Ken Vaughan's Reviews > Mathilda Savitch

Mathilda Savitch tells the story of her life so far in this odd but engaging and powerful novel. Though not specifically revealed, she would seem to be around 12 or 13, the remaining daughter of parents so grief stricken at the death of their older, 16 year old daughter a year earlier that they are almost dysfunctional, sleepwalking through life and still unable to deal with their loss, and certainly doing a poor job of parenting. Mathilda, one of the most precocious kids you will ever meet between the covers of a novel, decides to act out her frustration, shocking friends and teachers with her behaviour, and confronting her parents with the reality of her sister’s death (she was pushed in front of a moving train). Meanwhile, she manages to access her sister’s email, begins to piece together the last weeks of her life, and slowly narrows the field of potential murderers. Readers who enjoyed The sweetness at the bottom of the pie will find much to savour here, especially the wit and diabolical intelligence of Mathilda. The message is, however, much more serious, as we watch this family so consumed with grief, and follow the fearless attempts of the young protagonist to break through to the truth.