at 51, of Clio Campbell, a minor celebrity (known for a hit anti-poll-tax song in 1991) and political activist. Jumping back and forth through the decades, the book employs a large cast of narrators to tell the story of Clio's life; some are close friends, others are people she met only once and very briefly. I often find that these kinds of stories – The Life and Death of Sophie Stark being one, The Book of Luce another – reveal much more about the narrators than they do about the central character. Not so here: Clio bounds from the pages in full colour, brilliantly complicated, sometimes hard to like, but never less than 110% alive. It's her friends' and lovers' stories that remain incomplete. I was reminded of David Mitchell's best books (Ghostwritten, Cloud Atlas, Slade House) in that I mourned the loss of each character in turn; wished I could read a whole book about each and every one.
Particularly inspired is the perspective of Neil, a journalist with an unrequited crush on Clio, whose admiration eventually morphs into something uglier. Here, Innes gives us the best bad-sex scene since Kristen Roupenian's Cat Person, and goes one better: she tells it from the point of view of the man, yet the woman's experience rings through loud and clear. There's also Sammi, whose story I think is the most powerful – Sammi who is collateral damage in one of Clio's crusades, and who can never forgive her. I appreciated the inclusion of this viewpoint so much; I appreciated its openness, the way Innes lets Sammi go off and be her own person, rather than bending her story to fit Clio's.
A wonderful book, one I read hungrily, wishing there were hundreds more pages. Awe-inspiring writing of the kind that is both utterly accessible and tremendously meaningful. Really, truly loved it.
I received an advance review copy of Scabby Queen from the publisher through NetGalley.
TinyLetter
September 1, 2020
Fuck. Ing. Brilliant. More later.
Later: It’s an old adage of criticism that it’s easier to write about something you hated than something you loved. I loved Scabby Queen, and I’m going to try to write about it anyway. It opens with the death of fifty-one-year-old Clio Campbell, who achieved moderate levels of fame as a protest singer in the ’90s and who has just overdosed on pills and vodka in the flat of her long-suffering (and, we realize, taken-advantage-of) friend Ruth. Over the next three hundred pages, various people who entered and exited Clio’s life—her godfather, a music journalist half in love with her, several women who lived in a Brixton squat with her, someone she only met once on a train—give their perspectives on a woman whose relentless political activism and manipulative social charm were both entrancing and infuriating. It’s very rare, especially now, to get a look at both sides of activism, particularly historic activism: the genuineness of early-days-of-a-better-world idealism mixed with what can be a disturbing willingness to sacrifice whatever gets in the way. Innes nails that balance, and nails her portrait of Clio, who becomes increasingly more difficult to sympathize with but also increasingly nuanced: by the end, when her suicide note is revealed, her motives seem simultaneously obtuse and entirely in keeping with what we know of her. I suspect people who remember the ’90s and early ’00s as adults will find even deeper resonances in Scabby Queen’s political aspects. I loved them, but what I loved most was Innes’s brilliance at characterization. Like Daisy Jones and the Six, an oblique approach to a central character through the people whose lives they affected results in something both tough and touching, and utterly without condescension.
Later: It’s an old adage of criticism that it’s easier to write about something you hated than something you loved. I loved Scabby Queen, and I’m going to try to write about it anyway. It opens with the death of fifty-one-year-old Clio Campbell, who achieved moderate levels of fame as a protest singer in the ’90s and who has just overdosed on pills and vodka in the flat of her long-suffering (and, we realize, taken-advantage-of) friend Ruth. Over the next three hundred pages, various people who entered and exited Clio’s life—her godfather, a music journalist half in love with her, several women who lived in a Brixton squat with her, someone she only met once on a train—give their perspectives on a woman whose relentless political activism and manipulative social charm were both entrancing and infuriating. It’s very rare, especially now, to get a look at both sides of activism, particularly historic activism: the genuineness of early-days-of-a-better-world idealism mixed with what can be a disturbing willingness to sacrifice whatever gets in the way. Innes nails that balance, and nails her portrait of Clio, who becomes increasingly more difficult to sympathize with but also increasingly nuanced: by the end, when her suicide note is revealed, her motives seem simultaneously obtuse and entirely in keeping with what we know of her. I suspect people who remember the ’90s and early ’00s as adults will find even deeper resonances in Scabby Queen’s political aspects. I loved them, but what I loved most was Innes’s brilliance at characterization. Like Daisy Jones and the Six, an oblique approach to a central character through the people whose lives they affected results in something both tough and touching, and utterly without condescension.
October 12, 2024
Clio is a complex and intriguing character and this is a celebration of her life told from the viewpoint of numerous characters whose lives overlapped with Clio’s.
There are stacks of social and political issues kicking about in this story which jumps around between time periods and narrators. Angry book.
There are stacks of social and political issues kicking about in this story which jumps around between time periods and narrators. Angry book.
July 23, 2020
2.5 rounded down
Clio Campbell, one-hit-wonder, commits suicide three days before her 51st birthday. The story of her career, political activism and life is told in brief chapters and articles by people who knew her - ex-lovers, journalists, friends.
I expected to be wowed by this but ultimately found it quite forgettable. There's nothing wrong with the execution, writing or plot, and I expect many will love this, but it all fell a bit flat for me.
Thank you Netgalley and 4th Estate for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Clio Campbell, one-hit-wonder, commits suicide three days before her 51st birthday. The story of her career, political activism and life is told in brief chapters and articles by people who knew her - ex-lovers, journalists, friends.
I expected to be wowed by this but ultimately found it quite forgettable. There's nothing wrong with the execution, writing or plot, and I expect many will love this, but it all fell a bit flat for me.
Thank you Netgalley and 4th Estate for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2020
Scabby Queen is a beautiful patchwork of a book, told from multiple points of view and in multiple ways, covering a period of fifty years. It's a maze, a kind of intellectual (and emotional) pinball machine, bouncing back and forward, sometimes predictably, sometimes not. But it does all fit together - and the impact isn't so much from the glittering, zinging concept as from the warm, intimate, portrayals of people and relationships which Innes does with aplomb.
The book is about Cliodhna (Clio) Campbell, musician, activist, resident of a squat, Twitter warrior, a shooting star who blazes through peoples' lives to varying effect: inspiring, exasperating, exhausting. The one thing you can't do is ignore her. Springing to fame in the early 90s with her anti Poll Tax anthem, Rise Up! she's then written off as a one hit wonder but comes back again and again.
Clio's life is seen mainly through the numerous women and men who she touches. Some of the encounters are one offs - a nurse in a hospital, a passenger on a train - while some repeat (journalist Neil, Sammi - an ex-comrade in a Brixton squat and later in other settings, Clio's dad's friend Donald). Some are wholly positive: others reflect a wariness both on Clio's part and on those whose lives fall into her orbit. It sounds complicated (and must have been fiendishly difficult to write) but Innes orchestrates everything with great skill and the book carries the reader along through highs and lows, revealing, concealing, stripping layers back, adopting different viewpoints to give new perspectives on all these same relationships - and an ever richer, ever rounder, view of Clio herself. The book is restless, like Clio, a woman who compels attention even in death: Scabby Queen opens with her suicide - not a spoiler, we learn this almost immediately - but mostly revels in her fierce and blazing life.
There are surprisingly few occasions in which we see Clio gives her own perspective: a desperately sad monologue to her husband as their short lived marriage folds; a self-justifying email; a couple of impassioned speeches. Apart from these we're left to build our picture of Clio from those around her - those who love and those who hate her. It's not a simple picture, but we get a powerful image of a charismatic woman, always in motion, always seeking. She has a hard time, with a fractured family background and an entry into the music industry at the height of the Loaded culture. (There are a few convincingly sexist articles by ubiquitous journal Pete Moss - wasn't that the name given to a prehistoric body found in a Cheshire bog? That seems just about right.) There is also a touching scene where Clio tries, unsuccessfully, to warn an up-and-coming young female singer of the dangers (though it's very do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do).
It's a typical scene for Clio, who would I think say if you asked her that she tried to live a life in solidarity. Of course that's easy to say - but life is messy and there are plenty of examples here where Clio's solidarity is misplaced, unwelcome or just badly timed. Innes ranges wide, following Clio's campaigning career. We see Poll Tax protests, Iraq war protests, the Scottish independence referendum, a squat in Brixton, weddings, parties, parties and more parties and the backstage view of band tours. There are so many stories here, so many threads - it isn't only Clio who comes to life but a host of other characters as well, with their regrets, traumas and compromises - and a whole generation of political activism (I loved the portrayal of the nurse who had come alive with the Referendum campaign). The book has a sharp eye for detail. There are insights on the politics of smoking, the class implications of presenting oneself well (it's OK for middle class crusties in a squat to look untidy: the working class, at least working class women in the west of Scotland circa 1990, can't afford it. Being allowed to be scruffy is just another manifestation of privilege), Clio's accent shifting from one social setting to another, and the differences in the way that women and men living unconventional lives are judged (the women will be judged, the men won't).
That, in the end, is at the heart of this book. There's an unspoken question, a judgement, hanging over Clio throughout - how would a man doing similar things be seen? Clio is constantly assessed, measured, weighed up by everyone around her - even those who are devoted to her - in a way that the men doing similar things aren't. Even men who do worse - awful - things (the book gets very dark in places).
Clio gets frequent criticism. I suspect in real life she'd often be very annoying (ask Xanthe or Sammi) and she makes terrible mistakes. She is impulsive, she isn't following a plan and she sometimes scorches people who get too close. She is, though, in the end palpably, a person of integrity. And many near her, palpably, aren't.
Scabby Queen (the story refers to a card game which stands as something of a metaphor for Clio) is often sad, a story of missed chances, no, expired chances, a story of time bearing things away before we even know they were there (the backwards and forwards between the years makes this very poignant, giving us endings and beginnings commingled). It's also, and paradoxically, often gloriously uplifting.
An enthralling book both creating a vivid portrayal of Clio and committing a wonderful hack into the backstage, backstreet underpinnings of the last three decades. Never sentimental, but with a whopping emotional punch, Scabby Queen is a great read.
The book is about Cliodhna (Clio) Campbell, musician, activist, resident of a squat, Twitter warrior, a shooting star who blazes through peoples' lives to varying effect: inspiring, exasperating, exhausting. The one thing you can't do is ignore her. Springing to fame in the early 90s with her anti Poll Tax anthem, Rise Up! she's then written off as a one hit wonder but comes back again and again.
Clio's life is seen mainly through the numerous women and men who she touches. Some of the encounters are one offs - a nurse in a hospital, a passenger on a train - while some repeat (journalist Neil, Sammi - an ex-comrade in a Brixton squat and later in other settings, Clio's dad's friend Donald). Some are wholly positive: others reflect a wariness both on Clio's part and on those whose lives fall into her orbit. It sounds complicated (and must have been fiendishly difficult to write) but Innes orchestrates everything with great skill and the book carries the reader along through highs and lows, revealing, concealing, stripping layers back, adopting different viewpoints to give new perspectives on all these same relationships - and an ever richer, ever rounder, view of Clio herself. The book is restless, like Clio, a woman who compels attention even in death: Scabby Queen opens with her suicide - not a spoiler, we learn this almost immediately - but mostly revels in her fierce and blazing life.
There are surprisingly few occasions in which we see Clio gives her own perspective: a desperately sad monologue to her husband as their short lived marriage folds; a self-justifying email; a couple of impassioned speeches. Apart from these we're left to build our picture of Clio from those around her - those who love and those who hate her. It's not a simple picture, but we get a powerful image of a charismatic woman, always in motion, always seeking. She has a hard time, with a fractured family background and an entry into the music industry at the height of the Loaded culture. (There are a few convincingly sexist articles by ubiquitous journal Pete Moss - wasn't that the name given to a prehistoric body found in a Cheshire bog? That seems just about right.) There is also a touching scene where Clio tries, unsuccessfully, to warn an up-and-coming young female singer of the dangers (though it's very do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do).
It's a typical scene for Clio, who would I think say if you asked her that she tried to live a life in solidarity. Of course that's easy to say - but life is messy and there are plenty of examples here where Clio's solidarity is misplaced, unwelcome or just badly timed. Innes ranges wide, following Clio's campaigning career. We see Poll Tax protests, Iraq war protests, the Scottish independence referendum, a squat in Brixton, weddings, parties, parties and more parties and the backstage view of band tours. There are so many stories here, so many threads - it isn't only Clio who comes to life but a host of other characters as well, with their regrets, traumas and compromises - and a whole generation of political activism (I loved the portrayal of the nurse who had come alive with the Referendum campaign). The book has a sharp eye for detail. There are insights on the politics of smoking, the class implications of presenting oneself well (it's OK for middle class crusties in a squat to look untidy: the working class, at least working class women in the west of Scotland circa 1990, can't afford it. Being allowed to be scruffy is just another manifestation of privilege), Clio's accent shifting from one social setting to another, and the differences in the way that women and men living unconventional lives are judged (the women will be judged, the men won't).
That, in the end, is at the heart of this book. There's an unspoken question, a judgement, hanging over Clio throughout - how would a man doing similar things be seen? Clio is constantly assessed, measured, weighed up by everyone around her - even those who are devoted to her - in a way that the men doing similar things aren't. Even men who do worse - awful - things (the book gets very dark in places).
Clio gets frequent criticism. I suspect in real life she'd often be very annoying (ask Xanthe or Sammi) and she makes terrible mistakes. She is impulsive, she isn't following a plan and she sometimes scorches people who get too close. She is, though, in the end palpably, a person of integrity. And many near her, palpably, aren't.
Scabby Queen (the story refers to a card game which stands as something of a metaphor for Clio) is often sad, a story of missed chances, no, expired chances, a story of time bearing things away before we even know they were there (the backwards and forwards between the years makes this very poignant, giving us endings and beginnings commingled). It's also, and paradoxically, often gloriously uplifting.
An enthralling book both creating a vivid portrayal of Clio and committing a wonderful hack into the backstage, backstreet underpinnings of the last three decades. Never sentimental, but with a whopping emotional punch, Scabby Queen is a great read.
October 4, 2020
It pains me to say this but I just didn't really enjoy this book, and was more so reading it to get it finished. I just think I'm not the target audience for this. I'm not particularly into political novels at the best of times, and I fundamentally couldn't stand the character of Clio Campbell. And no, you don't need to like characters to enjoy a book, but when it's a book focused entirely around one person and different characters' perspectives of that person... it's not going to work out if you didn't find them interesting in the first place. Some of the perspectives I really enjoyed, some I just didn't, and there are some really loathsome characters in here where I didn't want to be stuck in their headspace. I'd definitely say give it a shot if it sounds like your thing as Innes is a fantastic writer, but it sadly wasn't for me.
Update - 2.5 stars upon discussion with book club. I still didn't enjoy the book overall as it's not my thing, but it is fantastically constructed and clever and I feel it's worth noting that.
Update - 2.5 stars upon discussion with book club. I still didn't enjoy the book overall as it's not my thing, but it is fantastically constructed and clever and I feel it's worth noting that.
February 24, 2020
"How did you do it? How did you use words, black on white with a finite limit, slotting into a pre-designed space on a page, to describe what a person’s life had been?"
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Telling the story of a single life through the lens of various friends, lovers, and acquaintances, Scabby Queen is non linear storytelling done right. Clio Campbell is flawed, impossible to hate entirely but also impossible to really get behind. Her road to hell is paved with good intentions but she is selfish, manipulative, childish and parasitic. Obsessed with worthy causes, we follow Clio along with seemingly unconnected narratives that begin to merge into a collective story of one whirlwind of a life. It brilliantly illustrates the fingerprints that we leave on people every single day, the ripple effect that comes from just being alive and in the world. The author also touches on world events and pop culture, footnotes in the passage of time that occasionally even include real world figures.
It's possible this may be a divisive story because there are no good guys or bad guys, and no neat bow to tie up the final act. There's no love story or happy ending. People live, then they die and all that's left is how they are remembered by the people that touched them however briefly.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Telling the story of a single life through the lens of various friends, lovers, and acquaintances, Scabby Queen is non linear storytelling done right. Clio Campbell is flawed, impossible to hate entirely but also impossible to really get behind. Her road to hell is paved with good intentions but she is selfish, manipulative, childish and parasitic. Obsessed with worthy causes, we follow Clio along with seemingly unconnected narratives that begin to merge into a collective story of one whirlwind of a life. It brilliantly illustrates the fingerprints that we leave on people every single day, the ripple effect that comes from just being alive and in the world. The author also touches on world events and pop culture, footnotes in the passage of time that occasionally even include real world figures.
It's possible this may be a divisive story because there are no good guys or bad guys, and no neat bow to tie up the final act. There's no love story or happy ending. People live, then they die and all that's left is how they are remembered by the people that touched them however briefly.
July 18, 2020
This was definitely a well-written book, the multiple POVs was an interesting style and overall it's good but I found it very hard to like it.
Not liking Clio was a big part of that, although I'm not convinced we're supposed to like her, but it was also hard to engage with most of the characters because many of them were so fleeting. Neil was one who was interesting, we feel sorry for him at the beginning but as the story continued it was clear that he was something of a self-serving dick. I liked Sammi most of all but found the way her dialogue was written really quite jarring I get what was going on but t didn't read authentically which ended up irritating me. I know Brixton well and that's really not the way people there speak.
Did we find out who Clio Campbell was? Not really but that was because, as far as I could see, that Clio Campbell didn't really know who she was. And that's fine, Many of us search for meaning and not everyone finds it.
I hate being so down on a well-written book but it felt like a real slog reading it. My review is about how it felt to me and while I'm absolutely sure others will enjoy it, it wasn't for me. 2.5 stars from me.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Not liking Clio was a big part of that, although I'm not convinced we're supposed to like her, but it was also hard to engage with most of the characters because many of them were so fleeting. Neil was one who was interesting, we feel sorry for him at the beginning but as the story continued it was clear that he was something of a self-serving dick. I liked Sammi most of all but found the way her dialogue was written really quite jarring I get what was going on but t didn't read authentically which ended up irritating me. I know Brixton well and that's really not the way people there speak.
Did we find out who Clio Campbell was? Not really but that was because, as far as I could see, that Clio Campbell didn't really know who she was. And that's fine, Many of us search for meaning and not everyone finds it.
I hate being so down on a well-written book but it felt like a real slog reading it. My review is about how it felt to me and while I'm absolutely sure others will enjoy it, it wasn't for me. 2.5 stars from me.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
February 10, 2023
4.5 By the end I definitely loved this just some parts bored me a little and the constant misogynistic behaviour was horrible to to read.
May 25, 2020
2.5 stars
I don't have much to say about this one; I thought it was fine. As a novel, Scabby Queen relies on its multiple--and many--perspectives to tell the story of Clio Campell, who we find out, in the first chapter of the book, has just committed suicide. But I don't know...I just didn't enjoy the constant shifting between the POVs so much. Some of them were one-offs and others were from recurring characters, but either way I grew weary. I also didn't particularly like the ending. I'm not very well-versed in activist issues, but something about the kind of activism that the end of the book puts forth didn't strike the right chord with me.
Not a bad book, by any means, but also not a great one.
I don't have much to say about this one; I thought it was fine. As a novel, Scabby Queen relies on its multiple--and many--perspectives to tell the story of Clio Campell, who we find out, in the first chapter of the book, has just committed suicide. But I don't know...I just didn't enjoy the constant shifting between the POVs so much. Some of them were one-offs and others were from recurring characters, but either way I grew weary. I also didn't particularly like the ending. I'm not very well-versed in activist issues, but something about the kind of activism that the end of the book puts forth didn't strike the right chord with me.
Not a bad book, by any means, but also not a great one.
January 22, 2021
Scabby Queen depicts the rise, fall and demise of fictious pop-star and protest queen: Clio Campbell. It’s not giving anything away to tell you the novel opens with Clio’s untimely death. We then hear her bits of her life-story from the people who knew her best, or thought they did. The novel takes us from the 1990s to now, from the Poll Tax Riots to Brexit and the Independence Referendum. It tackles fame and feminism, passion and politics. And throughout it all there’s no doubting the gallusness of Clio Campbell or of her creator - Kirstin Innes. I interviewed Kirstin for my books show on BBC Scotland--check out The Big Scottish Book CLub on BBC iPlayer.
Reminded me lots of Muriel Spark!
Reminded me lots of Muriel Spark!
June 17, 2023
I’ve given this an extra star because I like the concept and enjoyed seeing the author speak at a book festival (and want to support Scottish writing) but this put me in such a reading slump and I had to break up my reading of it by doing something else every ten pages or so to keep me engaged. The story is led by character encounters and accounts of Clio Campbell following her death so the reader slowly gets to know her posthumously. Unfortunately I just struggled to care about anyone so it was quite a labour to get through. I wouldn’t say this is one to avoid, but if you find you’re not enjoying it almost right away then you’re probably best to move on to the next one.
March 25, 2020
This was a brilliant read. It's hard to find the words to describe how brilliant and enthralling is.
The style of writing, the weird and engrossing plot, the great characters: all these elements makes this story excellent and a great read.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The style of writing, the weird and engrossing plot, the great characters: all these elements makes this story excellent and a great read.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
June 26, 2020
I’d been hearing about this book for absolutely months so I was thrilled when I was approved for the ARC.
Scabby Queen is the story of Clio Campbell, one-hit-wonder popstar and political activist, told through the eyes of people who knew her well, people who didn’t know her well, and “news articles” about her and her suicide.
I absolutely adored this book. I really took my time with it because I didn’t want it to be over. I think the style of narrative was absolutely perfect for telling this story. Who really knew Clio? Whose story about her do we trust and believe? Some characters we hear from a lot, such a Neil, a journalist who knew Clio, and Sammi, who looks back on her life as an activist with Clio. Others, like Adele, feature for only a chapter or so. They all add to the rich tapestry of this novel and of Clio’s story.
This novel is both political and beautifully written and I was so sad when it was over. I haven’t read Kirstin Innes’ precious novel but after this I will definitely be adding it to my to-read list!
A proportion of the book takes place in the U.K. over the last few years of political upheaval which made it feel very relevant and timely. I loved the use of real-life events to tell Clio’s story.
Scabby Queen is the story of Clio Campbell, one-hit-wonder popstar and political activist, told through the eyes of people who knew her well, people who didn’t know her well, and “news articles” about her and her suicide.
I absolutely adored this book. I really took my time with it because I didn’t want it to be over. I think the style of narrative was absolutely perfect for telling this story. Who really knew Clio? Whose story about her do we trust and believe? Some characters we hear from a lot, such a Neil, a journalist who knew Clio, and Sammi, who looks back on her life as an activist with Clio. Others, like Adele, feature for only a chapter or so. They all add to the rich tapestry of this novel and of Clio’s story.
This novel is both political and beautifully written and I was so sad when it was over. I haven’t read Kirstin Innes’ precious novel but after this I will definitely be adding it to my to-read list!
A proportion of the book takes place in the U.K. over the last few years of political upheaval which made it feel very relevant and timely. I loved the use of real-life events to tell Clio’s story.
February 14, 2020
"Scabby Queen" spans decades and contains many big themes which Innes handles skilfully and sensitively. There's a lot of jumping between timelines and perspectives which can be a little disorientating. Clio Campbell is a feisty, feminist protagonist whose life unfolds in layers (I love that she has Sally Bowles fingernails!). The supporting cast are also well-drawn throughout. Kirstin Innes is a strong voice in Scottish fiction and has captured the post-Independence referendum mood perfectly. I also liked that she shows how incredibly frustrating, exhausting and all-consuming activism can be. The novel evoked a whole host of emotions for me and partly summed up why I've given up social media and now choose my sources of information wisely. "Scabby Queen" is a cracking read and provides plenty of food for thought. It's a massive air punch in book form. I loved it!
July 13, 2020
The best part of this book, for me, was the way in which it is centred wholly around Clio Cambell without the reader ever truly seeing or hearing from her. It reads as a meander through the ways in which we can love, grieve, (dis)like and (dis)trust one another.
And yet, I don't think I liked Clio. She made causes her personality, ever shifting with whichever one she was hiding behind. For me, I never found the part of her that I could point to and say that, there, that is her motivating force. So it all seemed a bit anticlimactic for me.
This book is also an example of the ways in which a book can be so specifically political that the overarching political message and power can get lost in the nitty gritty. I spent a lot of time reminding myself I could see the wood as well as the trees.
And yet, I don't think I liked Clio. She made causes her personality, ever shifting with whichever one she was hiding behind. For me, I never found the part of her that I could point to and say that, there, that is her motivating force. So it all seemed a bit anticlimactic for me.
This book is also an example of the ways in which a book can be so specifically political that the overarching political message and power can get lost in the nitty gritty. I spent a lot of time reminding myself I could see the wood as well as the trees.
August 6, 2020
I loved this so much! It's a real triumph of a book. I love how we get such a many faceted view of Clio without necessarily getting to know her for reals. How do other people see us? Is that anything like how we see ourselves? Would Clio agree with a single one of these characters from her life if she could read their chapters?
I think Innes is also saying something vital about activism for activism's sake, without losing sight of what's right. I felt fired up but also like there's no point in all these petitions we have every day. Honestly, if a work of art can make you feel sad about the death of a made-up washed-up popstar in the same paragraph as getting you fuming about the Iraq war and Brexit and all the other guff, I don't know how you could give it less than 5 stars.
I think Innes is also saying something vital about activism for activism's sake, without losing sight of what's right. I felt fired up but also like there's no point in all these petitions we have every day. Honestly, if a work of art can make you feel sad about the death of a made-up washed-up popstar in the same paragraph as getting you fuming about the Iraq war and Brexit and all the other guff, I don't know how you could give it less than 5 stars.
September 1, 2020
Don’t often leave ratings for books on here, and never leaves reviews, but there was something about Scabby Queen ♥️ An extremely clever book, a complicated main character, and many different narrative voices/viewpoints. This is a book about how we can be different things to different people, and shows how we can never really know a every facet of a person.
August 26, 2020
Easily my favourite book of 2020 so far- the characters are beautifully drawn, flawed and memorable for days after reading. Imagine Denise Mina wrote Espedair Street, and improved on it. It's a little like that.
August 16, 2020
Absolutely brilliant. You couldn't hope for a more real character, and all done without telling it from her POV. A great achievement.
October 25, 2024
3.5 Stars!
This was quite the story, with a lot going on with quite a number of characters in the mix. I did find it confusing and a little tricky to keep up with at times, but there's a lot of quality in here and Innes is a strong enough storyteller and draws bold and memorable characters and the protagonist is flawed as she is notable. This did feel a tad rough and loose around the edges in parts, but then that's also what gives this a bit more conviction and believability than many of the standard novels, which try this kind of thing.
December 22, 2024
multiple pov books have my heart and this one delivered
I like how we never have access to clio’s character other than by other people thoughts of her and the suicide note she leaves at the end and I think it was such a good way to encompass that weird thing about celebrities and how you can think you know them but you actually don’t except it’s also about how every person knows a different you and will remember you differently, so all in all a very interesting book to read
I like how we never have access to clio’s character other than by other people thoughts of her and the suicide note she leaves at the end and I think it was such a good way to encompass that weird thing about celebrities and how you can think you know them but you actually don’t except it’s also about how every person knows a different you and will remember you differently, so all in all a very interesting book to read
December 6, 2020
There is a review extract on the hardcover copy of Scabby Queen: "Kirstin Innes is aiming high, writing for readers in the early days of a better nation." - A.L. Kennedy.
I don't know where A.L. Kennedy gets her vision of an optimistic future for Scotland, but I can be quite certain that it isn't from this book. Without delving into plot specifics, Scabby Queen paints the picture of a grey and dying nation populated by depressed and angry men and women who live meaningless lives and dream political dreams only to be crushed by an uncaring world.
The story is very potent in one respect: it feels quite real. Kirstin Innes has captured a clear picture of humanity in all it's mediocrity, callousness and resentment. The motivation for this is clear enough: to shine a light on social evils. As well she may, for there are many. As for the solutions; the light at the end of the tunnel which is this "better nation" I, at least, saw nothing. The protagonist, Clio, seems to represent this well. She is more than adept at pointing out real problems, but has only vague political solutions to them that seem handovers from 20th century Marxism. She grew up in a broken world, raised and surrounded by broken people, is broken herself, and yet strains with every fiber of her being to fix her surroundings without the slightest introspection.
The reason for my rating, fundamentally, is this: this book may have been an enlightening non-fictional biography, memoir or sociology study. As a fiction, it falls short. Fiction has the potential for inclusion of the light; the ideal (real or imaginary, I don't care) and Scabby Queen gives only the darkness. It is not the failure of Clio's efforts that make this book fall short, but the underlying message that those efforts were futile. That she was futile. There is a real spirit of Nihilism that poisons this book from beginning to end. It joins its modern contemporaries in a line of 21st century books about nothing, going nowhere, for no particular reason; running on the fumes of a 20th century philosophy and vision of a better future. Welcome to the future that philosophy produced.
"The thing which is resented, and, as I think, rightly resented, in that great modern literature of which Ibsen is typical, is that while the eye that can perceive what are the wrong things increases in an uncanny and devouring clarity, the eye which sees what things are right is growing mistier and mistier every moment, till is goes almost blind with doubt." - G. K. Chesterton, Heretics.
All the same I am glad I read it, and think I benefited from it though I may have enjoyed it little. I do think I have a clearer picture of the modern world as a result and would recommend it to anyone trying to get a pulse of the zeitgeist (as I was). For anyone looking for a way forward to a "better nation", maybe look elsewhere.
I don't know where A.L. Kennedy gets her vision of an optimistic future for Scotland, but I can be quite certain that it isn't from this book. Without delving into plot specifics, Scabby Queen paints the picture of a grey and dying nation populated by depressed and angry men and women who live meaningless lives and dream political dreams only to be crushed by an uncaring world.
The story is very potent in one respect: it feels quite real. Kirstin Innes has captured a clear picture of humanity in all it's mediocrity, callousness and resentment. The motivation for this is clear enough: to shine a light on social evils. As well she may, for there are many. As for the solutions; the light at the end of the tunnel which is this "better nation" I, at least, saw nothing. The protagonist, Clio, seems to represent this well. She is more than adept at pointing out real problems, but has only vague political solutions to them that seem handovers from 20th century Marxism. She grew up in a broken world, raised and surrounded by broken people, is broken herself, and yet strains with every fiber of her being to fix her surroundings without the slightest introspection.
The reason for my rating, fundamentally, is this: this book may have been an enlightening non-fictional biography, memoir or sociology study. As a fiction, it falls short. Fiction has the potential for inclusion of the light; the ideal (real or imaginary, I don't care) and Scabby Queen gives only the darkness. It is not the failure of Clio's efforts that make this book fall short, but the underlying message that those efforts were futile. That she was futile. There is a real spirit of Nihilism that poisons this book from beginning to end. It joins its modern contemporaries in a line of 21st century books about nothing, going nowhere, for no particular reason; running on the fumes of a 20th century philosophy and vision of a better future. Welcome to the future that philosophy produced.
"The thing which is resented, and, as I think, rightly resented, in that great modern literature of which Ibsen is typical, is that while the eye that can perceive what are the wrong things increases in an uncanny and devouring clarity, the eye which sees what things are right is growing mistier and mistier every moment, till is goes almost blind with doubt." - G. K. Chesterton, Heretics.
All the same I am glad I read it, and think I benefited from it though I may have enjoyed it little. I do think I have a clearer picture of the modern world as a result and would recommend it to anyone trying to get a pulse of the zeitgeist (as I was). For anyone looking for a way forward to a "better nation", maybe look elsewhere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2021
“I mean, what is this world, pal? Why do these fuckers keep on winning? I need - I need - I need to keep believing that at some point it will stop, and they’ll listen, and we’ll make everything all right. But every time - every time -“
I was excited to read ‘Scabby Queen’ under the premise that I would resonate with the central characters righteous political passions - and that piecing together Clio’s character through the perspective of pivotal relationships in her life would build to a thrilling reveal... but I was left feeling quite flat throughout this novel.
It is a light, easy read and for the most part well written, but I felt I got to know the likes of Sammi and Niel better than Clio, whilst other characters chapters just glossed over me entirely. (I felt Sammi’s chapters could have been a novel in itself, perhaps one with a bit more bite, but even the way her dialogue was written in “cockney” from Brixton jarred with me at times.) I felt the author had to build a readers understanding of the different characters and their perspectives so much that we lost what time could have been spent fleshing out Clio.
I also didn’t find Clio particularly likeable, which doesn’t necessarily mean it has to negate from the story (Sally Rooney is a great example of this) but I didn’t really feel like I knew her, so it made it difficult for me to remain fully invested or engaged. I also struggled to find her “purpose”, considering so much of the novel centred around her need to attach herself to a cause - Why does she have such a strong political drive and where does it all stem from? She appeared to abandon and sacrifice so much for her political and moral endeavours, yet the “why” behind this was never covered in much detail. I feel like the ending tried to tie this up with a sort of “reveal”, but I was massively underwhelmed after already having a few small hints as to what it could be throughout the novel and it not coming to much more.
I was also drawn to this book for the mental health aspects alluded to on the blurb, but again these were left untouched which I felt was a bit of a shame.
Overall, a good, light read with some mildly poignant touches, but I was sadly left wanting more.
I was excited to read ‘Scabby Queen’ under the premise that I would resonate with the central characters righteous political passions - and that piecing together Clio’s character through the perspective of pivotal relationships in her life would build to a thrilling reveal... but I was left feeling quite flat throughout this novel.
It is a light, easy read and for the most part well written, but I felt I got to know the likes of Sammi and Niel better than Clio, whilst other characters chapters just glossed over me entirely. (I felt Sammi’s chapters could have been a novel in itself, perhaps one with a bit more bite, but even the way her dialogue was written in “cockney” from Brixton jarred with me at times.) I felt the author had to build a readers understanding of the different characters and their perspectives so much that we lost what time could have been spent fleshing out Clio.
I also didn’t find Clio particularly likeable, which doesn’t necessarily mean it has to negate from the story (Sally Rooney is a great example of this) but I didn’t really feel like I knew her, so it made it difficult for me to remain fully invested or engaged. I also struggled to find her “purpose”, considering so much of the novel centred around her need to attach herself to a cause - Why does she have such a strong political drive and where does it all stem from? She appeared to abandon and sacrifice so much for her political and moral endeavours, yet the “why” behind this was never covered in much detail. I feel like the ending tried to tie this up with a sort of “reveal”, but I was massively underwhelmed after already having a few small hints as to what it could be throughout the novel and it not coming to much more.
I was also drawn to this book for the mental health aspects alluded to on the blurb, but again these were left untouched which I felt was a bit of a shame.
Overall, a good, light read with some mildly poignant touches, but I was sadly left wanting more.
August 29, 2020
I often worry about a book that has a lot of buzz around it... could it be overhyped? What if it's not for me?
I didn't need to worry with this because it was even better than expected!
Obviously that cover is genius but so is the writing.
Our main protagonist is Clio (Cliodhna) Campbell but we never hear from her directly. What we get is her life told through the eyes of those she affected, or who impacted on her, in some way. This presents us with a whole host of characters; from the Uncle who isn't a blood Uncle to the young activists she shares a squat with in Brighton. Each person has a unique understanding of who Clio is.
At the start we find out she has killed herself and the remainder of the book is a retrospective of her life. It jumps about in a non linear narrative and this is what is genius. The pieces of the Clio puzzle come together in a sensible, logical way even though the timeline is not linear.
It covers key events not only in her life but in terms of historical events... mines closing down, the Iraq War protests, the Independence referendum, Brexit. The way she experiences these events reminds us of the human dimension to political decisions. I found myself feeling like I was really in the shoes of the woman who was gutted the day after the independence referendum. The way Kirstin Innes writes is so honest and vivid that it is hard not to empathise and identify with situations you'd ordinarily not think about, or with a perspective that is not necessarily your own.
Sometimes I wanted to shake Clio, other times I just wanted go hug her. She is a complex woman who lived through complex times and she encapsulates so much of all of us.
This is one smart book that I cannot recommend enough!
I didn't need to worry with this because it was even better than expected!
Obviously that cover is genius but so is the writing.
Our main protagonist is Clio (Cliodhna) Campbell but we never hear from her directly. What we get is her life told through the eyes of those she affected, or who impacted on her, in some way. This presents us with a whole host of characters; from the Uncle who isn't a blood Uncle to the young activists she shares a squat with in Brighton. Each person has a unique understanding of who Clio is.
At the start we find out she has killed herself and the remainder of the book is a retrospective of her life. It jumps about in a non linear narrative and this is what is genius. The pieces of the Clio puzzle come together in a sensible, logical way even though the timeline is not linear.
It covers key events not only in her life but in terms of historical events... mines closing down, the Iraq War protests, the Independence referendum, Brexit. The way she experiences these events reminds us of the human dimension to political decisions. I found myself feeling like I was really in the shoes of the woman who was gutted the day after the independence referendum. The way Kirstin Innes writes is so honest and vivid that it is hard not to empathise and identify with situations you'd ordinarily not think about, or with a perspective that is not necessarily your own.
Sometimes I wanted to shake Clio, other times I just wanted go hug her. She is a complex woman who lived through complex times and she encapsulates so much of all of us.
This is one smart book that I cannot recommend enough!
January 7, 2023
The novel begins with the suicide of Clio Campbell, a Scottish singer and political activist who had a hit single in the 80's at the height of the Poll Tax protests. It tells the story of Clio's life in a non-linear way in chapters that are a collection of episodes told through the lens of friends, family, and lovers that jump back and forward in time.
The constant shifting in time and POV were a little confusing and I'm not sure how the order chosen added to the story.
The book began quite close to home and the author lives in a neighbouring village but there wasn't a real sense of place. The strength of the novel I feel is in its portrayal of time and events and an empathetic portrayal of human nature
The constant shifting in time and POV were a little confusing and I'm not sure how the order chosen added to the story.
The book began quite close to home and the author lives in a neighbouring village but there wasn't a real sense of place. The strength of the novel I feel is in its portrayal of time and events and an empathetic portrayal of human nature
January 19, 2021
From the Poll Tax Riots through Cool Britannia, the ‘spy cops’ scandal and Brexit, Kirstin Innes stakes her claim as one of contemporary Scottish literature’s most distinctive voices. Innes criss-crosses the British isles and 50 years of history, skilfully weaving together the voices of friends, family, ex-comrades and ex-lovers to create a central character who’ll feel more real to you than any Smash Hits pinup.
July 11, 2024
an odyssey through the eyes of everyone that one woman has touched. sometimes got a bit tiresome for its own good and could have been a bit more concise but that’s just me. loved so much about this book
August 3, 2021
Sadly this one just didn't do much for me. Took me a long time to read because I just couldn't get interested in enough to want to finish it. The final chapter was the best bit by far.
July 9, 2022
This was soooooo meh hence why I left it and came back to finish. Clio was just as irritating as everyone thought she was. Decent idea, execution meh
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