What They Do in the Dark A Novel [Paperback]

In this unforgettable debut novel about the pain, joy, and occasional beauty of childhood, two girls are set on an unimaginable path. Spoiled but emotionally neglected Gemma, who seems to have everything, and semi-feral Pauline, who has less than nothing, are two very different ten-year-old girls growing up in a tough Yorkshire town in the 1970s. Pauline longs for the simple luxuries of Gemmas life: her neatly folded socks and her clean hair. Gemma, upset by her parents breakup, loses herself in fantasies of meeting the child television star Lallie Paluza. When Lallie shoots a movie in their hometown, Gemma and Pauline grab the chance for their wildest dreams to come true. But the film becomes a catalyst for the forces of the dysfunctional adult world and its impact on both girls as playground bullying escalates with terrible consequences.A rich novel that explores the darkness of social dysfunction both in 10-year-olds and in the adult world....Coe plots these ruined childhoods in a convincing fashion, including everything from drugs to divorce to molestation, without a heavy hand. She has an adept eye for psychological progression...Despite the undercurrents of violence and sex, this is really a story about character: how childhood innocence is lost, cynicism gained, morality discovered and then, perhaps, lost again& a terrific debut, full of energy and color; as propulsive as a thriller.A brilliant novel& The first half of the book is pure delight& But in the second half, you gradually realize this is not a gentle comedy at all. Indeed, the last 20 pages are among the most horrifying I have ever read.One of the most masterly, disturbing pieces of fiction I have read in a long while... will leave you haunted long after you've read the final page.One of the most compelling novels published this year... Its savage wit and transporting eye for detail are the things that keep you along for the ride....superbly plotted, building, from seemingly disparlSb