I was thoroughly absorbed in this imaginative Sci Fi novel. There was so much to wonder about and piece together. There was an underlying sense of foreboding in each of the character's life experiences and I was eager to keep reading to find out where it was all leading. It was easy to feel empathy for some of the characters and I found myself dreaming up ways that the story could end in their favour. I like how the author cleverly rewrote history rather than using a futuristic setting. This will stay with me as one of my favourite books of 2025. I am curious to see what else this author has written.

A historic fiction story, The Book of Guilt (2025) by Catherine Chidgey is a pleasant read, with sinister undertones. Vincent, Lawrence and William are identical triplets who live in a secluded New Forest Manor and are watched around the clock by three mothers. Each morning, their nightmares are noted in the Book of Dreams, their daily lessons taken from The Book of Knowledge, and The Book of Guilt records their sinfulness. The brothers are part of a government scheme, requiring daily medication to fight the illness. With the imminent closure of the Sycamore Scheme, the boys' lives are irrevocably changed, and dark secrets will be revealed. The lulling, almost gentle narrative hides dark hints of malice, the true purpose of the triplets’ lives, and genetic antecedents. Although set in 1979 England, this is a sci-fi tale with a bleak, almost Armageddon feel, that has a somewhat disappointing ending and a three star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Penguin Random House Australia and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

Review:

The Book of Guilt is one of those rare reads that grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go. Catherine Chidgey’s writing is stunning - sharp, lyrical, and full of nuance💖 Every word feels intentional, every chapter peels back another layer of intrigue.

The story of the triplets is deeply compelling. Their individual struggles, their fractured memories, and their desperate attempts to untangle a past that won’t stay buried — it’s emotional, tense, and so raw. You feel their confusion, their guilt, their need to know. And the way the writer handles their unraveling truth is truly masterful🫶🏻

There’s so much depth here - family, identity, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. It’s complex but never confusing. Just beautifully, hauntingly done.

Taut, emotional, and richly layered, The Book of Guilt is a psychological journey into the depths of family, memory, and the cost of silence. Intricately written and impossible to put down, this book will stay with you long after the final page.

This engrossing and unsettling mystery is set in an alternate reality where young triplets live separated from the world with their every misdeed and dream meticulously recorded. The premise is chilling and the narrative is gripping, tackling themes of nature vs nurture and societal fear of those deemed “different”. It is a well-paced story with tension building as the sinister secrets hidden from the children are progressively revealed. Dystopian but not too far-fetched, this is a really good book.

Plot twist upon plot twist! A cool “virgin suicides” vibes story,which in my head has Fleetwood Mac exclusively playing. This book poses the age old question of nature vs nurture. You’ll spend your ethical hour with Mother Morning wondering if blood will win out…

Imagine three boys, raised in the quietest kind of isolation, their world shaped by the rotating care of three mysterious figures that they simply know as Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon, and Mother Night.

Every day is a carefully orchestrated routine which includes taking of medicine to ward off something called "The Bug." The Mothers document every slip-up, every childhood mischief, in the ominous-sounding "Book of Guilt."

This book dives deep into the age-old question of nature versus nurture & throwing in a hefty dose of how do we value those who are different from us? It has thought provoking ideas wrapped in a haunting package.

The author masterfully holds back the big reveal about their unusual home life until well into the story, giving you ample time to try piece together the puzzle yourself.

If you like dystopian fiction with a bit of mystery then this is for you

Thank you Catherine Chidgey, Penguin Random House Australia & NetGalley for an advanced copy. Social post on it's wayyy.

The story about a tripled growing up in a tightly secured house away from the society. Vincent, Lawrence, and William only had each other, growing up in the care of Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon, and Mother night. They followed their daily schedules, taking pills to keep them from the Bug, taking lessons from the Book of Knowledge, and trying to keep to their best behaviour to not get written up in the Book of Guilt. Like all the rest of the kids that grew up in the Home, the boys longed for the day they would be invited to go to Margate, the place where all the kids dream to go to have the best fun kids can get.

Until a change in minister and a slip of tongue from a local revealed a more sinister side of why they were brought up in this way. Suddenly secrets from the past were brought to light, Their mothers and lessons started to shook in lies and Margate didn't sound like the dream place they grew up to believe.

As the story progress, the sinister truth about the Homes, the government schemes supporting it, and the people involved were brought to light. The pacing and detailing that that author gave throughout the book was crazy, and honestly freaked me out how real it felt. The imagination and creativity in this book is out of the world. Honestly one of the best ARC I've read this year. I feel like I love and hate all the characters at the same time. It's a long and lengthy book, for good reasons. All the questions were answered at the end in the most satisfying way. One of the top read in 2025 for sure.

I was looking forward to reading another spectacular novel by the talented Catherine Chidgey and when The Book of Guilt became available as an ARC I hoped that I'd be given the chance to read it. Thank you so much!

This is my favourite of Chidgey's work so far. It began fairly quietly, but Catherine Chidgey is able to weave threads that gradually build tension and crescendo taking your emotions with the fall.

This story curls around your heart and squeezes.

The truth about which one was hurt by the psychotic "grieving" parents hit me in the feels. It was devastating.

I can't understand Vincent's love of William, but I love that Mother Night reappears.

This story will haunt me for a while.

Thank you @NetGalley and @PenguinRandomHouse for giving me an ARC of this beautiful book!
I was lucky enough to have read an ARC of this amazing book. The author has stunned me and left me speechless with this brilliant dystopian fiction. If Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro left an impact on you, you are going to enjoy this book a lot!
When you start reading, you will find yourself learning about 3 orphan triplets who are living in an orphan home with their carers, in the late 1900s, living their day-to-day lives waiting to be adopted. They do what they are told, like learning, taking their medicines, playing and chores of different types to enable them to grow up to become a fully functioning adult. All the boys want is to good enough to be accepted into this dream place called as Margate where the fun never ends. However, the more you delve into this book the more you will get to know the purpose of these boys, and the more your skin will crawl. She has brilliantly weaved a beautiful story out of things that may even happen in this weird world into something that will haunt you. I cannot recommend this book enough! Have thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will definitely buy a copy as soon as it is released! Release date 6th May 2025!

Thank you so much to @netgally @penguinrandom for letting me read this amazing ARC which is coming out in May and my god I just know this is gonna be a big hit.

Summary - In England 1970, 3 triplets are the last remaining children in an isolated home as part of the Sycamore scheme. They dream of going to ‘Margate’ which seems to be paradise. But unfortunately the government is shutting down the Sycamore scheme and as truths start to unfold, the triplets start to question everything they’ve been told.

Review - If Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro had an impact on you, then this is the book for you. I don’t want to give too much away in regard to this book but it was an insane moral and ethical fiction piece regarding how humans value one life over another.

I will admit the book started off slow but in hindsight, I think that build the suspense and when the bombs started to drop and the plot twists came, it made the impact so much harder. There were so many times where something was revealed and I sat staring at the page in shock.

This book was such an incredible story and really made me question whether it was even a fiction at times, because a lot of the events I definitely see happening in the future which is kind of scary making it an almost dystopian fiction but set in the past. As someone in science, it definitely made me question the ethics of research and it was just such an incredible read.

Catherine’s writing really put me through so many emotions and built up the plot twists and reveals so perfectly I am so so excited for the official release so more people can read this book !

Review time!!!!! Going into The Book of Guilt, I knew I was going to love it and I was right. The story unfolds bit by bit, sometimes leaving my mouth hanging open. The book is based in the late 70’s, England. Three young boys are raised in relative isolation as part of the government’s Sycamore scheme. Three women (Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Evening) are rostered around the clock to observe, care for and teach the boys. The triplets do their exercises and their chores, and swallow not only their medication, but also the lies they are constantly told.
My heart absolutely went out to the boys as more and more of their purpose in life was revealed, and how little their lives seemed to matter to some. It’s hard to write a review without spoiling the story, but just know this is a carefully crafted book by an incredibly talented author. I definitely need a trophy copy of this when it is released! I loved it so much. Pleeeeeeease get your hands on it when it’s is released (Pub date May 6th), I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished it.
Thankyou to Catherine Chidgey, the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
#thebookofguilt #netgalley