A page-turning historical thriller with hints of magical realism about a corrupt government torturing those with disabilities
It’s the 1800s in London, and twelve-year-old Cristal is on her way to Windsor Castle with her classmates when their carriage suddenly crashes and tumbles down a nearby ravine into a river, drowning everyone inside except Cristal.
As she flails in cold rushing water, she envisions a man in a white robe who speaks to her, as if in a dream, promising that, because she will save the lives of many, he will save her life for a price. That price is blindness. As she emerges from the water, she exclaims, “I see nothing. It’s nothing but darkness.”
In a town that labels people with disabilities as“deviants,” this is a steep trade-off. Lady Emma, the queen, has made it her mission to spread lies and skew public image about people with disabilities. As Cristal notes, “We are taught to see disability as a flaw. Not an ailment. Not a difference. A blemish—a stain upon the face of society that must be hidden away…or quietly disposed of.”To keep the town safe, everyone is required by law to report people with physical or mental ailments to the Royal Sanitary Commission of Moral Order.
Distraught, Tim tries to hide Cristal from the outside world; however, his wife brings her, without his permission, to St. Mary’s Institution for the Crippled. There, she’s stamped with the number 14420 and labeled by Lady Emma as “Cristal Blake. Twelve years old. Blind. Spirit intact. Dangerous.”
For two horrific years, Cristal endures Lady Emma’s daily torture, but once she’s proven to be unbreakable, Cristal is moved to the Waste Treatment Plant, an institution where “officially, it handles the city’s waste—burning trash to heat the clean quarters of Westminster and Chelsea. But the whispers said it disposed of more than just trash. Children, they murmur. The broken ones. The burdens.”
On the way, Cristal’s carriage crashes and the door breaks loose, allowing her to jump to freedom. Roy—a guard at St. Mary’s who secretly helps children escape—brings her to a safe house he’s created where she meets dozens of other children with disabilities.
Roy introduces Cristal to Leo, who becomes her good friend. Together, Leo and Cristal learn more about the man in white, foretelling of a time when a girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and the number 14420 on her shoulder would lead them to freedom.
Deploring the trauma these children have faced, there’s also a surprise hero that makes this Lonely World a little less lonely for Cristal. “One day, she will ask me what I did to fight back”—and fight back he does, inspiring change.
As readers learn about the atrocities the government hides, it’s easy to wonder how the man in white fits into the narrative: is he good or evil? For sure, the plot twist at the end culminates with a feeling of thrill and anticipation. Even more, the topic of blindness and disability is written respectfully, showing heroism and bravery in children who’ve faced extreme hardships.
While a couple plot points feel contrived (like a scene where the children dress as guards), the overall narrative is compelling and reflective. As readers witness the stark horrors of torture toward children at the hands of a lying government, it begs the question: when is enough enough? At what point should one move from passivity to action?
“I told myself that it was for the best, they’ll take care of her, she’s safer there, but that’s all I was doing, spinning lies. Lies like that are soft enough to sleep on, until you wake.”
While not for the faint of heart with its inclusion of torture on children, this thriller is as thought-provoking as it is action-packed with important themes of bravery, ableism, and corruption.
The post Lonely World by Megan Hale appeared first on Independent Book Review.