Three boys, triplets, are the last residents at Captain Scott Home for Boys, part of the Sycamore scheme run by the government and Dr Roach. It’s set in 1979 and narrated by Vincent, one of the boys; Nancy, a young girl not allowed outside by her parents; and the Minister for Loneliness who is given the job of winding up the scheme and finding homes for the children.
This was a slow yet gripping read. For me it had ‘Never Let Me Go’ vibes from the start but does go in a different direction.

Received as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (and mild psychological trauma).

Catherine Chidgey has written what I can only describe as "1984 meets Three Men and a Baby, but make it deeply unsettling." The Book of Guilt follows triplets Vincent, Lawrence, and William—the last kids standing at a government-run Sycamore Home that's about to close. They're cared for by three women mysteriously named Morning, Afternoon, and Night, who dispense strange medicine and maintain the boys in blissful ignorance about the outside world.

The Good Stuff
This book fascinates from the start. What exactly is going on with the boys in the big house in the 70s? Why are their dreams so important? And why are they getting multiple medications? What illness do they have? Chidgey masterfully plants these questions early and then tortures you with patience while doling out answers.

Narrated by Vincent (one of the triplets), the book delivers a slow-build tension that's more addictive than whatever mysterious medicine the boys are taking. His voice is innocent but observant, and through his perspective we begin to piece together the chilling reality before he does—which is both brilliant and mildly infuriating. You'll find yourself shouting "NO, DON'T TRUST THEM!" at a fictional child, which is always a sign of quality literature.

The structure is particularly clever. Another narrator, Nancy, lives in near isolation with overprotective parents, and her mysterious story weaves throughout like a particularly persistent subplot that refuses to be ignored. I loved this puzzle-like approach—it made the reading experience more immersive, as if I were solving a mystery while the protagonists remained blissfully unaware they were even IN one.

The story has echoes of Never Let Me Go, but Chidgey asks an even more unsettling question: is evil inherited or is it learned? (Spoiler alert: the answer will keep you awake at night.) She creates an original, heartbreaking and terrifying alternate reality that keeps you deeply engrossed till the end.

The Uncomfortable Reality
This book is funny until it absolutely isn't. The horror lies not in monsters but in forms, protocols, and the terrifying efficiency of systems designed to make the unthinkable routine. It's dystopia that feels uncomfortably plausible—like Chidgey read too many government memos and thought, "I bet I could make this worse."

Minor Quibbles
Chidgey's restraint occasionally borders on maddening. Sometimes you want to grab the book and shout, "JUST TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING!" But this gradual revelation is probably what makes it so effective.

Also, fair warning: not a beach read unless your idea of relaxation involves existential dread.
Bottom Line

The Book of Guilt is brilliant, disturbing, occasionally hilarious, and absolutely unforgettable. If you enjoyed Never Let Me Go but wished it had more dark humor and British bureaucratic nightmare fuel, this is your book.

Perfect for: Fans of nuanced dystopian fiction who aren't afraid of being emotionally devastated by excellent literature.

Avoid if: You prefer clear heroes and villains, or you have strong feelings about government forms and don't want them ruined forever.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. Sending you my therapy bills.

creepy, dark & disturbing this story unfolds in the same vein as Never Let Me Go.

identical triplets, Vincent, Lawrence and William live at Captain Scott house, a state home full of multiple child orphans. Their every waking moment is documented by their Mothers - carers on shift

slowly slowly their circumstances and origin unfold as a government Minister is assigned to close down the House that the boys have been raised in

This dystopian book is set in the 1970s in an alternative world where nobody won WWII. Triplets Vincent, William and Lawrence are the only remaining children living at the Captain Scott Home for Boys. Every day, they are fed medicine to protect them against a 'bug' which threatens to make them ill and to which some of the other children living there have succumbed. The children who have recovered from their illness have been sent off to live at Margate, a place described as magical for children.

Nearby, 13 year old Nancy lives with her parents who never allow her to leave the house. When the triplets' lives intersect with Nancy, they start to learn the truth about who they are, why they are often ill, how the Sycamore Project involves them and whether they'll ever make it to Margate.

I don't want to give away too much about this eerie story which draws you into the mystery surrounding these children's lives. The story is quite spine-chilling and Chidgey manages to build a growing sense of unease as the story reaches its incredible conclusion. A great read. I'm keen to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Set in an alternate timeline where no-one won World War 2, the allies negotiated peace with Nazi Germany and accepted fascism in Eastern Europe and elements thereof in their own societies for the sake of an end to the war. This is an entertaining novel that examines fascism, nature versus nurture, who counts as a person and if so what is their worth, with a creeping sense of dread throughout the narrative.

Told mostly from the point of view of two isolated children, the author skilfully uses this focalisation to slowly let the reader in on what is happening and the three boys’ reason for existing. This is sci-fi in the vein of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, heavier on the -fi than the sci- and highly worth reading.

The Book of Guilt was beautifully written. I was drawn in immediately, and I devoured it in one sitting. It was full of suspense, mystery, secrets, lies, and betrayal.

I loved Vincent, Lawrence, and Nancy. William was more difficult to like. They all had an innocence about them that was partly because of how sheltered they were, and partly because of the way of the times. (1970's)

The storyline was compelling, intriguing, and very unique. Catherine has a gorgeous writing style. It draws you right into the story and doesn't let go.
I know this is going to be one of those unforgettable novels that stays with you for a long time.

The Book of Guilt is the first book I've read from Catherine Chidgey, but it definitely won't be the last. I'll be looking up all her previous novels and then impatiently waiting for the next.
I very highly recommend.

5 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Australia, and Catherine Chidgey for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for my copy of the book of guilt. What an interesting subject. I really enjoyed it. The characters were believable and it made you feel in this day and age it was not beyond the realms of possibilities. We live in an evil world where I wouldn’t be surprised this could occur

An enjoyable read indeed. Be warned that it is a slow burn story until the latter half, when fireworks are set off with Catherine wheels and banging surprises.

Catherine Chidgey's use of an alternative reality was used sparingly, mainly to shorten World War Two and to lay the founding premise for the ensuing story. 

The story setting of 1979 suburban England was uncannily close, to how I remember the time. It was well written and descriptive with great detail. 

There was the regular use of references to the TV program of “Jim'll Fix It”. This may have been distasteful to those of us who know that Jim was Jimmy Saville, discovered later to be Britain's most prolific sexual predator of all time. The author perhaps used this fact to give readers in the know, a greater sense of unease and discomfort, along with that emanating from the strangeness of the living situations of the book's children.

In conclusion, New Zealand's literary icon, Catherine Chidgey, has given us a beautifully written, maybe morally challenging story if the ethical implications are thought through.

Have you ever considered the times a person’s name might have influenced the course of their life? Is the need to please previous generations greater than the need to love future ones? This is just a taste of some of the soul searching questions Florence Knapp considers in this incredible piece of writing. Do you unwittingly send a message that one’s life is destined to follow the same path, when the real hope is for children to tread their own.

Spanning thirty-five years, the author provides three alternate versions of a mother and her young son's lives, simply shaped by her choice of name. The prose is rich as it explores the ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of healing. This is so clever as it contains a unique structure with each POV having its merits. Heartfelt and heartbreaking in an emotionally profound way, exploring abuse and the effect it has far and wide for years to come.




‘Maybe consenting to live in the shadow of his father and his father’s father is only perpetuating the likeness, increasing the weight of it for him. Perhaps calling their child something different would be a liberation. Not at first, but later.’

Three brothers are the only boys left in an orphanage whose dark secret is the reason for their existence and the key to their survival. A profoundly unnerving exploration of belonging in a world where some lives are valued less than others. A story that gradually surrenders its dark secrets and brings to light the horrifying truth about the orphanage’s origins and the boys likely fate. Few readers will finish this book unshaken.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐲

Catherine Chidgey is always trying new things and that’s what I love about her. The Book of Guilt is her first foray into dystopian fiction. Set in an alternate 1979 England, the story unfolds in a world where the Second World War ended in 1943 with Hitler's assassination, leading to a peace treaty and subsequent collaboration with Nazi Germany. This collaboration includes the sharing of medical research, some of which originates from unethical experiments conducted in concentration camps. The narrative centers on 13-year-old triplets—Vincent, William, and Lawrence—who reside in Captain Scott House, a children's home under the government's Sycamore Scheme. They are raised by three maternal figures, known as Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon, and Mother Night, and are monitored through three books: The Book of Dreams, The Book of Knowledge, and The Book of Guilt. The boys dream of escaping to the Big House in Margate, a promised utopia. However, as they grow older, they begin to question their reality and the true nature of their existence.

The thing is, this does feel a little like Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, with a focus on the lives of children in an institution and the gradual revelation of their purpose. But there are more political dimensions here, exploring state-sanctioned dehumanization, societal complicity, and the ethical implications of scientific

It’s quite a haunting book, and the exploration of identity and ethics was fascinating. Chidgey's adept storytelling and the novel's rich atmosphere make it a page-turner. While it draws parallels to Ishiguro's work, it also offers a distinct narrative that challenges readers to reflect on the complexities of societal structures and individual agency.

I 'discovered' Catherine Chidgey last year with The Axeman's Carnival and was blown away by her storytelling style. The Book of Guilt is a completely different story, but the same magic Chidgey storytelling ability is present on every page.

I was captivated from page one, in a way that I wasn't with Ishiguro's Never Let me Go, which everyone is naturally comparing this book to. I confess that I never got what the fuss was about with Never Let Me Go despite being a HUGE ishiguro fan. The story of the triplets life in Sycamore House in a 1979 that is not quite the 1979 we remember. In this world, WWII ended when Hitler was killed by an assassin with a bomb. No-one won or loss the war. It just ended. Chidgey explores the impact this alternate reality might have had on the progress of science and medicine and the ethics surrounding its use.

This is one book where the alternating chapters does not grate on the reader. You can sense the various strands slowly coming together and Chidgey gradually reveals the details of this world and the tragedy at the heart of this story. I couldn't put this down.

I read Catherine Chidgey's book The Axeman's Carnival last year and really enjoyed how unusual the subject matter was. I mean a talking magpie that helps support a woman in an oppressive marriage? She strikes me as an author that really pushes herself to try new things as from what I gather some of her other books like Pet (which I have but haven't read yet) and Remote Sympathy are very different.

This variety of topic and style has continued with The Book of Guilt which was just recently released. This was a creepy unsettling dystopian type novel set in the seventies in England with a completely unexpected storyline.

At a huge country house teenagers Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents and a part of the government's Sycamore Scheme. Each day is the same, they do chores, play games and take the medicine they are required to all the while being cared for by three mothers - Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night. Their nightmares are recorded in The Book of Dreams. Their lessons are taken from The Book of Knowledge. And their sins are reported in The Book of Guilt.

As the government plans to shut down the Sycamore Homes the triplets, particularly Vincent, start to have doubts about what they've been told about their lives. What comes next is a slow unfolding of a horrifying series of events that have led to the triplets being who and what they are. It is really hard to say much more than this without spoiling the reveals.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. It was a great premise and truly unsettling but it just didn't hold my interest enough to really love it. But I do think it suffered from me reading it over a longer period than I'd normally read a book so perhaps a slightly more me issue than that of the book. Catherine Chidgey is a talented author and I'm looking forward to trying out Pet soon.

Catherine Chidgey’s The Book of Guilt is an alternate history played out mainly in a slightly different world of 1970s Britain. It is a book that plays its revelations very close to its chest, letting the readers try and figure things out first through hints and clues. Chidgey builds a sense of both fascination and dread as small details are revealed. And in doing so Chidgey explores ideas of prejudice, belonging, connection and ultimately, what it means to be human.
The Book of Guilt centres around triplets Vincent, Lawrence and William who are the last residents at an odd orphanage in Britain in the late 1970s as part of something called the Sycamore program. Readers quickly learn that this is an alternative Britain in which Hitler was assassinated in 1943 and the war quickly ended after that with an armistice. It is hinted, that as a result, German wartime medical experiments on prisoners became part of mainstream science and research. Twenty-five years later, these boys are somehow part of that research tradition, although it takes quite a while to find out how.
When the book opens, the British government has decided to shut the Sycamore program down. The Minister responsible has been charged with closing the homes and finding new homes for the remaining children. Although that proves difficult as the children of the homes have a bad reputation, and that are not seen as entirely human. Meanwhile, in another thread a teenager called Nancy is kept trapped in the family home by her parents.
Much of the book is told from either Vincent or Nancy’s fairly naïve points-of-view. This allows Gidgey to drop hints about what is going on, while building a solid picture of their worlds. She does so in a way that readers understand more than the characters themselves, a technique that increases the tension. The third point of view is that of the Minister, who is caught in a political quagmire while trying to do the right thing by the Sycamore children.
There is plenty to chew on thematically here. Starting with the dehumanisation of prisoners of war and their use for medical research by Nazi doctors. And then just the general use of humans as test subjects, whether or not there is a broader social benefit down the line. But Gidgey also considers broader issues such as nature versus nurture, the treatment of children in institutions more broadly and how people deal with grief.
The Book of Guilt is reminiscent of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, both in its alternate history/retro styling and some of its themes. But while she explores some of the same moral and ethical landscape, Gidgey does set this book apart with her young, naïve narrators and broader construction of her world. And she layers her world and the situations that her characters find themselves in into a slow burn thriller with heart and plenty to think about and devastative, poignant conclusion.

I really enjoyed reading the ‘The Book of Guilt’. I was captured by the stories of three brothers and their lives within a 1970’s boys home and the peculiar life of Nancy and her parents. At first I thought the story quite innocent, boys playing in fields and living in the country. However, glimpses of something more dark would creep up and make you question their existence. From the towns people, to the carers, to the odd conversations and the Minister of Lonliness’ role, we realise that the world in which these children live is more sinister and un-kind. The final chapters draw you in and the suspense and mystery keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to know more.
This would have to be one of my favourite contemporary fiction novels this year and is out now. Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC copy for my honest review.

In a dystopian 1970s Britain, thirteen year old identical triplets William, Vincent and Lawrence are the last children left in the Captain Scott Home for Boys. They are cared for round the clock by three women who feed, clothe and educate them and make sure they take any medicine prescribed by the doctor who visits. Their dreams are recorded in the Book of Dreams and all their wrong doings are written down in the Book of Guilt. They seem to be leading a fairly normal, if boring childhood, where they are allowed to play outside and occasionally run errands to the local village, but do not go to school or mix with other children. The boys dream of leaving to go to a new home in Margate by the sea where other children from the home have been sent. However, their lives are about to change when the Government decides to close the home.

Gradually a sinister edge creeps into this unsettling tale, as it’s slowly revealed why the boys are in the home and what is planned for them. It’s dark and truly horrifying and makes for an exceptionally good read!

I found this novel different from what I would normally read. It certainly kept my interest as I was not sure which direction it was going. It took halfway through before the dots joined and then became compelling to keep reading. I found it a bit sad and cruel in sections but all in the contexts of the story. Overall a good read if you are seeking something different.

This is my first Catherine Chidgey and was an unexpected pleasure.
The story centres around triplets in 1970s England. They live in a home with three 'mothers ' and record their dreams and faults. Other main characters include the Minister of loneliness and Nancy. The story weaves into a surprising conclusion that smacks of a possible dystopia future.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.
Fans of Margaret Atwood and George Orwell will enjoy.

In an England not too far removed, a triplet of 13-year old boys—the last remaining residents of a secluded care home, part of the government's 'Sycamore Scheme'—imagine a life of sun, sea and fairground rides. The Book of Knowledge holds their truths, the Book of Dream portends their future, the Book of Guilt seals their fate.
With measured patience, the secrets of this unsettling and strange novel are revealed. Who is the dark-haired girl in their shared dreams? Why are the locals in the village forbidden to engage with them? Will Dr Roach's canary-yellow pills make them better, or keep them sick? Why was there a page missing from the Book of Knowledge? Why was the Minister of Loneliness visiting the home?
Maybe not a page turner, but a well-written, emotionally charged and thought provoking story, this is Catherine Chidgey's ninth novel, but the first of hers I've read. By no means the last, though.
But it leaves the question unanswered: how far could you go for 'the greater good'?
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the advanced book to review read and review.
Four stars

England, 1979. Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents of a secluded New Forest home, part of the government’s Sycamore Scheme. Everyday, the triplets, under the watchful eyes of Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night, do their chores, play their games and most importantly, they take their medicine.

All the boys want, is to get better so they can be sent to the Big House in Margate where a life of sun, sea and fairground rides await them.
But as the government looks to shut down the scheme, the triplets begin to question everything, including how far the government would go to keep their secrets hidden.

This is such an interesting idea and while a little slow at the start, I love the way the truths about the Sycamore Scheme are revealed. Just when you think that it can’t possibly get more twisted, there’s a new revelation that just makes your stomach turn.

Without saying too much, this is an interesting dystopian novel which makes us question how far we’d go in the name of science and what would be the line that we’d cross to make that happen.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Australia, NetGalley and the author for my copy of this book in exchange for a review