Reviews: Rupture (2)

At a north London comprehensive, a teacher calmly walks into an assembly and shoots three pupils and a teacher before turning the gun on himself. DI Lucia May is assigned to this apparently straightforward case, but discovers through the testimonies of those at the school an underlying culture of bullying and harassment.
She finds herself at the mercy of her colleagues and the powers that be as she seeks a kind of justice for the perpetrator of this crime. Rupture is a brooding and contemplative novel that serves as a damning indictment of the pernicious nature of bullying and the effect on its victims.

A gripping and thought-provoking read, Rupture looks beyond the headlines of a school shooting and examines the endemic nature of bullying in society. AS DI May pieces together evidence in the aftermath of the tragedy a series of witness statements, some funny, some painful, some truly horrifying, are woven together to form a complex and emotive picture of life at a north London comprehensive school. What perhaps made the novel and its conclusions all the more chilling is that many of the incidents/characters could have been from my own school days. Brilliant stuff!
Due to the innovative structure of the book, many of the characters only appear as snapshots. While from a less talented writer such a technique could easily annoy, Lelic's sparse prose and clever use of syntax mean even the most minor characters are fully realised and thoroughly engaging. What's more, the personal difficulties of the protagonist DI May, which alternate with the witness statements, gives the story the momentum that ensures this novel is also a real page-turner. I loved this book and cannot wait to see what Lelic writes next!