In her debut novel Nondescript Rambunctious Jackie Bateman turned genre stereotype on its head, and in the process won the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University’s First Book Competition. The sequel, Savour, does not disappoint, with a continuing refreshingly new take on a now-familiar storyline. Sophisticated and more literary than the first, this second novel keeps the debut’s intensity, picking up the story in its next chapter. Savour follows the original victim’s daughter, Lizzy, three years after her mother’s disappearance and her subsequent flight to London, with predators new and old lurking around every corner.
Savour is decidedly more psychological and less sinister than its prequel, with a less urgent tone and more complex storyline, as a result of the development the characters have undergone. Serial killer Oliver has shifted from the role of the threatening stalker to being possessively paternal – he addresses many of his thoughts to Lizzy about his uncertainty in that role: “Am I a friend or an enemy? You could never imagine how deeply I care about your well being, dissonant with my deep desire to make you my victim…It’s endearing that you’re keeping an eye out for the wrong person. Because there isonly one real threat left, and that is me”. While still decidedly creepy, he is no longer a looming threat in quite the same way, although there are hints that he may become more of a predator again in the future.
Lizzy is also no longer the innocent preteen caught up in the aftermath of her mother’s death, but now described as “at once angelic and street savvy” in a clever mingling of new and old. Lizzy is a fundamentally sweet person who has been hardened by her reality, nevertheless holding onto her humanity. Simon, the boyfriend who originally saved her from her harsh reality, has now become one of them, succumbing entirely to his addictions.
New characters have brought with them a more involved subplot than in the previous novel, to the point where they have very little to do with the main character. We are introduced to a man in search of his long-lost twin sister, who happens to be an acquaintance of Oliver’s: “How people could be mentally affected and scarred had fascinated her from a young age.” If anything, this is the more urgent portion of the plot as you desperately hope that he will not succeed in his quest to find her.
Unfortunately, the new complexity of character has caused the loss of much of the urgent intensity of the first novel, and while this new novel is still very good, it isn’t as much of a page turner. On the flip side, we get a much more thorough look into the thoughts and behaviours of each of the characters.
The first novel gave us insight into the characters’ motives through close narration, but in Savour we are granted long passages from Oliver, directing his thoughts to Lizzy as described above, but also passages from Lizzy, in prayer to her mother, whom she sees as a sort of guardian angel watching over her:
I met a new friend, today, Mum. She’s called Natalie, and she’s dead sweet and likes a laugh. She reminds me a bit of Molly from home, in that innocent way, but at the same time she’s into trendy clothes and wears make-up. I thought at first she was just a kid, but she’s not that much younger than me. Even so, I’ll need to watch out for her a bit, especially with that Spinner guy sniffing around where he’s not wanted. He’s a total creep. You’d hate him. I know you would. You’d say he was a choob, a waster.
These passages not only give us insight into Lizzy’s behaviours, but also add a human touch to a potentially disturbing novel. The intense examination of the minds of two sociopaths and their actions is balanced by the mind of a young woman with a heart of gold. This is another instance where Bateman’s writing style is different from many in the genre; while this is a story of murder and mystery, it is also the journey of a homeless young woman putting her life back together after a severe trauma.
The novel also sets up our expectation that it will be like the first – with the mysterious disappearance of a character early in the novel, the same or similar characters, and a similar plot – but then does precisely the opposite of what you expect.
An enjoyable read for the avid mystery lover and those new to the genre alike, this series will leave you begging for more. Nodding to her readers’ expectations and then doing something else entirely seems to be Bateman’s trademark and I eagerly await the release of her next novel!
Anvil | 256 pages | $20.00 | paper | ISBN # 978-1772140002
‘Savour’ by Jackie Bateman
Book Reviews
In her debut novel Nondescript Rambunctious Jackie Bateman turned genre stereotype on its head, and in the process won the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University’s First Book Competition. The sequel, Savour, does not disappoint, with a continuing refreshingly new take on a now-familiar storyline. Sophisticated and more literary than the first, this second novel keeps the debut’s intensity, picking up the story in its next chapter. Savour follows the original victim’s daughter, Lizzy, three years after her mother’s disappearance and her subsequent flight to London, with predators new and old lurking around every corner.
Savour is decidedly more psychological and less sinister than its prequel, with a less urgent tone and more complex storyline, as a result of the development the characters have undergone. Serial killer Oliver has shifted from the role of the threatening stalker to being possessively paternal – he addresses many of his thoughts to Lizzy about his uncertainty in that role: “Am I a friend or an enemy? You could never imagine how deeply I care about your well being, dissonant with my deep desire to make you my victim…It’s endearing that you’re keeping an eye out for the wrong person. Because there isonly one real threat left, and that is me”. While still decidedly creepy, he is no longer a looming threat in quite the same way, although there are hints that he may become more of a predator again in the future.
Lizzy is also no longer the innocent preteen caught up in the aftermath of her mother’s death, but now described as “at once angelic and street savvy” in a clever mingling of new and old. Lizzy is a fundamentally sweet person who has been hardened by her reality, nevertheless holding onto her humanity. Simon, the boyfriend who originally saved her from her harsh reality, has now become one of them, succumbing entirely to his addictions.
New characters have brought with them a more involved subplot than in the previous novel, to the point where they have very little to do with the main character. We are introduced to a man in search of his long-lost twin sister, who happens to be an acquaintance of Oliver’s: “How people could be mentally affected and scarred had fascinated her from a young age.” If anything, this is the more urgent portion of the plot as you desperately hope that he will not succeed in his quest to find her.
Unfortunately, the new complexity of character has caused the loss of much of the urgent intensity of the first novel, and while this new novel is still very good, it isn’t as much of a page turner. On the flip side, we get a much more thorough look into the thoughts and behaviours of each of the characters.
The first novel gave us insight into the characters’ motives through close narration, but in Savour we are granted long passages from Oliver, directing his thoughts to Lizzy as described above, but also passages from Lizzy, in prayer to her mother, whom she sees as a sort of guardian angel watching over her:
I met a new friend, today, Mum. She’s called Natalie, and she’s dead sweet and likes a laugh. She reminds me a bit of Molly from home, in that innocent way, but at the same time she’s into trendy clothes and wears make-up. I thought at first she was just a kid, but she’s not that much younger than me. Even so, I’ll need to watch out for her a bit, especially with that Spinner guy sniffing around where he’s not wanted. He’s a total creep. You’d hate him. I know you would. You’d say he was a choob, a waster.
These passages not only give us insight into Lizzy’s behaviours, but also add a human touch to a potentially disturbing novel. The intense examination of the minds of two sociopaths and their actions is balanced by the mind of a young woman with a heart of gold. This is another instance where Bateman’s writing style is different from many in the genre; while this is a story of murder and mystery, it is also the journey of a homeless young woman putting her life back together after a severe trauma.
The novel also sets up our expectation that it will be like the first – with the mysterious disappearance of a character early in the novel, the same or similar characters, and a similar plot – but then does precisely the opposite of what you expect.
An enjoyable read for the avid mystery lover and those new to the genre alike, this series will leave you begging for more. Nodding to her readers’ expectations and then doing something else entirely seems to be Bateman’s trademark and I eagerly await the release of her next novel!
Anvil | 256 pages | $20.00 | paper | ISBN # 978-1772140002