Book Review: Black Heart Blue by Louisa Reid

"They tried to make me go to my sister's funeral today. In the end I had to give in... I'd been walking in her shadow for sixteen years and I liked its cool darkness. It was a good place to hide."
Rebecca's twin sister Hephzibah was beautiful and daring. She was the one who always wanted more. The one who wouldn't listen. Now she's gone. Rebecca is alone.
While there were two of them, they stayed silent about their home life. But Rebecca, who knows the truth about how her twin died, suddenly finds herself keeping too many secrets. Hephzibah dreamt of escape, but failed. Could Rebecca be the one to find freedom?
Original and unforgettable, Black Heart Blue is not just Rebecca and Hephzibah's story. It is a story about all of us: a story about the lies we want to believe, the truth we sometimes can't accept, and having the courage to discover the difference.

Wow, this book is a brilliantly powerful read. I became completely engrossed in Rebecca and Hephzibah's story and I have thought about the book so much since I finished it.
Black Heart Blue looks in detail at the issue of child abuse. Rebecca and Hephzibah's father is the local vicar and it appears that he is above suspicion. The two girls undergo years of systematic abuse and live in fear of their parents who they call The Mother and The Father.
The book is written from both sisters' perspectives, before and after Hephzibah's death. It is interesting to see how both sisters interpret the situation and how much they love and want to protect each other.
Both girls just want to be normal, they have no grand ambitions, just to feel safe and happy, things that most of us take for granted.
Louisa Reid is an excellent author, I felt that she really expressed the horrors of the situation. I found myself crying in several places as Rebecca and Hephzibah's story was so believable. The author also highlights the difference between people who turn a blind eye and those who will put themselves out to help and protect others.
Black Heart Blue is a difficult  but excellent read. I think that Louisa Reid has been incredibly brave to tackle such a difficult and emotive issue in her first book. Her writing style draws you in and I hope that she has many more books to offer in the future.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Many thanks to Penguin for sending me a copy of this book to review, Black Heart Blue is out now.