Her by C.M. Serpell - A review
I’m a sucker for any crime fiction based in my hometown, so when I saw ‘Her’, the debut novel from C.M. Serpell was based there, I immediately bought it
Coming across like a social services Dexter, the eponymous ‘her’ primarily follows the journey of a woman in which her professional role sees her try to help the down-and-out and unfortunate, such as domestic abuse victims, ‘reformed’ criminals and habitual addicts.
Although, similar to the movie ‘Saw’, our mysterious protagonist is frustrated at those refusing to change and taking resource away from those who might actually benefit, and so she takes drastic action to reduce waiting times and benefit wider society. Her methods certainly won’t be in her official job description, that’s for sure.
This book expertly utilises multi-character POV, and this really gives the overarching story of ‘Her’ and the challenges faced by the ‘professionals’ a broader context, resulting in a more dramatic and immersive feel for the reader. Serpell also grants us a look at the other side, sometimes eliciting sympathy and, at other times, frustration.
While the concept and narrative structure of the story was well thought-out. I felt that there were too many characters in professional roles and on a first read, with this group encompassing the police, social services and support workers, I struggled with remembering some individual personalities, and as a result my enjoyment came not from guessing who the ‘Her’ was, but the more straightforward cast-and-mouse vengeance side of the story.
One thing that did really stick out was the personal drama involved, and how the stories of all characters intertwined and complemented each other. This made for a seamless and easy read, while the way Serpell hinted at some of the worst actions of the miscreants really made the book a page turner for me, as I couldn’t wait to see if they got their comeuppance.
On a personal note, as a Plymothian, I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more local flavour, to make me imagine I was there, but for others who aren’t familiar with the costal city then it wouldn’t make too much difference. Also, a lot of characters suffered from the cliched ‘holding the breath they didn’t know they had’, but when these two things make my list of gripes, then I’m really scraping the barrel.
Overall, ‘Her’ is a British crime-fiction page turner that is unique, dark and with an ever-increasing severity of crime that compels you to keep reading. It’ll have you rooting for some characters and begging for the downfall of others, and for that alone it deserves to be read.
