A timely, thought-provoking read which covers harrowing topics, including rape and mental health, Blurred Lines by Hannah Begbie might be for you.

The plot:

When Becky accidentally sees her boss with a woman who isn’t his wife, she’s horrified but keeps her counsel. She owes Matthew so much for all he’s done for her career. But when the same women accuses him of rape and asks for the witness to come forward, Becky is trapped in her lie.

Was what she saw rape? Or is this a young actress looking to get ahead? And can Becky separate her own traumatic past from the present?

As Becky attempts to untangle these blurred lines, she must risk everything to find the truth…

An important read, and it will stay with me

Blurred Lines is a critical read due to the angles of which the book takes on these topics – in a heartbreakingly realistic tone which battles both sides. It leaves you questioning what you would do (although I’d made a decision quite early on in the book, it isn’t necessarily this simple) and fills you with so many emotions – I was angry, frustrated and upset, and I believe this is the exact angle Begbie was going for.

I’d originally set this as a 3-stars, but the more I’ve thought about it (and I’ve thought about it a lot), the more I’ve felt it deserved that bump up to 4-stars.

The plot covers rape and mental health in an uncensored way, which is heartbreaking and might not be for everyone (definite trigger warnings here). It’s not delicate, and brutal in its writing in topics which needs to be written about in this way, and you really gain an insight into the mental health of several characters, some directly and others more discretely. It’s not an easy-read because of the topics, and there were some moments I felt really uncomfortable, as anyone should – Begbie has done well in this sense. It also covers the realistic scenarios which people face around rape, first-hand and those further away from the victim (I’m sad and angry that I’ve written this).

It is aptly named, as the ‘blurred lines’ carries on throughout the book in multiple different ways and scenarios. The underlying plot with ‘Medea’ (a career-related film for the protagonist, based on Greek mythology) was an extra touch which added another element to the story, offering that unpredictably with how it could relate to the protagonist herself.

I thought it was incredibly well written, as you’re slightly manipulated by the author. I did find the chapters were often too long for my liking, which made it more of a slow-burner, and there felt to be a lot of going around in circles, but was this intended?

It has a good plot twist, giving it a thrillery edge, although I did work it out mid-way through, it still came as a shock and was handled brilliantly. I’m not sure whether this would fit directly into the thriller genre, or general fiction.

Although it is fiction, it relates all too closely to the #MeToo movement and how victims may have felt and been targeted by the media, and on the other hand, the position this puts a person in with their work. 

An important read, and it will stay with me, but I would re-iterate that it is uncomfortable reading which left me especially angry, so may not be for everyone. Happy to discuss this more – get in touch via the contact box on my home page.

Blurred Lines, Hannah Begbie, RRP £7.99 (paperback); Book Depository 

Pages: 404

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre: Thriller/ Fiction