It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.
The accident season has been a part of life for Cara and her family for as long as anyone can remember. Every October, they unplug the gas main, hide sharp objects and bubble-wrap the furniture. And yet still the accidents happen, until one October when Cara notices something very odd about a friend from school, Elsie, and decides to investigate.
Part mystery, part ghost story, part romance, this book has elements that will appeal to a lot of people and there are aspects of this book that I absolutely loved. I thought the romantic parts were written beautifully and the concept of the accident season itself is really unique and interesting. When the final denouement comes, it was a surprise that left me reading until two in the morning but even when the explanations were finished some threads were left dangling (what was the deal with the costume shop? And Elsie’s school file?) which have kept me thinking about the book the next day.
It took me a couple of chapters or so to properly get into The Accident Season; the prose is very lyrical, and dreamy, floaty prose usually isn’t my thing. Some parts left me feeling a bit like Jennifer Connolly in Labyrinth: constantly searching, but unable to get a simple, straight answer. However, I’m glad I pushed through because the plot and characterisation are superb and The Accident Season ended up being a real find.
8.5/10