Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book totally blew me away. While it wasn’t an easy read (there are some stark themes and extreme emotions here), it was clever, intense and incredibly gripping. So much that I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I put the book down.
The book is structured as a Sliding-Doors-esque novel, in which two possible storylines evolve from a decision Jo makes on a night out with her best friend Laura. After being sexually harassed by a man at the bar she heads home, only to hear the sound every woman dreads. Footsteps following her. She turns, pushes, and her attacker falls down the steps, lying motionless on the ground. Should she call the police, turn herself in? Or should she run?
McAllister has touched on the fear many women have faced walking home on a dark night, and eloquently writes both narratives: conceal or reveal. The characterisation of Jo in both of these is incredibly adept, flowing smoothly and easily between the person she would’ve become based on that one decision. This is a compelling, thought-provoking book for anyone looking for a read just a little different than the usual ‘thriller’.
