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True Murder
Eleven year old Ajuba has been abandoned at a Devon boarding school by her Ghanaian father. Haunted by the circumstances of her mother's breakdown, Ajuba falls under the spell of new girl Polly Venus, and her chaotic, glamorous family. As the passionate bond between the two girls deepens, they discover what they think are the bones of dead kittens, hidden in the attic of the Venus home; but the bones are human.The girls set out to unravel the mystery but as the summer draws to a close, three tragedies conflate, with catastrophic results.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Yaba Badoe
9 books31 followersYaba Badoe is an award-winning Ghanaian-British documentary film-maker and writer. A graduate of King's College Cambridge, she was a civil servant in Ghana before becoming a general trainee with the BBC. She has taught in Spain and Jamaica and worked as a Visiting Scholar at the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana. Her short stories have been published in Critical Quarterly, African Love Stories, an anthology edited by Ama Ata Aidoo, and Daughters of Africa.
Yaba lives in Balham, London with her husband Colin Izod.
Yaba lives in Balham, London with her husband Colin Izod.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 23, 2021
Ajuba Benson clings to happy memories of her childhood in Accra, before her parents’ marriage disintegrated and her mother became increasingly mentally unstable. As the story opens, Aj is well settled in at the Devonshire boarding school where her father installed her after her mother’s suicide attempt. New girl Polly arrives and Aj is asked to look after her - but Polly makes it clear she doesn’t need any help. After a few turf wars, the two girls become fast friends and Ajuba is absorbed into the life of Polly’s family, who’ve just returned from abroad and settled near the school. Gradually, Ajuba realises that the bright, rich, intellectual, eccentric ménage she observes hides deep-seated emotional pain and turmoil - far more toxic than she guesses until it’s too late.
This book was slightly odd to me; I wasn’t sure even after I finished it who the intended audience was. On the one hand, it is incredibly dark for a YA book, especially one for readers around Ajuba’s age (she’s roughly eleven to thirteen during the main action of the story). On the other hand, there’s far more detailed discussion of the interests, preoccupation and gossip of Ajuba and her “preteenager” (Polly's word) friends to be of much interest to anyone much older. I found myself skimming through a lot of the recollections about her everyday life at school and her various games with Polly, Beth, and other classmates.
The story is told by Ajuba as an adult looking back on her life and focusing on the year or so she was close friends with Polly. Even with the benefit of this distanced perspective, a great deal of mystery and ambiguity remains. Young Ajuba is clearly confused about what’s real or not in her life and past and is greatly influenced both by her time alone with her secretive and mentally deteriorating mother and by her childhood understanding of the religious and spiritual traditions of her culture, which she largely lost touch with when she left the country as a child.
Adult Ajuba, though, still feels somewhat adrift - she mentions that she has not come to terms with this period of her life and hopes that telling the full story now will help her move on. If it does help her, though, the reader doesn’t experience that closure. We do get clarity on some of the events of Ajuba’s earlier life (e.g., what really happened to her mother) but not on others (what terrible and regrettable thing did Aj do to her father’s new wife?) The book is filled with secrets, half-understood realities, misinterpretations, and in some cases outright lies - and much of this territory remains ambiguous throughout.
As a side note, I found the dialogue/speaking style of Polly (and to a lesser extent her older brother Theo) a bit stereotypical. These are English children who spent many years in the United States and it’s clear they were culturally influenced by that. However, I’m fairly certain one doesn’t learn to talk like Huckleberry Finn at whatever elite DC school Polly attended (as she announces, with Chelsea Clinton).
This book was slightly odd to me; I wasn’t sure even after I finished it who the intended audience was. On the one hand, it is incredibly dark for a YA book, especially one for readers around Ajuba’s age (she’s roughly eleven to thirteen during the main action of the story). On the other hand, there’s far more detailed discussion of the interests, preoccupation and gossip of Ajuba and her “preteenager” (Polly's word) friends to be of much interest to anyone much older. I found myself skimming through a lot of the recollections about her everyday life at school and her various games with Polly, Beth, and other classmates.
The story is told by Ajuba as an adult looking back on her life and focusing on the year or so she was close friends with Polly. Even with the benefit of this distanced perspective, a great deal of mystery and ambiguity remains. Young Ajuba is clearly confused about what’s real or not in her life and past and is greatly influenced both by her time alone with her secretive and mentally deteriorating mother and by her childhood understanding of the religious and spiritual traditions of her culture, which she largely lost touch with when she left the country as a child.
Adult Ajuba, though, still feels somewhat adrift - she mentions that she has not come to terms with this period of her life and hopes that telling the full story now will help her move on. If it does help her, though, the reader doesn’t experience that closure. We do get clarity on some of the events of Ajuba’s earlier life (e.g., what really happened to her mother) but not on others (what terrible and regrettable thing did Aj do to her father’s new wife?) The book is filled with secrets, half-understood realities, misinterpretations, and in some cases outright lies - and much of this territory remains ambiguous throughout.
As a side note, I found the dialogue/speaking style of Polly (and to a lesser extent her older brother Theo) a bit stereotypical. These are English children who spent many years in the United States and it’s clear they were culturally influenced by that. However, I’m fairly certain one doesn’t learn to talk like Huckleberry Finn at whatever elite DC school Polly attended (as she announces, with Chelsea Clinton).
November 26, 2020
3.5 stars
October 13, 2012
When her mother is taken to hospital, eleven-year-old Ajuba is placed at a Devon boarding school.
Her memories of Ghana are of the house on Kuku hill and the growing rift between her parents, of how her mother had become increasingly jealous and had taken to stalking through the house during thunderstorms, trying to glimpse the faces of her husband’s lovers in mirrors during flashes of lightning.
Polly Venus is a charismatic new American student who Ajuba is asked to help settle in. But it quickly becomes clear that Polly is more than capable of looking after herself. She introduces a new game called True Murder. Inspired by a lurid magazine of that name the game quickly becomes a favourite with all the girls.
During half term Polly invites Ajuba to her new home.
The Venus family have taken Graylings, previously the mansion home of the late Miss Fielding and her companion Miss Edith. Miss Edith now lives in the Gatehouse and Ajuba is fascinated to discover that she is sleeping in what used to be Miss Edith’s room. One wet afternoon leads to the girls exploring the attic where they make the grisly discovery of some bones stitched into an old coat.
This discovery leads to the recommencement of the game of True Murder, with Miss Edith now a prime suspect.
The game is played against an increasingly tense atmosphere created by the disintegration of the relationship of Polly’s parents. Polly and her brother are unable or unwilling to accept that there’s anything more than insignificant bickering going on between their parents, while Ajuba witnesses scenes which force her to relive the nightmare of her own parents’ break up and her mother’s descent into madness.
The scenes portraying the anguish of Isobel Venus and her revenge have a nightmarish, almost hallucinatory quality.
A striking and memorable debut.
Her memories of Ghana are of the house on Kuku hill and the growing rift between her parents, of how her mother had become increasingly jealous and had taken to stalking through the house during thunderstorms, trying to glimpse the faces of her husband’s lovers in mirrors during flashes of lightning.
Polly Venus is a charismatic new American student who Ajuba is asked to help settle in. But it quickly becomes clear that Polly is more than capable of looking after herself. She introduces a new game called True Murder. Inspired by a lurid magazine of that name the game quickly becomes a favourite with all the girls.
During half term Polly invites Ajuba to her new home.
The Venus family have taken Graylings, previously the mansion home of the late Miss Fielding and her companion Miss Edith. Miss Edith now lives in the Gatehouse and Ajuba is fascinated to discover that she is sleeping in what used to be Miss Edith’s room. One wet afternoon leads to the girls exploring the attic where they make the grisly discovery of some bones stitched into an old coat.
This discovery leads to the recommencement of the game of True Murder, with Miss Edith now a prime suspect.
The game is played against an increasingly tense atmosphere created by the disintegration of the relationship of Polly’s parents. Polly and her brother are unable or unwilling to accept that there’s anything more than insignificant bickering going on between their parents, while Ajuba witnesses scenes which force her to relive the nightmare of her own parents’ break up and her mother’s descent into madness.
The scenes portraying the anguish of Isobel Venus and her revenge have a nightmarish, almost hallucinatory quality.
A striking and memorable debut.
August 23, 2017
This was a book I randomly picked up at the library, without having heard anything of it before. In it we follow 11-year old Ajuba as she moves from Ghana to the UK countryside following a divorce of her parents. At her Devon boarding school she befriends Polly, an outgoing girl with a family that invites Ajuba to join them. But, like many other families this one also has its secrets.
For me it was hard to figure out what this book wanted to be, it was so fragmented. Was it a murder story, a story about friendship, relationship issues (adult ones seen through the eyes of a tween), culture clashes or mental health? I really couldn't tell and with so many stories and loose ends, it really was no surprise that many of them were left unsolved.
If the author had kept to a few of the plot lines the book could've been good. But it just seemed like too many ideas went into the book instead of editing them out. Too bad.
For me it was hard to figure out what this book wanted to be, it was so fragmented. Was it a murder story, a story about friendship, relationship issues (adult ones seen through the eyes of a tween), culture clashes or mental health? I really couldn't tell and with so many stories and loose ends, it really was no surprise that many of them were left unsolved.
If the author had kept to a few of the plot lines the book could've been good. But it just seemed like too many ideas went into the book instead of editing them out. Too bad.
September 28, 2012
I couldn't put this book down...it's an unusual one, doesn't neatly fit into any genre...it neatly weaves Africa into a quintessentially English story we're all somewhat familiar with...the result is quite spellbinding...
February 18, 2019
Het verhaal leest gemakkelijk en houdt je vast, doordat het zich met weerhaakjes onder je huid klemt. Beklemmend, verrassend en intrigerend.
Er zitten een aantal poëtisch geschreven stukken in waar ik van smulde!
Er zitten een aantal poëtisch geschreven stukken in waar ik van smulde!
September 8, 2023
Inte alls vad jag väntat mig när jag läste texten på baksidan av boken. Känslan av annalkande katastrof börjar tidigt och byggs upp ju mer jag läser. Läsvärt och skrämmande på samma gång.
3,5 eller 4.
3,5 eller 4.
February 9, 2020
Good read
December 11, 2009
I'm surprised this novel has received such poor reviews so far on Goodreads. I am about three quarters of the way through it and I am finding it a joy to read. It's exquisitely written and the story is weird and enchanting.
The story is about a girl from Ghana who is sent to a mainly white boarding school in a rural part of England. While there she befriends a white American girl who is obsessed with murder...
The story is about a girl from Ghana who is sent to a mainly white boarding school in a rural part of England. While there she befriends a white American girl who is obsessed with murder...
February 13, 2013
Η επιλογή ενός βιβλίου έχει πάντα ένα ρίσκο. Θα βγει καλό;
Αγόρασα το True Murder της Yaba Badoe νομίζοντας ότι έχω να κάνω με ένα μυθιστόρημα μυστηρίου και φόνων. Τελικά ήταν μια νουβέλα γλυκανάλατη. Το διάβασα σε fast forward. Από τα πιο βαρετά βιβλία που έχω διαβάσει! Μην το πάρετε, είναι χάσιμο χρόνου.
Αγόρασα το True Murder της Yaba Badoe νομίζοντας ότι έχω να κάνω με ένα μυθιστόρημα μυστηρίου και φόνων. Τελικά ήταν μια νουβέλα γλυκανάλατη. Το διάβασα σε fast forward. Από τα πιο βαρετά βιβλία που έχω διαβάσει! Μην το πάρετε, είναι χάσιμο χρόνου.
April 9, 2015
This is an amazing story of Ajuba, a Ghanaian schoolgirl who moves to England and her friendship with Polly Venus. It explores the impact on children of the chaotic lives of the adults around them. Well written and deeply moving.
March 20, 2011
Odd. Odd but good. I was intrigued until the very end.
Read
July 29, 2011To be honest I'm not sure if I liked this book or not. Its a bit depressing, but I did find the main character Ajuba quite endearing. OK for a quick read.
August 5, 2011
This book is very cleverly put together, and works on the premise that shit happens. The story and the characters are very believable and it's fast moving tension keeps you reading - great!
abandoned
November 22, 2020I downloaded a Kindle sample because I was looking for something to read for Ghanian Literature Week, but it seemed a bit YA to me so I didn't go on with it.
I don't rate books I don't finish.
I don't rate books I don't finish.
October 22, 2014
Verslavend en bloedstollend.
February 1, 2010
Great book. Loved it! Quite different and very well written!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews