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Mice
An electrifying psychological thriller about a mother and daughter pushed to their limits.
Shelley and her mom have been menaced long enough. Excused from high school where a trio of bullies nearly killed her, and still reeling from her parents' humiliating divorce, Shelley has retreated with her mother to the quiet of Honeysuckle Cottage in the countryside. Thinking their troubles are over, they revel in their cozy, secure life of gardening and books, hot chocolate and Brahms by the fire. But on the eve of Shelley's sixteenth birthday, an unwelcome guest disturbs their peace and something inside Shelley snaps. What happens next will shatter all their certainties-about their safety, their moral convictions, the limits of what they are willing to accept, and what they're capable of.
Debut novelist Gordon Reece has written a taut tale of gripping suspense, packed with action both comic and terrifying. Shelley is a spellbinding narrator, and her delectable mix of wit, irony, and innocence transforms the major current issue of bullying into an edge- of-your-seat story of fear, violence, family loyalty, and the outer reaches of right and wrong.
Shelley and her mom have been menaced long enough. Excused from high school where a trio of bullies nearly killed her, and still reeling from her parents' humiliating divorce, Shelley has retreated with her mother to the quiet of Honeysuckle Cottage in the countryside. Thinking their troubles are over, they revel in their cozy, secure life of gardening and books, hot chocolate and Brahms by the fire. But on the eve of Shelley's sixteenth birthday, an unwelcome guest disturbs their peace and something inside Shelley snaps. What happens next will shatter all their certainties-about their safety, their moral convictions, the limits of what they are willing to accept, and what they're capable of.
Debut novelist Gordon Reece has written a taut tale of gripping suspense, packed with action both comic and terrifying. Shelley is a spellbinding narrator, and her delectable mix of wit, irony, and innocence transforms the major current issue of bullying into an edge- of-your-seat story of fear, violence, family loyalty, and the outer reaches of right and wrong.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
64 people are currently reading
2111 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Reece
31 books31 followersGordon Reece is a writer/illustrator based in North East Victoria, Australia. Born in the UK in 1963 he studied English literature at Keble College, Oxford, and was a teacher and briefly a personal injury
lawyer before dedicating himself full-time to writing and illustrating in 1999.
Gordon has had 15 books for children and young adults published in Australia and Spain where he lived for six years. His new novel, MICE, (Allen and Unwin, 2010), has sold to twelve countries so far including the USA (Viking) and UK (Macmillan). The first adventure of Count Oblonsky and Petrov (‘The Curse of Red Skull’) is published by Macmillan (Spain, 2010).
Gordon also writes graphic novels and is a life-long comics fan. He is a member of AACE, the Spanish association of comic book writers.
lawyer before dedicating himself full-time to writing and illustrating in 1999.
Gordon has had 15 books for children and young adults published in Australia and Spain where he lived for six years. His new novel, MICE, (Allen and Unwin, 2010), has sold to twelve countries so far including the USA (Viking) and UK (Macmillan). The first adventure of Count Oblonsky and Petrov (‘The Curse of Red Skull’) is published by Macmillan (Spain, 2010).
Gordon also writes graphic novels and is a life-long comics fan. He is a member of AACE, the Spanish association of comic book writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 528 reviews
December 16, 2020
This book here is a fine example as to why I have come to love Goodreads so much. I would have never discovered this book in my usual day to day. If I saw it on a library shelf I can't imagine I would have even picked it up. Mice is not a title that would elicit my interest. Thanks to Karen and Blair, two reviewers that I admire a lot, for putting this on my radar.
Shelley was the victim of horrific bullying by three of her former best friends. Horrific is putting it mildly. On the horror meter it's nearly off the charts. Due to a lack of witnesses and the fact that these young ladies denied the allegations the school decides that disciplinary actions won't be necessary. This awful situation has caused Shelley and her mother to move from the city to the solitude of Honeysuckle Cottage where Shelley will now be home-schooled.
"But we weren’t that sort of people. We were mice. Meekly, we thanked the police inspector for his time and accepted that there could be no prosecution. Meekly, we accepted the head’s decision not to discipline the three girls. Meekly, we accepted, we submitted, we said nothing, we did nothing, because weak submission is all that mice know."
Once they arrive at Honeysuckle Cottage their life becomes idyllic. Mother and daughter garden, play the violin and piano, and enjoy George Clooney movies together. Their lives are perfect in the safety net they created for themselves.
"I know I’m a mouse and I know I’m hiding from the world here in my snug little nest behind the wainscoting, but my mouse’s life is full of all the good things there are in the world – art, music, literature . . . love. It might only be a mouse’s life but it’s a good life, it’s a rich life, it’s a wonderful life."
On the eve of Shelley's 16th birthday they get a surprise intruder - a drunk, belligerent, and ready to cause trouble young man.
"Real life was the complete opposite of order and beauty; it was chaos and suffering, cruelty and horror. It was having your hair set on fire when you’d done no harm to anyone; it was being blown up by a terrorist bomb as you walked your children to school or sat down in your favourite restaurant; it was being kicked to death in a back street for the meagre pension you’d just collected; it was being raped by a gang of drunken strangers; it was having your throat cut by a drug addict who’d broken into your house looking for money. Real life was a massacre of the innocents every day."
And needless to say Shelley has had ENOUGH of that bullshit!
A compelling novel from start to finish with pitch perfect prose and a character I won't soon forget. Highly recommend!
Shelley was the victim of horrific bullying by three of her former best friends. Horrific is putting it mildly. On the horror meter it's nearly off the charts. Due to a lack of witnesses and the fact that these young ladies denied the allegations the school decides that disciplinary actions won't be necessary. This awful situation has caused Shelley and her mother to move from the city to the solitude of Honeysuckle Cottage where Shelley will now be home-schooled.
"But we weren’t that sort of people. We were mice. Meekly, we thanked the police inspector for his time and accepted that there could be no prosecution. Meekly, we accepted the head’s decision not to discipline the three girls. Meekly, we accepted, we submitted, we said nothing, we did nothing, because weak submission is all that mice know."
Once they arrive at Honeysuckle Cottage their life becomes idyllic. Mother and daughter garden, play the violin and piano, and enjoy George Clooney movies together. Their lives are perfect in the safety net they created for themselves.
"I know I’m a mouse and I know I’m hiding from the world here in my snug little nest behind the wainscoting, but my mouse’s life is full of all the good things there are in the world – art, music, literature . . . love. It might only be a mouse’s life but it’s a good life, it’s a rich life, it’s a wonderful life."
On the eve of Shelley's 16th birthday they get a surprise intruder - a drunk, belligerent, and ready to cause trouble young man.
"Real life was the complete opposite of order and beauty; it was chaos and suffering, cruelty and horror. It was having your hair set on fire when you’d done no harm to anyone; it was being blown up by a terrorist bomb as you walked your children to school or sat down in your favourite restaurant; it was being kicked to death in a back street for the meagre pension you’d just collected; it was being raped by a gang of drunken strangers; it was having your throat cut by a drug addict who’d broken into your house looking for money. Real life was a massacre of the innocents every day."
And needless to say Shelley has had ENOUGH of that bullshit!
A compelling novel from start to finish with pitch perfect prose and a character I won't soon forget. Highly recommend!
October 29, 2019
sarah montambo is not a mouse.
but shelley and her mother are doormats.
very bright, but by whatever fluke of nature or nurture, passive, timid, and the type to scurry away from any conflict: mice.
shelley is bullied at school. and i mean BULLIED. by her former best friends, turned in late adolescence into a pack of vicious bitches. it goes beyond dog-poop in the bag and hair-pulling, this, and culminates in an act that is so horrific, even cast-iron stomach karen had to take a moment. is it over the top and hard to believe? maybe, but it's a book, and you hear things these days about bullying, and how creative and sick kids can be, so just go with it.
her mother, elizabeth was some sort of hotshot lawyer until her husband, also a lawyer, got jealous of her success and suggested she stay at home and raise shelley. which she did. after he leaves her for a woman thirty years younger than himself and moves to spain, cutting off all contact with the two of them, elizabeth is left alone with her out-of-date legal training, and is forced to take a humiliating job at a firm where her skills are recognized in every way but financially, and she ends up basically being a secretary, but doing most of the work for the senior partners and being sexually harassed and taken advantage of at every turn. again, somewhat unrealistic that such a talented, intelligent woman would give up everything to cater to her husband's will, but again - just go with it. it happens.
these are mice, after all.
elizabeth is so conditioned to sacrificing her own desires and retreating from conflict, that she can't even tell her own mother that the gaudy china knick-knacks she keeps giving her as presents are unwanted, and displays them in what must be a horrifying tableau of little dolphins and and hedgehogs and milkmaids.
she can't stand up to the movers who damage her piano and overcharge her and leave cigarette butts all over the yard, crudely laughing at her the whole time.
and she definitely can't help shelley fight back, legally or physically, against her attackers. despite the severity of the attack, which leaves her horrifically scarred. the school is unwilling to expel the girls, and the police refuse to press charges, and the two of them just accept this and turn inwards, retreating from all but each other.
the most heartbreaking passage to me came in the letter from the school, and shelley's outraged reaction to a typo:
her reaction to that misspelling; that they didn't even care enough to proofread the letter, punched my heart a little.
the result of this attack is that shelley withdraws from school, to be tutored at home, and the two of them move to a very remote cottage in the middle of nowhere, where they can hide out and create a kind of mother-daughter sanctuary: playing duets on piano and flute, reading together, tending to the garden and fixing lavish meals. a perfect refuge for two mice to feel safe, all cozy fireplace and mugs of tea.
but then, one night, their sanctum is violated, and suddenly, they are forced out of their mouselike states in order to protect what is theirs.
it's part thelma and louise, part straw dogs (the original, kids, the original...) and it, surprisingly, doesn't come across as contrived or unrealistic.
what follows is a fantastic psychological exploration of what happens once the cracks start to form. it's like when you're poisoning the water supply, you know, and you don't know at the time just how far your poison will flow. there are unseen repercussions both internal and external, and a lot of smooth authorial moves i didn't see coming.
this is a fast-paced and well-told thriller. it has characters you feel for even when you want to yell at them to grow a pair. (to which yelling they would once have shrank, but now might have a different reaction, so look out). it does get a teensy bit over the top sometimes, but there is an attention to detail that i appreciated, and some good ooky scenes.
if he writes another book, i will read that book.
come to my blog!
but shelley and her mother are doormats.
very bright, but by whatever fluke of nature or nurture, passive, timid, and the type to scurry away from any conflict: mice.
shelley is bullied at school. and i mean BULLIED. by her former best friends, turned in late adolescence into a pack of vicious bitches. it goes beyond dog-poop in the bag and hair-pulling, this, and culminates in an act that is so horrific, even cast-iron stomach karen had to take a moment. is it over the top and hard to believe? maybe, but it's a book, and you hear things these days about bullying, and how creative and sick kids can be, so just go with it.
her mother, elizabeth was some sort of hotshot lawyer until her husband, also a lawyer, got jealous of her success and suggested she stay at home and raise shelley. which she did. after he leaves her for a woman thirty years younger than himself and moves to spain, cutting off all contact with the two of them, elizabeth is left alone with her out-of-date legal training, and is forced to take a humiliating job at a firm where her skills are recognized in every way but financially, and she ends up basically being a secretary, but doing most of the work for the senior partners and being sexually harassed and taken advantage of at every turn. again, somewhat unrealistic that such a talented, intelligent woman would give up everything to cater to her husband's will, but again - just go with it. it happens.
these are mice, after all.
elizabeth is so conditioned to sacrificing her own desires and retreating from conflict, that she can't even tell her own mother that the gaudy china knick-knacks she keeps giving her as presents are unwanted, and displays them in what must be a horrifying tableau of little dolphins and and hedgehogs and milkmaids.
she can't stand up to the movers who damage her piano and overcharge her and leave cigarette butts all over the yard, crudely laughing at her the whole time.
and she definitely can't help shelley fight back, legally or physically, against her attackers. despite the severity of the attack, which leaves her horrifically scarred. the school is unwilling to expel the girls, and the police refuse to press charges, and the two of them just accept this and turn inwards, retreating from all but each other.
the most heartbreaking passage to me came in the letter from the school, and shelley's outraged reaction to a typo:
All three girls "strenuously denied" waging a "bullying campain" (misspelt!) against me and "disclaimed all knowledge" of the "unfortunate incident" on the twenty-third of October.
her reaction to that misspelling; that they didn't even care enough to proofread the letter, punched my heart a little.
the result of this attack is that shelley withdraws from school, to be tutored at home, and the two of them move to a very remote cottage in the middle of nowhere, where they can hide out and create a kind of mother-daughter sanctuary: playing duets on piano and flute, reading together, tending to the garden and fixing lavish meals. a perfect refuge for two mice to feel safe, all cozy fireplace and mugs of tea.
but then, one night, their sanctum is violated, and suddenly, they are forced out of their mouselike states in order to protect what is theirs.
it's part thelma and louise, part straw dogs (the original, kids, the original...) and it, surprisingly, doesn't come across as contrived or unrealistic.
what follows is a fantastic psychological exploration of what happens once the cracks start to form. it's like when you're poisoning the water supply, you know, and you don't know at the time just how far your poison will flow. there are unseen repercussions both internal and external, and a lot of smooth authorial moves i didn't see coming.
this is a fast-paced and well-told thriller. it has characters you feel for even when you want to yell at them to grow a pair. (to which yelling they would once have shrank, but now might have a different reaction, so look out). it does get a teensy bit over the top sometimes, but there is an attention to detail that i appreciated, and some good ooky scenes.
if he writes another book, i will read that book.
come to my blog!
July 28, 2020
Mice by Gordon Reece is about a mother and teen daughter that are the kind of people that are too nice. The kind that never stand up for themselves, never tell on bullies, never say no to the boss, and is told constantly that they are just too much of a push over. This mom and daughter pair end up buying a place in the very backhills after a couple of things that happen to them. As mice, they just take it. Now, in the rural setting, they are happy. No one around, until they get a burglar in the night. A cat is in the mouse's house! Nothing will be the same from this time on! Very cool! Kept me very interested!
September 26, 2018
Shelley e sua madre sono topi: persone incapaci di reagire alle brutture della vita.Dopo essere stata abbandonaae dal padre per la classica donna più giovane, essere stata bersaglio di bullismo a scuola ed aver sentito impotente i racconti delle molestie subite sul luogo di lavoro dalla madre, l'adolescente non ha dubbi su questo dato di fatto. Da bravi roditori decidono di cercare una nuova tana al sicuro. Deve essere nascosta agli occhi di altri umani, addirittura dalla porta di casa non si devono sentire le voci dei vicini. La casa perfetta è individuata ed acquistata: adesso il gatto non fa più paura. Quando, però il gatto, nelle vesti di un malintenzionato, decide di violare la loro intimità, le due donne si trasformano in feroci e lucide cacciatrici. Da qui un escalation di situazioni che vedranno queste due donne lottare con ogni mezzo per proteggere quell'angolo di mondo a cui ritengono, giustamente, di avere diritto.
Thriller ben fatto, che sta in piedi e si lascia leggere con gusto...nonostante lo stile sia un po' piatto, monocorde, privo di quei picchi di pathos che ti fanno trattenere il fiato.
Thriller ben fatto, che sta in piedi e si lascia leggere con gusto...nonostante lo stile sia un po' piatto, monocorde, privo di quei picchi di pathos che ti fanno trattenere il fiato.
June 29, 2011
This was an obvious, unsubtle attempt at a thriller. It is a nasty, poorly constructed and uninspired piece of work. Reece spends almost the whole novel attempting to frustrate the reader with the inadequacy and weakness of his main characters, piling the most unlikely and outrageous ill luck on them. The reader is supposed, of course, to sympathise with these poor sods, but Reece so poorly overplays this mediocre and unoriginal idea that s/he (the reader) simply becomes angry at the sledgehammer approach of the author. Reece is not subtle enough to know when to stop - he pounds the point home to the extent where the reader is sick to death of watching the characters fail to respond adequately or assert themselves at the situations that relentlessly confront them, and wants the book to be over. If she does persist to the end (I must admit I didn't bother) she is poorly rewarded by being thrown the dog-biscuit of watching the explosion of anger and potence from these creatures at the end. Thanks, but it wasn't worth it.
February 25, 2017
I didn't actually mean to start reading this immediately upon taking it out of the library, as I already had two books on the go; but then I began to read the first page and before I knew it, five chapters had gone by. The story is narrated by fifteen-year-old Shelley, who lives in an isolated country cottage with her mother Elizabeth. In a fast-moving, immediately engrossing start, we learn about their background and how they have come to lead such an isolated existence. They are, as Shelley explains, 'mice' - meek and subservient, they have found themselves natural targets for cruel, dominating people, with Shelley a victim of vicious school bullies who have forced her out of education and left her with permanent facial scars, and Elizabeth tormented by Shelley's father, a successful lawyer who has deserted his family for a young mistress (and, it's implied, was physically abusive to both his wife and daughter). The cottage is 'a place to hide, not a place to live'. Nevertheless, the two enjoy a quiet but 'wonderful' life for a brief time, only for their peace to be disturbed on the eve of Shelley's sixteenth birthday by a young, drug-addled burglar. Tormented by his insults and desecration of their home, Shelley snaps and attacks him with his own knife, and the intruder ends up dead.
Thereafter, Mice turns into something of a hybrid between a psychological suspense thriller and a black comedy, as Shelley and Elizabeth endeavour to cover up the murder and deal with the threat of an unknown blackmailer. There are some interesting moral questions for the reader; you're encouraged to sympathise with Shelley from the very beginning, so it's difficult to know how to react to her crime. The scenario turns that right-wing cause célèbre, the right to defend one's own home using force, on its head by having the 'defender' be an abused, victimised young girl who snaps under pressure, delivering a brutal attack which is arguably an act of self-defence (this in itself is ambiguous - the burglar is leaving the house when Shelley attacks him) but nevertheless much worse than what the intruder actually deserves. Through Shelley's eyes, as she comes to terms with and attempts to justify what she's done, you're coaxed into seeing the burglar as a subhuman figure, a violent criminal lowlife whose death matters little in the grand scheme of things. Can there be any justification for her actions and what comes afterwards? I found myself wondering what I'd do in her/their shoes, and Reece is excellent at portraying the way these dreadful events create a momentum of their own, forcing the characters to do things they never dreamed they were capable of.
I'm not a big reader of crime fiction, but something about this book just jumped out at me when I read the synopsis, and I wasn't disappointed. It's a quick read and completely riveting; Shelley's youthful voice - wonderfully convincing - makes it very easy to read (although it is not, as some readers seem to have thought, a YA novel), and the action and suspense comes thick and fast. Thrilling, intense and memorable. 9 out of 10 for this one.
Thereafter, Mice turns into something of a hybrid between a psychological suspense thriller and a black comedy, as Shelley and Elizabeth endeavour to cover up the murder and deal with the threat of an unknown blackmailer. There are some interesting moral questions for the reader; you're encouraged to sympathise with Shelley from the very beginning, so it's difficult to know how to react to her crime. The scenario turns that right-wing cause célèbre, the right to defend one's own home using force, on its head by having the 'defender' be an abused, victimised young girl who snaps under pressure, delivering a brutal attack which is arguably an act of self-defence (this in itself is ambiguous - the burglar is leaving the house when Shelley attacks him) but nevertheless much worse than what the intruder actually deserves. Through Shelley's eyes, as she comes to terms with and attempts to justify what she's done, you're coaxed into seeing the burglar as a subhuman figure, a violent criminal lowlife whose death matters little in the grand scheme of things. Can there be any justification for her actions and what comes afterwards? I found myself wondering what I'd do in her/their shoes, and Reece is excellent at portraying the way these dreadful events create a momentum of their own, forcing the characters to do things they never dreamed they were capable of.
I'm not a big reader of crime fiction, but something about this book just jumped out at me when I read the synopsis, and I wasn't disappointed. It's a quick read and completely riveting; Shelley's youthful voice - wonderfully convincing - makes it very easy to read (although it is not, as some readers seem to have thought, a YA novel), and the action and suspense comes thick and fast. Thrilling, intense and memorable. 9 out of 10 for this one.
December 28, 2020
Shelley Rivers and her mom move to the country to live in Honeysuckle cottage after a bullying incident goes too far and her cheating dad deserts the family. Tired of playing the victim and being trapped like mice, the mother and daughter begin to enjoy their new life. Shelley is homeschooled, while her mom goes back to working in a law office. However, when a burglar enters their house in the middle of the night on Shelley’s sixteenth birthday, things will never be the same. Shelley and her mom are forced to make a decision that could affect the rest of their lives. What will they do?
I decided to read this book after noticing a friend’s review and could not believe that I had not heard of this book before! I am so glad that I picked this one up. While not a lot happened in this book of few characters, I really enjoyed the psychological suspense. The audiobook was phenomenal and did a great job of capturing the tension in the house. I felt myself really rooting for Shelley and her mom to fight back against a society that seems to be conspiring against them and I did even not care that they were breaking the law. This transformative event ultimately allowed the victims the ability to stand up for themselves and to be more confident. Like in a game of chess, this was a zugzwang situation that determined “the mice’s” survival. I also enjoyed the references to MacBeth, as it really helped to illustrate the theme of ambition going unchecked by the constraints of morality. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy true psychological suspense.
4.5/5 stars
I decided to read this book after noticing a friend’s review and could not believe that I had not heard of this book before! I am so glad that I picked this one up. While not a lot happened in this book of few characters, I really enjoyed the psychological suspense. The audiobook was phenomenal and did a great job of capturing the tension in the house. I felt myself really rooting for Shelley and her mom to fight back against a society that seems to be conspiring against them and I did even not care that they were breaking the law. This transformative event ultimately allowed the victims the ability to stand up for themselves and to be more confident. Like in a game of chess, this was a zugzwang situation that determined “the mice’s” survival. I also enjoyed the references to MacBeth, as it really helped to illustrate the theme of ambition going unchecked by the constraints of morality. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy true psychological suspense.
4.5/5 stars
February 28, 2012
Well written but completely bizarre in regards to plot.
Shelley and her mom have had it rough. After being battered by Shelley's dad, he leaves to hook up with his mistress taking most of the money with them. Shelley's mom gets a job as a lawyer but it isn't a very good position because she's been out of work for 15 years. In the meantime, Shelley is horribly bullied by three girls at her school who, in the final incident, set her on fire in the bathroom.
Okay, this is where the book gets really weird. Shelley remembers who set her hair on fire, she has scars all over her face, her mother finds her diary which details the bullying and ... both the cops and the school refuse to prosecute because of lack of evidence. (?!?!?!?) Throw in the fact that Shelley's mom is a lawyer and that Shelley keeps bragging about how smart and skillful she is and yet this woman can't do one thing to see that her daughter gets justice.
Shelley and her mom move to an isolated cottage in the country where she gets private tutors because she's too scared to go back to school. One night a junkie breaks into the house and threatens them. Finally getting in touch with her anger, Shelley stabs him with his own knife. Mom decides not to call the cops because "she doesn't want to go to prison". Keep in mind that, when she says this, her 16 year old daughter is lying on the floor after nearly being strangled to death. Mom's worried that, because Shelley stabbed the guy as he was leaving, the cops will arrest them. (Actually I floated this question by a cop once when I was living with a bunch of roommates. He told me "There are 4 girls living in this house. If the guy is dead in the wrong place when we get here we'll just drag him back inside") But I digress...
Let's just say that this book went some very strange and inappropriate places in terms of plot. It's hard to feel any sympathy for people who won't stand up for themselves. Shelley gets a pass because of her age but what's mom's deal? I wanted to reach right between the pages and slap her for not defending her daughter against 1. an abusive father, 2. schoolyard bullies and finally 3. the junkie with a knife.
At the end, both characters find enlightenment after killing 2 men. How that adds up as a moral I don't know. Color me disgusted.
Shelley and her mom have had it rough. After being battered by Shelley's dad, he leaves to hook up with his mistress taking most of the money with them. Shelley's mom gets a job as a lawyer but it isn't a very good position because she's been out of work for 15 years. In the meantime, Shelley is horribly bullied by three girls at her school who, in the final incident, set her on fire in the bathroom.
Okay, this is where the book gets really weird. Shelley remembers who set her hair on fire, she has scars all over her face, her mother finds her diary which details the bullying and ... both the cops and the school refuse to prosecute because of lack of evidence. (?!?!?!?) Throw in the fact that Shelley's mom is a lawyer and that Shelley keeps bragging about how smart and skillful she is and yet this woman can't do one thing to see that her daughter gets justice.
Shelley and her mom move to an isolated cottage in the country where she gets private tutors because she's too scared to go back to school. One night a junkie breaks into the house and threatens them. Finally getting in touch with her anger, Shelley stabs him with his own knife. Mom decides not to call the cops because "she doesn't want to go to prison". Keep in mind that, when she says this, her 16 year old daughter is lying on the floor after nearly being strangled to death. Mom's worried that, because Shelley stabbed the guy as he was leaving, the cops will arrest them. (Actually I floated this question by a cop once when I was living with a bunch of roommates. He told me "There are 4 girls living in this house. If the guy is dead in the wrong place when we get here we'll just drag him back inside") But I digress...
Let's just say that this book went some very strange and inappropriate places in terms of plot. It's hard to feel any sympathy for people who won't stand up for themselves. Shelley gets a pass because of her age but what's mom's deal? I wanted to reach right between the pages and slap her for not defending her daughter against 1. an abusive father, 2. schoolyard bullies and finally 3. the junkie with a knife.
At the end, both characters find enlightenment after killing 2 men. How that adds up as a moral I don't know. Color me disgusted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2017
E poi, ecco spuntare dal nulla questi libri-spettacolo, scritti da perfetti sconosciuti eppure assolutamente stupefacenti, tanto da entrarti nelle viscere, da mozzarti il fiato, da spingerti a divorarli tutti in un colpo solo, per non disperdere nemmeno un poco di quel gusto che la loro lettura ti reca.
"Topi" è proprio uno di questi, un dono che il mio destino mi ha regalato...perchè confesso che se l'occhio non mi fosse caduto sulla sua scheda di Anobii non l'avrei mai e poi mai scoperto. E invece....
Shelley e la madre sono due "topi", due persone passive, paurose, remissive, costrette ad abbassare ogni giorno la testa subendo le angherie della loro vita frustrante. Shelley è una sedicenne vittima del mobbing di tre sadiche compagne di classe, che arrivano al punto di appiccarle il fuoco ai capelli lasciandole in ricordo delle brutte cicatrici sul volto e sul collo; la madre è un valoroso avvocato che lavora in uno studio legale dove è costretta quotidianamente a subire i soprusi e le avances del suo capo. Le due, abbandonate dal padre e marito che ha pensato bene di lasciarle per una ragazza di trent'anni più giovane, si trasferiscono a Honeysuckle Cottage, una casa di campagna isolata, circondata da campi, giardini e dal nulla per decine e decine di kilometri. Poi, una notte, d'improvviso, qualcuno entra nella loro casa. Allarme, panico, angoscia, i battiti del cuore che accelerano. Shelly e la madre si rendono conto di essere in pericolo e per la prima volta nella loro vita sono obbligate a reagire, con un'azione di cui poi dovranno pagare le amare conseguenze. Seguono ore scioccanti in un crescendo di suspense e paura, ad ogni azione, ad ogni pensiero, ad ogni pagina. Sino al finale, che, in una storia simile, rischia facilmente di essere rovinoso e invece si rivela tutt'altro che banale. E i topi si accorgeranno di non essere più topi.
La copertina del romanzo cita, in basso a sinistra, "thriller". In realtà, "Topi" non ha nulla dei tratti classici dei thriller cui siamo abituati: non c'è un serial killer, non c'è un'indagine, non ci sono azioni splatter o alla FBI. C'è però un grosso incubo reale la cui evoluzione ci incolla alle pagine più di tutto quello che potrebbe esserci al suo posto, un po' come nei migliori romanzi del grande King, che questo Gordon Reece mi ha ricordato. Una situazione pura e semplice che diventa un incubo da gocce di sudore sulla fronte, una tensione adrenalinica, una soglia d'allarme che non si abbassa mai. E in più c'è una bella riflessione sul significato della parole "vendetta" e le conseguenze che implica, c'è un'ambientazione, fra i campi e il nulla, che da sola genera paura e smarrimento, c'è un sublime approfondimento psicologico dei personaggi, topi che diventano gatti, e c'è una scrittura fluida che rende la lettura ancora più gustosa.
Che cosa si può desiderare di più? Nulla. Solo che Gordon Reece scriva ancora, sperando che questo fologrante esordio non sia un primo e isolato colpo di genio.
"Topi" è proprio uno di questi, un dono che il mio destino mi ha regalato...perchè confesso che se l'occhio non mi fosse caduto sulla sua scheda di Anobii non l'avrei mai e poi mai scoperto. E invece....
Shelley e la madre sono due "topi", due persone passive, paurose, remissive, costrette ad abbassare ogni giorno la testa subendo le angherie della loro vita frustrante. Shelley è una sedicenne vittima del mobbing di tre sadiche compagne di classe, che arrivano al punto di appiccarle il fuoco ai capelli lasciandole in ricordo delle brutte cicatrici sul volto e sul collo; la madre è un valoroso avvocato che lavora in uno studio legale dove è costretta quotidianamente a subire i soprusi e le avances del suo capo. Le due, abbandonate dal padre e marito che ha pensato bene di lasciarle per una ragazza di trent'anni più giovane, si trasferiscono a Honeysuckle Cottage, una casa di campagna isolata, circondata da campi, giardini e dal nulla per decine e decine di kilometri. Poi, una notte, d'improvviso, qualcuno entra nella loro casa. Allarme, panico, angoscia, i battiti del cuore che accelerano. Shelly e la madre si rendono conto di essere in pericolo e per la prima volta nella loro vita sono obbligate a reagire, con un'azione di cui poi dovranno pagare le amare conseguenze. Seguono ore scioccanti in un crescendo di suspense e paura, ad ogni azione, ad ogni pensiero, ad ogni pagina. Sino al finale, che, in una storia simile, rischia facilmente di essere rovinoso e invece si rivela tutt'altro che banale. E i topi si accorgeranno di non essere più topi.
La copertina del romanzo cita, in basso a sinistra, "thriller". In realtà, "Topi" non ha nulla dei tratti classici dei thriller cui siamo abituati: non c'è un serial killer, non c'è un'indagine, non ci sono azioni splatter o alla FBI. C'è però un grosso incubo reale la cui evoluzione ci incolla alle pagine più di tutto quello che potrebbe esserci al suo posto, un po' come nei migliori romanzi del grande King, che questo Gordon Reece mi ha ricordato. Una situazione pura e semplice che diventa un incubo da gocce di sudore sulla fronte, una tensione adrenalinica, una soglia d'allarme che non si abbassa mai. E in più c'è una bella riflessione sul significato della parole "vendetta" e le conseguenze che implica, c'è un'ambientazione, fra i campi e il nulla, che da sola genera paura e smarrimento, c'è un sublime approfondimento psicologico dei personaggi, topi che diventano gatti, e c'è una scrittura fluida che rende la lettura ancora più gustosa.
Che cosa si può desiderare di più? Nulla. Solo che Gordon Reece scriva ancora, sperando che questo fologrante esordio non sia un primo e isolato colpo di genio.
February 16, 2018
What the heck did I just read?
This was... weird. 😮
This was... weird. 😮
December 31, 2020
Don't be repelled by this book's "MICE" title. WHY? Because "MICE" is a gripping psychological thriller about a mother and daughter pushed to their limits, that ROARS on so many levels.
"MICE are never rude. MICE are never assertive. MICE never make their presence known".
This book is about a complacent and eager-to-please mother and teen daughter who behave just like MICE: they never make their presence known and lack the strength and fortitude to defend themselves from bullies. The mother is a highly intelligent attorney with no self-confidence and backbone, who obligingly allows herself to be bullied by her ex-husband and boss. The teen is bullied mercilessly by three of her former best friends -- resulting in devastating physical and emotional scars.
Told from the POV of the teen daughter, the plot moves steadily to an unexpected climax when the mother and daughter are coerced to make life-death decisions when a burglar ("cat") enters their home.
In addition to exploring the painful topic of teen bullying -- this book offers readers a compelling, scintillating, thought-provoking, and suspenseful tale of fear, self-discovery, family loyalty, and morality.
I listened to the book's audio version and the narration was superb.
Gordon Reece is a brilliant writer and it is difficult to believe that this book is a debut novel. I will be looking forward to this author's future titles.
"MICE are never rude. MICE are never assertive. MICE never make their presence known".
This book is about a complacent and eager-to-please mother and teen daughter who behave just like MICE: they never make their presence known and lack the strength and fortitude to defend themselves from bullies. The mother is a highly intelligent attorney with no self-confidence and backbone, who obligingly allows herself to be bullied by her ex-husband and boss. The teen is bullied mercilessly by three of her former best friends -- resulting in devastating physical and emotional scars.
Told from the POV of the teen daughter, the plot moves steadily to an unexpected climax when the mother and daughter are coerced to make life-death decisions when a burglar ("cat") enters their home.
In addition to exploring the painful topic of teen bullying -- this book offers readers a compelling, scintillating, thought-provoking, and suspenseful tale of fear, self-discovery, family loyalty, and morality.
I listened to the book's audio version and the narration was superb.
Gordon Reece is a brilliant writer and it is difficult to believe that this book is a debut novel. I will be looking forward to this author's future titles.
June 17, 2012
This book really floored me. It was such a mixture of emotions actually - anger and fear, amazement and horror - they all added up to being really uncomfortable reading it. Gordon Reece really makes you squirm in your seat.
This is a book that shakes a nasty situation in your face and makes you touch it. It's like going by a really bad traffic accident on the highway and not being able to look away, even though you know you're going to regret it later because those images will be burned into your retinas and you won't be able to shake them out of your skull.
I still think about this book even though I read it a while back now. Actually, I thought I would maybe skip saying anything about it at all. It's one of those books that you really don't know what to say right after you read it anyways. But in truth - I haven't stopped thinking about it. It keeps cropping up in my mind, so I thought the best way to exercise it is to put my thoughts down.
It's basically a book about bullying. About the victims of bullying and the tipping point where it just becomes too much. A daughter, like her mother, who takes an amazing amount of abuse and doesn't say anything back in defense of herself. She just takes it. Over and over and over. It makes you angry to see how little is done to protect a victim. It makes you mad at how she won't defend herself. You feel soiled by her experiences and how they escalate in frequency and seriousness. It's incredibly scary to see how fast things can spin out of control.
Then you're introduced to the real story. The real horror.
And it makes you wonder, what would you do? Would you do that? Could you do that? It happened so easily that it will really make you wonder.
And that's the most uncomfortable thing of all.
This is a book that shakes a nasty situation in your face and makes you touch it. It's like going by a really bad traffic accident on the highway and not being able to look away, even though you know you're going to regret it later because those images will be burned into your retinas and you won't be able to shake them out of your skull.
I still think about this book even though I read it a while back now. Actually, I thought I would maybe skip saying anything about it at all. It's one of those books that you really don't know what to say right after you read it anyways. But in truth - I haven't stopped thinking about it. It keeps cropping up in my mind, so I thought the best way to exercise it is to put my thoughts down.
It's basically a book about bullying. About the victims of bullying and the tipping point where it just becomes too much. A daughter, like her mother, who takes an amazing amount of abuse and doesn't say anything back in defense of herself. She just takes it. Over and over and over. It makes you angry to see how little is done to protect a victim. It makes you mad at how she won't defend herself. You feel soiled by her experiences and how they escalate in frequency and seriousness. It's incredibly scary to see how fast things can spin out of control.
Then you're introduced to the real story. The real horror.
And it makes you wonder, what would you do? Would you do that? Could you do that? It happened so easily that it will really make you wonder.
And that's the most uncomfortable thing of all.
July 5, 2023
Péssimo!!!
February 22, 2018
This is pretty standard I'm interested in the concept of women as mice. Women who work harder for less money and are sexually harrassed by their bosses because they're too mousy to stand up for themselves. Girls who get savagely abused by their classmates but never tell anyone about it because they're mice. Women who seclude and immerse themselves in secret cottages and music and books and art because the world is such a cruel place & they're mice who can't deal with it. "We all shared the same secret bond, what I called with bitter irony the fellowship of the mouse. I liked to amuse myself by imagining the fellowship's badge that we'd wear on our breasts: a mouse in a trap with a broken neck, and our motto "Nati ad aram' in a curling scroll - born with the victim gene.
I know some mice. I used to be a mouse. I wish I could gather them all up and teach them how to be cats instead. Also, I'm so glad I never went to school in England. Every single description in every single book I've ever read about it describes ineffectual teachers who can't stand up to students and cigarette-smoking, clothes-obsessed girls who beat the shit out of the weak and the meek with impunity.
I know some mice. I used to be a mouse. I wish I could gather them all up and teach them how to be cats instead. Also, I'm so glad I never went to school in England. Every single description in every single book I've ever read about it describes ineffectual teachers who can't stand up to students and cigarette-smoking, clothes-obsessed girls who beat the shit out of the weak and the meek with impunity.
September 20, 2016
Shelley and her mother avoid conflict at all costs and steer clear of anything that could lead to it. They tread softly. Silence and classical music are their favourite sounds. People treat them like doormats, but they don't seem to mind. They're mice - quiet and timid.
After a messy divorce and Shelley being brutally bullied in school, they move to the countryside. Everything is just as they imagined it. Shelley's homeschooled and her mother has a longer commute, but they've finally found their peace in the silence, literature, and evening piano duets.
All is well until a burglar breaks into the house on Shelley's sixteenth birthday. I wish I could keep going on, but then I'd be spoiling it. Anyway, the book is alright. Not for everyone. It's not ideal fiction, definitely realistic, but if you like murder, suspense, and that sort of thing, it's alright. Some major flaws, but better luck next time.
After a messy divorce and Shelley being brutally bullied in school, they move to the countryside. Everything is just as they imagined it. Shelley's homeschooled and her mother has a longer commute, but they've finally found their peace in the silence, literature, and evening piano duets.
All is well until a burglar breaks into the house on Shelley's sixteenth birthday. I wish I could keep going on, but then I'd be spoiling it. Anyway, the book is alright. Not for everyone. It's not ideal fiction, definitely realistic, but if you like murder, suspense, and that sort of thing, it's alright. Some major flaws, but better luck next time.
December 13, 2025
I picked it up and finished it in one day. The premise is nothing new but Reece's mind turned it into a story that pulled me in and I wasn't able to focus on anything else until I finished. His writing style is just 'chefs kiss'! If I could just make one suggestion it would be to make the cover and blurb a bit more fun because it is so uninspiring and this book needs to be read by more people! Writing from the POV of a teenage girl isn't really my type of book but in this thriller/comedy it works like a charm. The book starts off a bit more serious but it quickly becomes action packed and even though some serious topics are handled, Reece's touch prevents it from turning into a depressing sob-story. One of my top 2025 reads!
February 18, 2015
Mice, as the title implies, refers to those meek and non-confrontational people who hide behind their daily lives letting others take advantage of them. Shelley and her mother are two such people and when an extreme case of bullying at school leads to an ultimate horrible act, Shelley and her mother flee to the countryside to hide and just get away from it all. Life is wonderful for a time, but what happens when the someone decides to not be mouse anymore? A terrifying incident changes mother and daughter forever, but is it for the better?
I liked the author's style of writing even though I found the story to be bit unrealistic, but not surprising. I also thought the whole thing to be somewhat drawn out. While the psychological aspects of the bullying are horrible, the turn it takes in the second half of the book was even more so.
In the end, it was an engaging book that showed that the characters, in an instinct for survival, can go to the same dark places that they tried to avoid.
I liked the author's style of writing even though I found the story to be bit unrealistic, but not surprising. I also thought the whole thing to be somewhat drawn out. While the psychological aspects of the bullying are horrible, the turn it takes in the second half of the book was even more so.
In the end, it was an engaging book that showed that the characters, in an instinct for survival, can go to the same dark places that they tried to avoid.
June 20, 2019
This book was trash. Shelley is so dumb and stupid for thinking she will be able to crush Teresa's windpipe. The only part i enjoyed was when Teresa sat on Shelleys crusty face and farted on it and i also liked it when Shelley was chasing paul around saying "we're playing muscial chairs now" This book is bad but i recommend you read it, it deserves to burn like Shelley
Thanks you Eggs
Thanks you Eggs
March 10, 2024
Shelley and her mother both had their share of hardships; now their trying to re-build their inner peace through daily routine, homeschooling, classical music, and the promise of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in their new garden far away from civilization.
Of course the peace can't last.
Shelley is the main reason I'm rounding my 3.5* up. She really does sound like someone who's just turned 16: there's this mix of maturity that comes from her life experience so far, and that sense of superiority that actually comes from feeling inferior to everyone around; there's also the quite childish presumption that her mum is the smartest and can find a solution to every problem, as well as that special kind of mental resilience that comes from not having the full mental capacity to assess the situation. There's also her black-and-white thinking, that lets her neatly divide people into two basic categories: mice, who are timid and frightful, never fighting back or even reaching for what they deserve; and cats, who are more than happy to exploit the mice--and that's the lens she'll use for everything, from her family, through hospital roommates, to the victims of World War 1. And that's only the beginning of the mental gymnastics she's capable of.
The author clearly planned this book as a starting point for numerous conversations on real-life crime. The story starts with gruesome depictions of bullying that escalates into life-threatening attacks, then moves on to the topic of cycles of violence, and maybe the most important: where is the line of self-defense.
We are being shown that everyone has their absolute limit, but also that taking a life is never easy, and doesn't actually end with the last breath leaving the body. The execution of that last point may not work for every crime fan, because when I say: not easy, I mean: realistic amount of fumbling, cleaning, and having to cope with the trauma in ways the readers might not like. The important point to remember here (as well as in certain real-life murder cases), though, is: these two women have never been treated fairly by the law: neither during the harrowing divorce, nor the bullying "investigation". They have been shown there is no one outside to count on, and now they act accordingly.
For a short book it is (my paperback was 271 pages), there's enough narrative space for all of that, and for some red herrings, and drawing parallels to Macbeth through Shelley's school assignments. None of which seemed overly preachy to me. While calling it shocking or controversial feels far-fetched to me, it is both easy to read and thought-provoking, therefore a good book.
Of course the peace can't last.
Shelley is the main reason I'm rounding my 3.5* up. She really does sound like someone who's just turned 16: there's this mix of maturity that comes from her life experience so far, and that sense of superiority that actually comes from feeling inferior to everyone around; there's also the quite childish presumption that her mum is the smartest and can find a solution to every problem, as well as that special kind of mental resilience that comes from not having the full mental capacity to assess the situation. There's also her black-and-white thinking, that lets her neatly divide people into two basic categories: mice, who are timid and frightful, never fighting back or even reaching for what they deserve; and cats, who are more than happy to exploit the mice--and that's the lens she'll use for everything, from her family, through hospital roommates, to the victims of World War 1. And that's only the beginning of the mental gymnastics she's capable of.
The author clearly planned this book as a starting point for numerous conversations on real-life crime. The story starts with gruesome depictions of bullying that escalates into life-threatening attacks, then moves on to the topic of cycles of violence, and maybe the most important: where is the line of self-defense.
We are being shown that everyone has their absolute limit, but also that taking a life is never easy, and doesn't actually end with the last breath leaving the body. The execution of that last point may not work for every crime fan, because when I say: not easy, I mean: realistic amount of fumbling, cleaning, and having to cope with the trauma in ways the readers might not like. The important point to remember here (as well as in certain real-life murder cases), though, is: these two women have never been treated fairly by the law: neither during the harrowing divorce, nor the bullying "investigation". They have been shown there is no one outside to count on, and now they act accordingly.
For a short book it is (my paperback was 271 pages), there's enough narrative space for all of that, and for some red herrings, and drawing parallels to Macbeth through Shelley's school assignments. None of which seemed overly preachy to me. While calling it shocking or controversial feels far-fetched to me, it is both easy to read and thought-provoking, therefore a good book.
March 28, 2012
3.5 stars
It seems weird for me to describe "Mice" as a disappointment when I'm giving it such a high rating and there was so much about it I liked.
But this is because, in the beginning, I really thought "Mice" was going to be a five-star read. There was so much about it to love and Gordon Reece's writing was fantastic - literary but not pretentious, complex but not convoluted, detailed and vivid. Reece really captures the realistic, not over-the-top awfulness of Shelley and her mother's world. Every detail of this world is fantastically rendered, particularly given that I didn't think I would be able to muster much sympathy for Shelley and her mother, or at least, no sympathy that wasn't tinged with great frustration, even though I'm not much of a lion (more like a really big, toothy rat). But Reece has a superb, matter-of-fact style that makes Shelley and her mother's claustrophobic lives feel like death by a thousand cuts: very, very real bullying from both the girl gang who make Shelley's life hell and Shelley's manipulative father who gradually demolishes Shelley's mother's confidence and then abandons her for a woman thirty years younger than her. All of this section is so visceral, moving and realistic that it shows up some glaring flaws in the second half.
While the first half is a subtle but harrowing exploration of self-esteem, bullying and being let down by a bureaucratic system, it all turns a bit Straw Dogs in the second half. This should be a good thing. After I'd read about Shelley's face being set on fire and person after person letting her down (especially her parents - who the hell backs down when their daughter has been so tortured?), I was totally ready for her to take that level in badass and stab some bastards.
From the period where Shelley and her mother are attacked by the burglar onwards, "Mice" loses its biggest asset - its subtlety and sense of visceral realism. It becomes quite a clichéd, melodramatic and unoriginal study of guilt and crime. That's not because the concept - a tortured girl is attacked by an intruder and fights back - is so difficult to believe. But Reece's writing slipped from matter-of-fact to simply TELL DON'T SHOW! for me. Also, I'm aware of how patronising this sounds, but I know that Reece was an English lit teacher, and I couildn't stop thinking about how "Mice", to me, became weighed down by Set Text Syndrome when it started to go all Crime and Punishment.
Motifs! Themes! Symbolism! It all went from subtle and careful to clunky and laboured for me. Suddenly, everything in "Mice" ties together to have some symbolic undertone towards Shelley's guilt. Shelley reads Macbeth. As if that isn't enough to imply that Shelley might be like Macbeth - going down the slippery slope of murder/madness - she quotes from Macbeth + then she wonders about where she's like Macbeth + she critically deconstructs what she's just quoted + her and her teacher talk about the nature of grisly scenes in Macbeth + she writes an essay in which she justifies Macbeth's actions + she compares what she's done to what Macbeth does. Her teacher gives her a card about "painting the town red" (ho ho ho). The extract on Moby Dick is about vicious whaling. The only programme she watches on TV is about murder among tribal kinsmen. It's funny that I'm criticising "Mice" for the one thing I usually compliment books on - their cleverness. But a lot of the cleverness in "Mice" felt like style over substance, obvious cleverness that meant it didn't feel very clever at all, silly symbols that took away from the realism of the story.
As I said above, "Mice" juggles some heavy and intense themes. But, just as the literary undertones become laboured and overused in the second half of the novel, so does the treatment of the themes. For the most part, Reece lets the story think for itself. For instance, this paragraph honestly felt like one of the worst I've ever read, mostly because it was dropped into such a good book that I felt could have handled this idea much better and more subtly - Shelley's musings on culture and art when tied up by a robber who she feared was about to kill them. She rants on and on about how art and culture is just a trick, which allows people to pretend that they've evolved into "finer beings." It all feels so out of place, overlong and over-the-top.
Also: so many questions! I understand that questions, in the literal form, are just a stylistic choice present in so many works. But let me just flip through Mice and show you how many there were:
"What more did we have to suffer now? Rape? Torture? What crime had we ever committed apart from the crime of being weak, the crime of being mice? What harm had we ever done to deserve such relentless punishment? Why wasn't this happening to Teresa Watson and Emma Townley? Why wasn't this happening to my Dad and Zoe? Why was this happening to us? Again? Hadn't we suffered enough?"
"And maybe he does know the answer...to the most difficult question of all: what happens to us when we die?"
"What would it be like for Mum and me? Would we be able to wash away what we'd done with a little water? Or would our minds be affected too? Would we be able to return to a normal life with a burglar rotting away under a mere three feet of soil? Would we be able to lie to the police when they came knocking at our front door? Can mice lie like that? Can mice gag their consciences and sleep peacefully when they're surrounded by so many dark secrets?...But, in that case, what were we?"
and on and on and on.
It felt cheap, because, while I know that questions are typical methods to suggest the character's guilt/uncertainty, Reece overused them to the point where I felt like I was being beaten over the head with his themes: WHAT ARE SHELLEY AND HER MOTHER? CAN WE EVER REALLY MOVE ON? WHAT SHOULD THEY DO? etc. This is especially disappointing considering that Reece pulls off some really awesome moments of genuine cleverness, particularly what happens with Shelley's mother and the gun or the parked car.
So, Mice is a good book, but it's not the great one I thought it might be.
It seems weird for me to describe "Mice" as a disappointment when I'm giving it such a high rating and there was so much about it I liked.
But this is because, in the beginning, I really thought "Mice" was going to be a five-star read. There was so much about it to love and Gordon Reece's writing was fantastic - literary but not pretentious, complex but not convoluted, detailed and vivid. Reece really captures the realistic, not over-the-top awfulness of Shelley and her mother's world. Every detail of this world is fantastically rendered, particularly given that I didn't think I would be able to muster much sympathy for Shelley and her mother, or at least, no sympathy that wasn't tinged with great frustration, even though I'm not much of a lion (more like a really big, toothy rat). But Reece has a superb, matter-of-fact style that makes Shelley and her mother's claustrophobic lives feel like death by a thousand cuts: very, very real bullying from both the girl gang who make Shelley's life hell and Shelley's manipulative father who gradually demolishes Shelley's mother's confidence and then abandons her for a woman thirty years younger than her. All of this section is so visceral, moving and realistic that it shows up some glaring flaws in the second half.
While the first half is a subtle but harrowing exploration of self-esteem, bullying and being let down by a bureaucratic system, it all turns a bit Straw Dogs in the second half. This should be a good thing. After I'd read about Shelley's face being set on fire and person after person letting her down (especially her parents - who the hell backs down when their daughter has been so tortured?), I was totally ready for her to take that level in badass and stab some bastards.
From the period where Shelley and her mother are attacked by the burglar onwards, "Mice" loses its biggest asset - its subtlety and sense of visceral realism. It becomes quite a clichéd, melodramatic and unoriginal study of guilt and crime. That's not because the concept - a tortured girl is attacked by an intruder and fights back - is so difficult to believe. But Reece's writing slipped from matter-of-fact to simply TELL DON'T SHOW! for me. Also, I'm aware of how patronising this sounds, but I know that Reece was an English lit teacher, and I couildn't stop thinking about how "Mice", to me, became weighed down by Set Text Syndrome when it started to go all Crime and Punishment.
Motifs! Themes! Symbolism! It all went from subtle and careful to clunky and laboured for me. Suddenly, everything in "Mice" ties together to have some symbolic undertone towards Shelley's guilt. Shelley reads Macbeth. As if that isn't enough to imply that Shelley might be like Macbeth - going down the slippery slope of murder/madness - she quotes from Macbeth + then she wonders about where she's like Macbeth + she critically deconstructs what she's just quoted + her and her teacher talk about the nature of grisly scenes in Macbeth + she writes an essay in which she justifies Macbeth's actions + she compares what she's done to what Macbeth does. Her teacher gives her a card about "painting the town red" (ho ho ho). The extract on Moby Dick is about vicious whaling. The only programme she watches on TV is about murder among tribal kinsmen. It's funny that I'm criticising "Mice" for the one thing I usually compliment books on - their cleverness. But a lot of the cleverness in "Mice" felt like style over substance, obvious cleverness that meant it didn't feel very clever at all, silly symbols that took away from the realism of the story.
As I said above, "Mice" juggles some heavy and intense themes. But, just as the literary undertones become laboured and overused in the second half of the novel, so does the treatment of the themes. For the most part, Reece lets the story think for itself. For instance, this paragraph honestly felt like one of the worst I've ever read, mostly because it was dropped into such a good book that I felt could have handled this idea much better and more subtly - Shelley's musings on culture and art when tied up by a robber who she feared was about to kill them. She rants on and on about how art and culture is just a trick, which allows people to pretend that they've evolved into "finer beings." It all feels so out of place, overlong and over-the-top.
Also: so many questions! I understand that questions, in the literal form, are just a stylistic choice present in so many works. But let me just flip through Mice and show you how many there were:
"What more did we have to suffer now? Rape? Torture? What crime had we ever committed apart from the crime of being weak, the crime of being mice? What harm had we ever done to deserve such relentless punishment? Why wasn't this happening to Teresa Watson and Emma Townley? Why wasn't this happening to my Dad and Zoe? Why was this happening to us? Again? Hadn't we suffered enough?"
"And maybe he does know the answer...to the most difficult question of all: what happens to us when we die?"
"What would it be like for Mum and me? Would we be able to wash away what we'd done with a little water? Or would our minds be affected too? Would we be able to return to a normal life with a burglar rotting away under a mere three feet of soil? Would we be able to lie to the police when they came knocking at our front door? Can mice lie like that? Can mice gag their consciences and sleep peacefully when they're surrounded by so many dark secrets?...But, in that case, what were we?"
and on and on and on.
It felt cheap, because, while I know that questions are typical methods to suggest the character's guilt/uncertainty, Reece overused them to the point where I felt like I was being beaten over the head with his themes: WHAT ARE SHELLEY AND HER MOTHER? CAN WE EVER REALLY MOVE ON? WHAT SHOULD THEY DO? etc. This is especially disappointing considering that Reece pulls off some really awesome moments of genuine cleverness, particularly what happens with Shelley's mother and the gun or the parked car.
So, Mice is a good book, but it's not the great one I thought it might be.
February 16, 2013
Shelley is a 16 years old student, lives with her single mum, Elizabeth whose husband left her for a younger woman. Shelley said she inherited her mum’s personality; timid, placid and will shy’s away from any confrontation. She describes herself as being a mouse.
In Shelley’s senior years at school, she was a victim of a severe case of bullying, inflicted on her by her former friends. Shelley kept all this hidden from her mum for years, not wanting to add any additional worry to her due to her marriage breakup. But the bullying got way out of hand. One incident the abuse was extremely violent that it left Shelley hospitalized, suffering from internal injuries, scars to her body and face, and left her with physiological distress.
Elizabeth decided to move them both from their suburban home to an isolated county side cottage to start a new life. Shelley had finally found peace, normality and quiet place to heal and all was going well for the two ladies for a while. However one night an intruder enters their home and threatens them with abuse and violence and from that point in on it throws their peaceful life into utter chaos.
I was in two minds as to whether I like it or not. As an adult I was quite caught up in the physiological tension & thrill of the plot. When all is calm, you can never tell when something was about to happen to disrupt their lives all over again, but you constantly felt it, had a sense that it is near, just lurking in the background like a cat ready to pounce. The whole bullying incident was written quite realistic which made it harrowing as a parent to read.
However I do have to question the moral aspects of this book. The content is highly graphic and extremely violent. Without giving too much away, I felt the mothers’ actions were disconcerting. When situations was going bad for the two women, Elizabeth convinces Shelley to make illegal decisions throughout the second part of the book and I found it difficult avoid it or over look the message that it was trying to say. The book is classified as a young adult book and I do have to wonder what the writer is trying to tell his young readers – when in strife or in a difficult situation, go down the illegal path? I know that majority of young readers at this age will indentify what is right or wrong, but there are still the small few out there who would believe this is an easy way out. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth
This is the only issue I had but otherwise I thought it was a great novel, highly intense, gripping and would recommend it for adults ‘only’.
In Shelley’s senior years at school, she was a victim of a severe case of bullying, inflicted on her by her former friends. Shelley kept all this hidden from her mum for years, not wanting to add any additional worry to her due to her marriage breakup. But the bullying got way out of hand. One incident the abuse was extremely violent that it left Shelley hospitalized, suffering from internal injuries, scars to her body and face, and left her with physiological distress.
Elizabeth decided to move them both from their suburban home to an isolated county side cottage to start a new life. Shelley had finally found peace, normality and quiet place to heal and all was going well for the two ladies for a while. However one night an intruder enters their home and threatens them with abuse and violence and from that point in on it throws their peaceful life into utter chaos.
I was in two minds as to whether I like it or not. As an adult I was quite caught up in the physiological tension & thrill of the plot. When all is calm, you can never tell when something was about to happen to disrupt their lives all over again, but you constantly felt it, had a sense that it is near, just lurking in the background like a cat ready to pounce. The whole bullying incident was written quite realistic which made it harrowing as a parent to read.
However I do have to question the moral aspects of this book. The content is highly graphic and extremely violent. Without giving too much away, I felt the mothers’ actions were disconcerting. When situations was going bad for the two women, Elizabeth convinces Shelley to make illegal decisions throughout the second part of the book and I found it difficult avoid it or over look the message that it was trying to say. The book is classified as a young adult book and I do have to wonder what the writer is trying to tell his young readers – when in strife or in a difficult situation, go down the illegal path? I know that majority of young readers at this age will indentify what is right or wrong, but there are still the small few out there who would believe this is an easy way out. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth
This is the only issue I had but otherwise I thought it was a great novel, highly intense, gripping and would recommend it for adults ‘only’.
March 15, 2012
My original review was posted at http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...
Having received a review copy of this book, I was really excited about picking it up and reading it because it sounded really promising. As those of you who follow my reviews might know, I absolutely love murder mysteries - I have some kind of an obsession with crime fiction, in fact. Even though Mice is actually a thriller - a genre I haven't actually read before - it was right up my street. It's one of those books that you're simply unable to put down, something that makes you stay up at odd hours in order to find out what happens next. It draws you in to such an extent that you literally can't move until you've finished reading it - only when the story reached a conclusion did I feel like I could breathe again.
What really struck me literally two pages in the story was Reece's writing style. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of authors whose style simply blew me away but Reece is definitely one of them. His story is so clever and is written in such a sophisticated, such an eloquent way that you cannot help being completely drawn into his world and "listen" to every word he says, or in this case every word the narrator (and protagonist), the sixteen-year-old Shelley says. If I had to choose two aspects of the book that I loved the most then the author's style would be one of them, followed by its unique storyline.
It's very difficult to talk about the plot without giving anything away so I won't go into details. The book, among many other things, deals with a situation where a mother and her daughter know they need to stay calm and not to panic but they've repressed their emotions for such a long time that something just snaps. They do something they'd never have done before and their momentary outburst causes several difficulties. Even though Mice is a thriller, the first incident that basically starts the ball rolling wasn't terrifying in itself, at least for me. The way Reece gives us an insight into what goes on in their mind and how he describes the situation and the consequences was more haunting and effective for me.
All in all, I think Mice would fit into the category of psychological thriller perfectly, where the main emphasis is on characters and the consequences of their actions - or in other words, what they do when reality sinks in. I wasn't familiar with Reece's work right until now but he quickly became one of my favourite writers and after reading this book, I'll make sure to keep an eye on his upcoming books. He's just brilliant. I can't praise him enough.
Having received a review copy of this book, I was really excited about picking it up and reading it because it sounded really promising. As those of you who follow my reviews might know, I absolutely love murder mysteries - I have some kind of an obsession with crime fiction, in fact. Even though Mice is actually a thriller - a genre I haven't actually read before - it was right up my street. It's one of those books that you're simply unable to put down, something that makes you stay up at odd hours in order to find out what happens next. It draws you in to such an extent that you literally can't move until you've finished reading it - only when the story reached a conclusion did I feel like I could breathe again.
What really struck me literally two pages in the story was Reece's writing style. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of authors whose style simply blew me away but Reece is definitely one of them. His story is so clever and is written in such a sophisticated, such an eloquent way that you cannot help being completely drawn into his world and "listen" to every word he says, or in this case every word the narrator (and protagonist), the sixteen-year-old Shelley says. If I had to choose two aspects of the book that I loved the most then the author's style would be one of them, followed by its unique storyline.
It's very difficult to talk about the plot without giving anything away so I won't go into details. The book, among many other things, deals with a situation where a mother and her daughter know they need to stay calm and not to panic but they've repressed their emotions for such a long time that something just snaps. They do something they'd never have done before and their momentary outburst causes several difficulties. Even though Mice is a thriller, the first incident that basically starts the ball rolling wasn't terrifying in itself, at least for me. The way Reece gives us an insight into what goes on in their mind and how he describes the situation and the consequences was more haunting and effective for me.
All in all, I think Mice would fit into the category of psychological thriller perfectly, where the main emphasis is on characters and the consequences of their actions - or in other words, what they do when reality sinks in. I wasn't familiar with Reece's work right until now but he quickly became one of my favourite writers and after reading this book, I'll make sure to keep an eye on his upcoming books. He's just brilliant. I can't praise him enough.
May 8, 2012
'Mice' was recommended by a fellow Good Reads friend Karen, who writes some of the best reviews and gives an incredible reflection on what she reads and insightful view on the books that she has read. I strongly urge anyone to add her to your friends list just for the reviews that she writes.
Moving on to the review. 'Mice' is a truly absorbing book that deals with bullying in its many different forms and how two women deal with it and decide that enough is enough.
The story is written from a first person perspective and although the person is a teenager, her views on the world is quite open and not as self obsessed as most first person narratives. The mother and daughter relationship is very thought provoking and works on many levels which feels true. I have to say, that because of the strong relationship between the two, it is almost shocking that the author is male because of the believability of this.
When the bullying starts, things start to take off with each attack becoming more and more vicious until it reaches breaking point. When this climax happens, the story reaches an almost conclusion only to take off again in another direction. Without giving anything away, the story never goes into cliche or over the top actions to reach its conclusion. It is stays grounded in reality which makes this book stand out amongst alot of the fiction out there.
The conclusion of the book is very satisfying and have to admit, it did make me look for other works by this author because I was that impressed by this book.
This book, I later found out, is part of the new young fiction that is out which is turning heads in every direction. I am currently finding this new young fiction brigade that is emerging more and more powerful each day with the likes of 'The Book Thief', 'The Hungar Games Triolgy', 'Warm Bodies' to name a few is becoming a force to be reckoned with and better written than most 'ADULT' fiction.
If you want a truly absorbing book that will rush you from start to finish with its brutally honest approach, than 'Mice' is for you. I would like to thank Karen for a truly excellent read.
Moving on to the review. 'Mice' is a truly absorbing book that deals with bullying in its many different forms and how two women deal with it and decide that enough is enough.
The story is written from a first person perspective and although the person is a teenager, her views on the world is quite open and not as self obsessed as most first person narratives. The mother and daughter relationship is very thought provoking and works on many levels which feels true. I have to say, that because of the strong relationship between the two, it is almost shocking that the author is male because of the believability of this.
When the bullying starts, things start to take off with each attack becoming more and more vicious until it reaches breaking point. When this climax happens, the story reaches an almost conclusion only to take off again in another direction. Without giving anything away, the story never goes into cliche or over the top actions to reach its conclusion. It is stays grounded in reality which makes this book stand out amongst alot of the fiction out there.
The conclusion of the book is very satisfying and have to admit, it did make me look for other works by this author because I was that impressed by this book.
This book, I later found out, is part of the new young fiction that is out which is turning heads in every direction. I am currently finding this new young fiction brigade that is emerging more and more powerful each day with the likes of 'The Book Thief', 'The Hungar Games Triolgy', 'Warm Bodies' to name a few is becoming a force to be reckoned with and better written than most 'ADULT' fiction.
If you want a truly absorbing book that will rush you from start to finish with its brutally honest approach, than 'Mice' is for you. I would like to thank Karen for a truly excellent read.
January 6, 2012
I won't repeat the many comments that have already been made, but I will say my main problem was with the characters themselves. Having been abused at school when I was 13 years old, I was not troubled by the daughter's shut-down and desire to hide out in the country. But I have a HUGE problem with the mother. She went through law school, or the British equivalent, and was almost immediately on track for a partnership in her firm. Then she walked away from that and everything she'd worked for, because her jerk of a husband was jealous of her success and bored with his marriage. The author makes clear that Mom was the better lawyer by far than Dad, yet she slinked off without so much as a golden parachute. Nope. Not a chance. And then to take a job as a paralegal, do an attorney's work for minimum wage and get kicked around by her employers? Nope. Not a chance. I didn't believe a word of it.
Also, their sudden and immediate recovery from mousiness (is that a word?) to knife and gun-wielding avengers? Nope. Not a chance. Regaining one's sense of self respect and acquiring the social skills to stand up for oneself after having been profoundly traumatized takes time. I'm not saying they couldn't have reacted more bravely than usual when they were attacked, I'm just saying they swung too far to the other end of the bravery spectrum than was believable. Sorry. Not a chance.
Also, their sudden and immediate recovery from mousiness (is that a word?) to knife and gun-wielding avengers? Nope. Not a chance. Regaining one's sense of self respect and acquiring the social skills to stand up for oneself after having been profoundly traumatized takes time. I'm not saying they couldn't have reacted more bravely than usual when they were attacked, I'm just saying they swung too far to the other end of the bravery spectrum than was believable. Sorry. Not a chance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2019
I hate when publishers trick me into reading a YA novel by trying to market it as a regular novel. This is most definitely a YA novel about a 16 year old girl who is bullied at school and learns, through a thoroughly unbelievable (and gruesomely detailed) series of events that she CAN actually stand up for herself. Apparently, becoming a murderer will do wonders for your self esteem.
With its simple language and plot, this was the most straightforward book imaginable--no surprises at all. As for writing, if you read this you will be treated to a 16 year old narrator who says (or thinks) things like "Time lived up to its reputation as the great healer, and our life in Honeysuckle Cottage slowly returned to normal." Do you know any 16 year olds who describe time or experience this way? No, you don't. There is also an uncomfortably racist bit about "tribesmen" (maybe from Africa or the Amazon? doesn't matter) who take on the characteristics of the animals they kill, and a moralizing ending when our narrator finally gets the balls to stand up to her divorced and totally devoted mother and contact the father who abandoned her. You know, since no matter how horrible and abusive they are, all dads have inalienable rights to their children's time and affection.
This was written so simply that it took no more than a few hours of my time, thank goodness. If you are over the age of 16 you probably want to skip it.
With its simple language and plot, this was the most straightforward book imaginable--no surprises at all. As for writing, if you read this you will be treated to a 16 year old narrator who says (or thinks) things like "Time lived up to its reputation as the great healer, and our life in Honeysuckle Cottage slowly returned to normal." Do you know any 16 year olds who describe time or experience this way? No, you don't. There is also an uncomfortably racist bit about "tribesmen" (maybe from Africa or the Amazon? doesn't matter) who take on the characteristics of the animals they kill, and a moralizing ending when our narrator finally gets the balls to stand up to her divorced and totally devoted mother and contact the father who abandoned her. You know, since no matter how horrible and abusive they are, all dads have inalienable rights to their children's time and affection.
This was written so simply that it took no more than a few hours of my time, thank goodness. If you are over the age of 16 you probably want to skip it.
September 22, 2013
I didn't buy the basic plot of this book: that teenager Shelley and her mother, spineless doormats, commit a criminal act and then try to hide it. Reece describes them as "mice" over and over again (really, every other goddamn page), but it just doesn't ring true.
Mother mouse is supposedly a former top lawyer, who left her job at her husband's request and then got screwed when he left her for a thirty year younger woman. Now, I know a lot of lawyers and there is no way you get to be a high-powered lawyer being a feckless little mouse. No. Way. Shelley, teenage mouse, spends a lot of time musing to herself in very un-teenlike terms: "Would we contract his savage thuggery?" Her idea of male beauty is a mixture of George Clooney and Tom Hanks. If there are 16-year olds out there who fantasize about Grandpas Clooney & Hanks, I'd like to know, just so I can talk some sense into them.
Since the characters felt completely unrealistic to me, I didn't much care about how the whole mouse-to-cat development would turn out. I did laugh a few times, but I don't think I was supposed to.
Mother mouse is supposedly a former top lawyer, who left her job at her husband's request and then got screwed when he left her for a thirty year younger woman. Now, I know a lot of lawyers and there is no way you get to be a high-powered lawyer being a feckless little mouse. No. Way. Shelley, teenage mouse, spends a lot of time musing to herself in very un-teenlike terms: "Would we contract his savage thuggery?" Her idea of male beauty is a mixture of George Clooney and Tom Hanks. If there are 16-year olds out there who fantasize about Grandpas Clooney & Hanks, I'd like to know, just so I can talk some sense into them.
Since the characters felt completely unrealistic to me, I didn't much care about how the whole mouse-to-cat development would turn out. I did laugh a few times, but I don't think I was supposed to.
August 8, 2011
It seems I might be in the minority, but I felt only lukewarm about this book. There were parts of the book that glued my attention to the pages, but then there were more parts where I couldn't stay interested. I didn't particularly like Shelley or her mother and felt myself almost rooting for them to get caught in all of their crazy escapades. I also didn't like that because they used to be "mice", they are now somehow justified in their violent behaviors. **Received this book in the First Reads Giveaway**
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2012
I didn't dislike this book, I HATED it. It sucked me in and had me completely connected to the characters and then took such a twist that I was physically ill at the thought of finishing the book.
An argument could be made that something that I react so violently to is worth more than one star, but I wish I could give it less.
An argument could be made that something that I react so violently to is worth more than one star, but I wish I could give it less.
August 19, 2012
3.0 out of 5 stars -- Mice no more?
Bullied, burned and forced out of her school, Shelley moves into Honeysuckle Cottage with her mom - another "mouse" who doesn't stand up to those who abuse her as well. Life in the country is idyllic until one night changes everything for mother and daughter.
Bullied, burned and forced out of her school, Shelley moves into Honeysuckle Cottage with her mom - another "mouse" who doesn't stand up to those who abuse her as well. Life in the country is idyllic until one night changes everything for mother and daughter.
May 25, 2023
one of the best books i've read in a while ! ! !
Very dark subject matter but i was smiling ear to ear when reading the last 50 pages. Gotta be one of the best endings to a book i've ever read oh my god
Very dark subject matter but i was smiling ear to ear when reading the last 50 pages. Gotta be one of the best endings to a book i've ever read oh my god
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