Taut domestic thriller set in Derbyshire's Peak District on a wintry New Year's Eve. 'The Dawning' explores the danger that can arise even at the heart of a family, over the course of one dark night.
The Dawning
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Review
A beautifully written, tightly controlled and intricately construncted novel - extremely rich and evocative --Nicholas Royle
Compelling, enthralling, ensnaring. Megan Taylor spins each character into life and then she makes us wait, breath held, as they unravel.... This writing is fearless, is full of heart, is very, very good --Caroline Smailes
Compelling, enthralling, ensnaring. Megan Taylor spins each character into life and then she makes us wait, breath held, as they unravel.... This writing is fearless, is full of heart, is very, very good --Caroline Smailes
About the Author
Megan Taylor lives in Nottingham. 'The Dawning' is her second novel. 'How We Were Lost' was published by Flame Books in 2007.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
New Year's Eve is generally a time of hope and celebration, a chance to say farewell to the old and welcome in the new. In The Dawning we're introduced to the Haywood family where there's little chance of hope or celebration. Over the course of one night each member faces the truth of their situation, with a dawning realisation that nothing is as they would like it to be.
The mother Stella is battling severe depression, the father Philip is entertaining fantasies of freedom, their eleven-year-old son Zachary (Zac) is busy avoiding the vicious school bully, while their teenage daughter Nicola can't quite believe how lucky she is to have a friend like Christine. Throughout this entire night baby Mia is an ever present after thought in the background.
The opening page describes a house in the Peak District that offers an illusion of warmth from the outside only to reveal an inner core that's a pressure cooker of tension. Zac feels `caught between two worlds' and rushes outside into the dark garden in search of relief.
"The air zips right up into the top of his nose and crackles there like tinfoil. The garden is freezing. Even the shadows look cold; the bushes are shivering, bristling as though with secrets."
The garden is full of secrets, and fear, as is the house. At first this scenario feels familiar, and then Taylor delivers a chilling shock that will knock the breath out of you, and then the shocks keep coming.
The writing is taut, visual and evocative as each member of the family falls apart. Some find an inner strength they hadn't realised they possessed; others are helped by unexpected sources, others sink even lower into a pit of self-inflicted misery. This book reels you in with each revelation and even though you instinctively know that it's going to get worse for the family you are compelled to read on, as it puts your emotions through a wringer and squeezes out every last drop of hope and horror. I was so riveted by this book that I read it in one sitting.
The mother Stella is battling severe depression, the father Philip is entertaining fantasies of freedom, their eleven-year-old son Zachary (Zac) is busy avoiding the vicious school bully, while their teenage daughter Nicola can't quite believe how lucky she is to have a friend like Christine. Throughout this entire night baby Mia is an ever present after thought in the background.
The opening page describes a house in the Peak District that offers an illusion of warmth from the outside only to reveal an inner core that's a pressure cooker of tension. Zac feels `caught between two worlds' and rushes outside into the dark garden in search of relief.
"The air zips right up into the top of his nose and crackles there like tinfoil. The garden is freezing. Even the shadows look cold; the bushes are shivering, bristling as though with secrets."
The garden is full of secrets, and fear, as is the house. At first this scenario feels familiar, and then Taylor delivers a chilling shock that will knock the breath out of you, and then the shocks keep coming.
The writing is taut, visual and evocative as each member of the family falls apart. Some find an inner strength they hadn't realised they possessed; others are helped by unexpected sources, others sink even lower into a pit of self-inflicted misery. This book reels you in with each revelation and even though you instinctively know that it's going to get worse for the family you are compelled to read on, as it puts your emotions through a wringer and squeezes out every last drop of hope and horror. I was so riveted by this book that I read it in one sitting.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Fiona Robyn
Format:Paperback
I much enjoyed Megan Taylor's novel 'How We Were Lost', and I wasn't disappointed by 'The Dawning'.
The author has an amazing ability to take us into her character's world - we can feel the gravel under their feet, and smell the frost in the air. As the story unfolded, I was gripped. Highly recommended.
The author has an amazing ability to take us into her character's world - we can feel the gravel under their feet, and smell the frost in the air. As the story unfolded, I was gripped. Highly recommended.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Annie Try
Format:Paperback
Pick up 'The Dawning' and you will probably be unable to put it down until you have followed a family through one incident-filled night. The tension is tight, the description vivid and the tales of each family member are all equally enthralling. Then, just as you think the night has finally resolved, there is one more discovery . . .
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't get into
I like most genres of literature and downloaded this book based on other readers reviews, however I am sorry to say that I just couldn't get into it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by LLHBOOKWORM
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Dawning
A story about a family on New Years Eve, Mum, Dad, teenage son & daughter & baby. Each chapter from the point of view of a different member of the family, all the usual hopes &... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Jacqueline Walsh
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring
I have never ever given up on a book - sometimes I wish I had, but this was the first time and I am glad I did! Read more
Published 10 months ago by I don't know!
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Dawning by Megan Taylor
A brilliant book, that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The whole story takes place over one New Year's Eve night, and describes the thoughts and actions of... Read more
Published on 25 May 2010 by J. Evans
5.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put it down
I love Megan Taylor's descriptions, she brings the world around her characters - and the characters themselves - vividly to life (the 'cocoa-and-biscuits' smell of a tiny baby). Read more
Published on 8 April 2010 by A. Case-Rogers
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful and haunting
Megan Taylor's `The Dawning' is a story about a family, the Haywoods, on the verge of a collective breakdown. The newborn, Mia, forms the lynchpin to the story. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2010 by Chicafiore
5.0 out of 5 stars
An indulgent read
The Dawning by Megan Taylor is an indulgent and very focused read. The story unravels over the space of about 12 hours from New Years eve onwards. Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2010 by Dee J Kirkby
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Family in Crisis
'The Dawning' follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of one family during the course of a New Year's Eve in the Peak District. Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2010 by Rowland Nelken
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