DNF approx 1/3 in

I ended up borrowing the audiobook from my library and I got about 3/4 hours in and saw I still had over 8 hours to go and without even thinking, on autopilot, I simply clicked "return".
It was great at first when we were at the school, then we went to the house for Christmas and that was fine but then I felt like we never left.
It wasn't bad. It wasn't boring, but I got to a point where I guess I got lost along the way and no longer cared about what was happening. I didn't understand the purpose of where we were and actually, as I write this I recall the beginning actually has our main character as an older woman going back to the house and we're reliving her memories but I forgot that.
Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood, or I prefer this sort of story in a shorter form. Maybe if I stuck it out I would have loved it in the end but I just.. didn't want to. Maybe I'd have hated it. It was like the book told me it wasn't for me so I'd prefer to DNF and still be able to say I think people who enjoy this style of historical fiction will love it rather than read it all, resent it, and rate it low.

Its post ww1 and Gillian, a boarding school pupil, goes to stay with her room mate Violet's family for the Christmas holidays. Gillian is wowed by the luxury of her friend's home and the sophistication of her aristocratic family. She is particularly drawn to Violet's beautiful and fashionable older sisters, Emmeline and Laura.

However, things are not quite what they seem and following a tragic incident the dysfunction of the family is revealed...

I really enjoyed this book and was hooked from the start. Lots of intriguing characters, especially Violet who struggles with her emotions and grounds herself with strange rituals. Lots of twists and turns, the storyline kept me guessing to the end!

Gillian is a girl who just blends into the background, especially at boarding school. But when Violet Claybourne arrives in her dorm, everything changes. Gillian has a friend and so does Violet, and when the chance to go home with Violet for the Christmas Holidays to Thornleigh Hall, Gillian sees the world that Violet has come from.

However something seems wrong at Thornleigh Hall, and whilst Gillian is welcomed into the family, the attraction of having older sisters starts to cause a rift between her and Violet.

When an incident changes everything, it seems that to survive Gillian will have to change.

Sixty years later, Gillian is faced with her past.

This is a complex story, full of deeply troubled characters and behaviours that were treated differently in the mid 1940s than to present day. With some twists and turns and surprises this is a book which keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne by Emily Critchley

This was my read for over Christmas week and having started a couple of novels only to put them down again, I was beginning to think I’d lost my reading mojo. I was crying out for something that would draw me in quickly so I went for a tried and tested genre. A genre that maybe has a title, but I don’t know it. A preference I blame on reading Jane Eyre as a very imaginative ten year old. The formula is: huge rambling country house; time period from Victorian - 1930’s; young unsure girl/woman; aristocratic families with huge secrets. This fantastic novel from Emily Critchley fit the bill perfectly and was the only thing that drew me away from watching Black Doves all in one go! Our heroine is Gillian Larking, a rather invisible girl at boarding school who does her best to fit in but has no real friends. Gillian has lost her mother and with her dad working in Egypt feels very much alone. However, when she gets a new roommate that feeling starts to change. Violet is a bright, lively girl whose first goal is to break school rules and sneak up onto the school roof to check out the view. Despite her mischievous and seemingly confident nature, Violet is anxious and has a series of rituals to perform that help her cope:

“She had to do certain things at certain times, like twirl around on the spot before she flushed the lavatory or touch a door handle twice before she opened a door. I often caught her whispering certain words to herself three times or counting to fifty on her fingers. When I asked her why she had to do these things, she struggled to tell me. For protection, was all she would say, or so that nothing bad will happen.”

She is also prone to emotional outbursts when things become overwhelming. Gillian is seemingly more aware that as young ladies of the middle and upper classes they must manage their emotions. She herself has had moments of despair and loneliness but has kept her tears for under the covers late at night. She also aware that girls in packs tend to sniff out weakness or odd behaviour and worries whether Violet’s rituals or ‘undoings’ as she calls them, could affect both their positions at school. Yet the other girls don’t seem to bother Violet and Gillian wonders whether that’s because she’s from a wealthy family. As Christmas approaches Gillian is delighted to receive an invitation from Violet to spend the holidays with her family at Thornleigh Hall. There she is dazzled by their slightly shabby country home, being waited on by the servants and Violet’s rather beautiful older sisters. Emmeline, the oldest and definitely in charge, wafts around in old Edwardian gowns whereas Laura is a rather more modern and fragile beauty. Both girls accept Gillian as one of their own, but their new friendship is tested by a terrible accident on Boxing Day that will reverberate through the years.

I have a soft spot for books set between the two World Wars and this had a lot of the themes pertinent to aristocratic families of the time. Thornleigh Hall is badly in need of repair but has a faded grandeur that is still impressive to Gillian. They’re a family living a way of life that ended twenty years before. They clearly don’t have the funds to maintain their estate, but Gillian notices the lavish breakfasts laid out every morning under silver dishes. Emmeline, the eldest sister, is the family’s great hope. She must find a suitor with money and secure the family’s fortunes with a sensible marriage. She has a candidate in mind, much older than her but definitely of the right class and enough money to save the hall for another generation. Gillian is enthralled by the sister’s unique style and confidence and realises that to some extent her friend Violet is the odd one out. Her nervous rituals, like her need to read Peter Pan over and over, suggest a deep insecurity in her character and even a fear of growing up. She warns Gillian that her sisters are not all they seem to be, but Gillian feels accepted for the first time in her life. There was an element of L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between in her relationship with the sisters because she is naive and doesn’t realise when she’s being manipulated. When the terrible accident occurs Emmeline takes charge as always, instructing Gillian and Laura to lie or even pass blame onto a man who lives in the lodge house. Gillian feels obliged to go along with the plan because they’ve been kind to her. Again there are shades of another book here, Ian McEwan’s Atonement, where naivety and misunderstanding could lead to a terrible end for an innocent man of a lower social status. The full implications of these lies are utterly life changing for Violet, but almost no one escapes unscathed.

The novel is structured into four parts, taking us to different points in the life of Gillian and her relationship to the events of that Christmas in 1938. I’ve already mentioned L.P.Hartley’s The Go-Between and the first section has echoes of it’s opening page, from the naivety and social position of Gillian to the sense of delving into a past that’s long dead with it’s own social codes; “the past is a foreign country - they do things differently there’. We start the novel in 1999 when Gillian visits Thornleigh Hall, now under the guardianship of the National Trust. Over a slice of lemon and poppy seed cake, she ponders life from her time as a guest here to the recent death of her husband and the diary from 1938 that she’s recently come across. This 1999 visit to Thornleigh is like travelling into the past as she strolls the rooms now on show and sees Lord and Lady Claybourne in the dining room complaining about their eggs and Laura in her stockinged feet reading a book on the library sofa. There is so much about this first chapter that draws us in: the suggested tragic circumstances of some members of the family, the emotional state of Gillian as a young girl who has lost her mother and is desperate for a role model and to be liked, there’s also the hint of darker secrets lurking underneath the surface of this beautiful stately home. In the other three parts we’re taken to the aftermath of that fateful day in 1938 and then to London in 1942 where Gillian bumps into Laura’s husband Charlie.

Finally part four brings us to the 1990s when Gillian and the Claybourne sisters are old women, taking us full circle to the beginning of the book. In each part there shocking revelations that leave Gillian in no doubt that the secrets from all those years ago are still having their effect. She has received a letter from Henry Cadwallander who has written to Gillian at his Aunt Violet’s request. Will she meet Violet and let her know that with the wisdom of experience she now understands her warning about the older sisters? I wondered if there would be closure or whether Gillian is always fated to be a horrified observer of the Claybourne’s family dynamics? This was an enthralling and fascinating look at a tumultuous time in history and it’s effects on one aristocratic family, observed through the eyes of a naive visitor. The author has created an incredible atmosphere that drew me in so strongly I felt like I was there. This is an amazing debut from Emily Critchley and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I've just finished this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially all the twists that were revealed near to the end. Great characters, and not all were likeable! It's thought-provoking that one event and one decision can have far-reaching consequences. Thank you, NetGalley, for this reading opportunity, which I was delighted to read after reading One Puzzling Afternoon by the same author.

Reviewed on Amazon and Goodreads.

I got to this later than I’’d hoped and I loved it! It’s a great winter read as it is really dark and atmospheric.

Gillian Larking's mother died in childbirth and her father has remarried and lives abroad with his wife and their young son. Gillian is rather a lonely girl who doesn't really fit in but then a new girl, Violet Claybourne, starts at the echool and shares Gillian's room. They immediately become best friends and Gillian is delighted to be invited to spend the Christmas holidays with Violet and her family at their country estate, Thornleigh. Gillian is soon captivated by Violet's two older sisters Emmeline and Laura. However a tragic event on Boxing Day changes all their lives forever. I loved Emily Critchley's debut novel immensely so was delighted to be able to read an ARC of her latest book. It certainly didn't disappoint, Set mostly in 1938, it was quite sad and also dark with family secrets and lies being exposed. I loved it and look forward to reading Emily's next book.

Following her mother’s death and her father’s remarriage Gillian Larking is sent to boarding school. An unassuming girl she is pleased when outgoing Violet Claybourne is allocated as her roommate and they are soon best of friends. With Christmas approaching Violet is invited to stay at Thornleigh Hall with Violet and her family. Told from Gillian’s POV, and in multiple timelines, although largely in 1938 when most of the action happens. This is a well written, slow burn read with a really good cast of characters, although I can’t say there are many nice ones!

Briefly, Gillian is awed by the family and their slightly run down home and is desperate to be accepted by Violets two older sisters Laura and Emmeline. When Gillian goes out with the older sisters one day Violet stays behind and a shocking event takes place that has terrible repercussions for everyone.

This is dark and really quite disturbing tale. Gillian has clearly missed the love and closeness of a family and sees the Claybourne’s as a surrogate family; but it’s heart rending to see how she put her perceived needs before her friendship with Violet. Violet has always been a bit different and her family seem to tolerate her funny little ways, today I feel she would have been diagnosed as being neurodiverse. My heart broke for Violet, repeatedly, I just wanted to give her a massive hug. A truly heartbreaking and shocking story and one I found compulsive reading. Fantastic book.

This is a hard review to write. Some of the writing in this book is truly wonderful and I enjoyed the descriptions of characters and place. In addition, I loved Emily Critchley's first novel - A Puzzling Afternoon and so was excited to read this gothic tale which is a favourite genre of mine.

It moves along at a good pace and is a compelling enough story but at the end I was left feeling unsure about my feelings for the main characters. Overall I felt nobody came out of it well and I'm afraid none of them, other than Violet were very likeable. You don't have to like characters for it to be a good story but usually there is something that as a reader you can connect with. I found it hard to do that with this novel.

I'm sure there are other readers who will love it and this certainly wouldn't stop me reading more books by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt as though it moved at a good pace and was well written. It was definitely a bit darker than the books I normally read and quite sad. However I would highly recommend it.

Full of surprises!

Gillian Larking is used to blending in and going unnoticed and expects to do exactly the same when she goes to boarding school; then she meets Violet Claybourne. Sharing a room, the two girls are thrown together and a firm friendship blossoms. Then Violet invites her to spend Christmas with her family at Thornleigh Hall and opens up a world that Gillian never thought she would be part of. Violet's older sisters dazzle her, but following a dreadful incident Gillian realises that perhaps these aren't the people she should be emulating.

I loved this one; there's so much going on! Beginning in the thirties, it covers several decades and provides a lot of food for though and, it has to be said, a few shocks and surprises along the way! It's definitely a warning to be careful what you wish for. If you like your reads a bit on the darker side, then this is one I recommend. For me, 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

This is such a good book. Set mostly in 1938, Gillian is living a dreary life at boarding school until Violet Claybourne turns up. Violet is a free spirit, the youngest of three daughters, sent to school to try to make her a bit more “normal”. She doesn’t fit in, having some difficulty in meeting societal expectations and relying on her “undoings” to help her - these days they’d be viewed as compulsive behaviour and some neurodivergence I would think.
Violet invites Gillian to her home for Christmas and this unleashes a truly awful chain of events relating to Gillian’s longing to fit in with the older Claybourne sisters which utterly destroys everyone, one way or another. As a reader, you watch these events unfold with horror
The characters are portrayed well, although none of them except Violet seem very likeable. This is a novel which asks questions about what it means to fit in with others, and what you might be prepared to sacrifice to do so.
I enjoyed The last book by this author, One Puzzling Afternoon, but think this is a step-up.
Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Having enjoyed reading Emily’s debut novel I was pleased to have the opportunity to read a digital proof ahead of publication.

A much darker story than I originally anticipated, well written , gripping, full of secrets and flawed characters. A fascinating ending too.

When Gillian meets her roommate Violet Claybourne at boarding school they hit it off straight away, both are seen as a little strange and don't have many friends so are glad to have found each other. Violet is from a wealthy family and when Gillian is invited to stay with them for the Christmas holidays she's excited and nervous. Laura and Emmeline are Violet's impossibly glamorous older sisters and when they take to Gillian, it seems life couldn't get much better for her as an only child who's always wanted a closer family. But a shock accident and the fallout from that will last decades and show Gillian who the Claybourne's really are.

This is a beautifully written and poignant story, I finished this in no time, highly recommended!

4.2 Stars
One Liner: The second half is stronger; impactful

1938, Old England
Gillian Larkin doesn’t mind being unnoticed but it sure feels good to make friends with the new roommate at school. Violet Claybourne is lively, spirited, and an enigma. When she invites Gillian to her home, Thornleigh Hall, for Christmas, Gillian is overjoyed. She sees it as a chance to meet Violet’s older sisters, Emmi and Laura.
However, her stay in their home changes her life in many ways. An accident on the extensive grounds brings forth some truths and betrayals. Gillian needs to make some decisions, that have long-lasting effects. What happened all those years ago?
The story comes in Gillian’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I was curious when a book with the name Violet in the title chose to present the story from Gillian’s POV. However, soon, I realized why it was done. Gillian is the right narrator even if she is a pathetic friend.
The book begins in 1999 and quickly goes to 1938 where the majority of the events take place. There are a couple of time jumps afterward and complete the circle by ending the story in 1999. Having a single narrator for all of it works the best. No distractions or confusion.
Initially, I thought I might like the narrator but in less than a few pages, I changed my opinion. There was a short scene that established her character and the next events solidified it. It was a little clue left for readers to guess. I like that!
Despite seeing the others from one POV, we get a clear understanding of who they are. The characterization was great (even if I didn’t particularly like a certain move towards the end. Some people are inherently selfish and evil. There’s no need to create a reason to psychoanalyze their actions.)
It has quite a few themes like friendship, toxic relationships, selfishness, cowardliness, need for approval, class differences, etc. A few triggers too but nothing graphic.
The dark vibes were subtle but effective. The Hall and the estate added to the atmosphere and tension. In fact, the war backdrop kept the entire book in a sense of uncertainty. As we entered the second half, it felt like a key being tightened to its last point.
However, the pacing in the first half was very slow. While it does set the stage and establish the characters, readers might feel bored or tired of anticipating the ‘incident’. Once it happened, the story picked up pace and sustained a steady momentum. I couldn’t stop reading after that.
The writing was compelling. It was hard to not feel a jumble of emotions as the characters made decisions that showed their true colors. I wanted to hug poor Violet so many times!
The ending made it a worthy read; satisfying in many ways. I did want a short epilogue from Violet’s POV. It would have been icing on the cake.

To summarize, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a dark read with flawed yet well-etched characters. It will make you feel many things, so pick up the book when you want to think about the shadow side of human nature.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK (Zaffre), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The year is 1938 and war is looming throughout Europe. After the death of her mother and her father’s subsequent remarriage, Gillian Larkin finds herself at boarding school, not really feeling that she fits in. This all changes when Violet Claybourne joins the school and invites her to spend Christmas with her family at Thornleigh Hall. Never having experienced anything like this, Gillian is bewitched by Violet’s older sisters Laura and Emmeline, desperate to be accepted as part of their ‘crowd’. She soon realises, however, that maybe the high life isn’t quite what she imagined when she witnesses things that threaten to change her life forever…

One of my favourite books of last year was One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley so I was thrilled to find that she had written another – The Undoing of Violet Claybourne. From the very first chapter, I was drawn into Gillian’s world as we meet the character briefly as an adult before we are transported back in time to 1938 and her life as a schoolgirl. I instantly felt sympathy for Gillian, a young girl unwanted by her family, and to all intents and purposes, alone in the world. Violet was a breath of fresh air and exactly what Gillian needed but it is not long before we become aware of her personality quirks and begin to fear for what is to come.

I purposely refrained from reading too much about this book before starting it and I am so glad that I made this decision. The plot moves in unexpected ways and this kept me gripped right until the end – I managed to read it in one day, something I haven’t done for a long time!

Emily Critchley has successfully managed to immerse us in the world of the middle and upper classes where appearances are everything and secrets are plentiful. There are shocking moments where you genuinely can’t believe what is happening but make you desperate to keep reading to find out the outcome.

If you enjoyed One Puzzling Afternoon, you are going to love this. Another triumph for the author.

I am a bit unsure what to write for this review. I loved Violet and Gilly and thought that they were great characters, but found the story ,although compelling, all just a bit too sad. It paints an interesting picture of privileged families of that time and the lives they led.

5*

I adored this book. I feel like it has changed me as a person.

Gillian Larking is a quiet, lonely girl, until she meets Violet Claybourne and is invited to stay with the Claybournes for Christmas. What happens over the course of those few days changes the girls forever.

I loved this book, and I adored all of the characters. Emily Critchley's writing is deeply perceptive and emotive and I felt totally absorbed into the world of Gillian and the Claybourne sisters. One aspect that I particularly loved was the way that the split timeline provided shattering foreshadowing. I truly did not expect the many horrifying twists and turns that just made this book so interesting and rewarding to read.

I only have amazing things to say about this book, except for the fact that I felt uncomfortable with the finale. However, I'm sure many will find it a fantastic ending and this did not alter my experience of the story at all.

This was a truly excellent read.

Thank you to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

The undoing of violet claybourne is wonderfully dark and incredibly sad. It paints a sinister picture of how a privileged life is not always as it seems.
Set in 1938, it's a book of 2 halves. The first part is a fairly tame and leisurely story of 2 girls at boarding school. Don't do what I nearly did and give up here.
As soon as Gillian goes to stay at Thornleigh for the Christmas holidays, things get dark. I won't give any spoilers, but as Gilly is taken under the wings of Violet's older sisters, that's when the story really begins. Secrets, shame, sex, drinking..it's all there. So evocative of a different time, when women had no voice or power and social expectations trumped feelings of love.
I hope you'll love Violet and Gilly as much as I did. Add this to your Christmas wish list.

Most of the events in this book are set in 1938. Gilly is a quiet, lonely girl who just wants to fit in at her girls school; her father had 're-married after her mother's death and wants to concentrate on his new family, so when the seemingly adventurous Violet Claybourne becomes her room-mate, they quickly from a bond.

Violet comes from a rather glamourous family who live in a crumbling manor, and Gilly is delighted to be invited there for the Christmas holidays. She looks up to Violet's older sisters, Laura and Emmeline, and is desperate to be accepted by them. After a shocking event takes place during her stay, she has to make a choice that will alter all of their lives.

I found it very compelling, and couldn't put it down, though I can't say I actually enjoyed it; I found it desperately sad, and just ached for Violet. After finishing, I felt it was all rather sordid. The writing was good, and really sucked me in after a slow start.

*Many thanks to Netgally and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*