Shirley Marr’s writing style is crisp, fast paced and
snappy. I’ve heard very good things about her novel ‘Fury’ but haven’t had a
chance to read it yet, so Preloved was my introduction to her.
The book is from the point of view of Amy who feels like she
is a minor character in the ‘movie’ of her best friend Rebecca. Her mother is
always offering snippets of Chinese mythology and superstition, that she has
trouble identifying with, and her father hasn’t made any attempt to be a father
since their separation. One day, a locket finds its way to Rebecca who discards
it and Amy becomes focused on getting it open. When she manages to open it, it
contains the photo of a very attractive boy from the 80’s – whose ghost starts
to follow her around. J
Preloved works on a number of levels. Firstly, it is
relatable, in that the characters were like ones I went to high school with. It
felt Australian, without the slightest hint of Australiana. Despite one of the
main aspects of it being about Eastern philosophy, and the main character’s
family being Chinese, at no point did I feel ostracised by this. Amy is trying
to reconcile her beliefs and those of her mother throughout the story so it is
easy for a non-Chinese reader (such as myself) to identify with her.
I felt this was a well done twist on the paranormal romance
genre, as it wasn’t anywhere near as other-worldly and soppy as others in this
genre. And despite the myriad of 80’s references, it had a very contemporary
feel to it. It’s definitely one that I can see teen readers devouring, much
like the hungry ghosts the book deals with.
Find it on Goodreads
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