Magpie

Recommended by The Guardian as one of their top summer reads from a couple of years ago, I was blown away by this powerful, intense, gripping and all-consuming psychological thriller of a novel. Day writes partly from autobiographical experience, but from a fiction perspective, it reminded me of Gillian Flynn, especially Gone Girl. At the heart of Magpie lies the awkward but deeply personal theme of conception and all the challenges that come attached with the process. More broadly, the work also concerns itself with the importance of motherhood and the lengths mothers might go to in order to protect both their born and as-yet unborn children. Think of Magpie as being about love, wanting and mental health. Day packs no shortage of punches. The power of the novel lies in its constantly shifting perspective. Both the characters and, by extension, the reader are forced to question everything they previously believed (who is playing whom? Who is mad, with grief, longing... choose your noun; or even genuine psychosis, versus who is sane?) Ultimately, there is a very cathartic and satisfying conclusion. Sad when this work ended. — I did cry during it too. One I will think about long after, and for the 2024 list. 10 out of 10.

By Elizabeth Day