Review: Cedar Valley

Cedar Valley by Holly Throsby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SWEET JEEZUZ I NEED A MINUTE HERE.

I just ... what?

I'm so confused.

Help.

***

Ok.

So.

This was a fantastic book.

Me and Australian small towns don't really get along. Both in life and in the literary world. I hate the small-town vibe where everyone knows everyone and gossips about everyone else's business. I hate the lack of drive, how everyone is just settled into their dull routines and passes every day the same. I've got a Took spirit, like Bilbo. I want adventure and mountains and hey if there's dragons I'm not gonna complain.

(I should also mention that, if you are from a small town, I realise my opinions of you and your lifestyle are completely unfair, stereotyped and likely untrue. Please forgive me.)

When it comes to Australian books set in small towns, they have to be pretty special. They have to give me something new and different.

You know what this book gave me?

An appreciation for the simplicity of life in a small town.

How the heck did that happen??!

Maybe it had something to do with the way Benny became a part of the town so easily? Maybe it was to do with how comforting she found it, and how naturally she got along with everyone. I'll admit it - I was envious. She made it seem like such a wonderful adventure, to go and live among these people and become one of them.

There are also some brilliant, 'Australia in the 90s' references which I really enjoyed. Who doesn't love a side of nostalgia with their small-town story? But it never went overboard; never overindulged in describing things or included things that didn't need to be included. Everything had its place. It not only held my interest but had me picturing the town so vividly. This book has such a wonderful community vibe and for the duration of reading I really felt like I was a part of it.

There's a really neat parallel between Benny settling in, and the mystery of the man outside Curios. There's so many unanswered questions and curiosities, and this book threw me from page 7. SEVEN. It effectively kept me hooked on the mystery while trying to also figure out the life of Benny's mother, who has recently passed. There's the sense that the two are connected, but there's no possible way to work out how.

Now, allow me to explain my initial comments upon concluding this novel. I won't detail any spoilers, but I'll add the tag in case it gives you too much of an idea of how things may turn out.

(view spoiler)[This is one of those books that expects you to put the pieces together yourself. It means that if you miss clues, or want things tied up in a neat little bow, you may end up as confused as I did. This is not a bad thing. It actually causes quite an interesting sensation, to not have things spelled out at the end. I was left completely mystified by the ending, and I'm still trying to puzzle it out. (hide spoiler)]

There are some interesting, if familiar, characters, and I particularly enjoyed Cora's growth. She seemed so easy to look down on at the start but by the end of the novel I really appreciated who she was. Plus if I had a neighbour that constantly bought me cake I'm pretty sure we'd be BFFs instantly.

This was a true delight to read, and I think fans of Australian fiction will enjoy this small town story that revolves around a mysterious man and a new girl settling in. It's set in 1993 so there's some fun references, and it paints such a beautiful, peaceful portrait of a quaint little life.

Highly recommend.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read and review.

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