My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐
As the story begins we meet Wendy, who has just committed a felony, an “ art heist”, and is hiding out in the attic of the house she shares with her Gran who raised her. As the narrative progresses, Wendy, who loves writing poetry and learning new words, takes us through the sequence of events that has led to her present state. Unemployed after her love for using big words lands her in trouble in her call-center job, she finds herself alone and depressed, not quite motivated to search for a job. Her friendship with Catriona, “Cat”, proves to bring a breath of fresh air into her life. Socially uncomfortable, with only few friends and lonely, Wendy finds a fast friend in Cat, an aspiring artist and ex-colleague who is also struggling, with whom she has fun (and gets into trouble) and can share her fantasies, stories and poetry, her insecurities and her fears.
Wendy is quirky and endearing and her worldview is unique – partially influenced by her inability to socialize on a large scale and , partially because she traverses between reality and fantasy. However, her story is about much more than how two lost souls find comfort and friendship in one another and the author skillfully turns the discussion toward more sensitive topics, while keeping the tone compassionate but impactful. While friendship with Cat allows Wendy to evolve and find her own voice , it also encourages her to take stock of her own life and understand the motivations of those around her. The author does a wonderful job of depicting Wendy’s feelings of inadequacy and her struggles that she shares in her own words as she begins to comprehend that she is not alone and others, whose lives may seem more put together, might also be struggling . With humor and compassion, author Kenny Boyle touches upon themes of friendship, trust, bullying, mental health and how important kindness, communication, and conversation is for helping those who are struggling. Well-written and insightful, humorous and heartbreaking but hopeful, The Tick and the Tock of the Crocodile Clock by Kenny Boyle is a story that touches your heart.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All views expressed in this review are my own.
“’Because not everyone who stands at the top of the mountain falls,’ Lily tells me softly, ‘but when people think they might, it’s important they get help. Don’t you agree?’ ”
( TW: Depression, bullying, suicide)
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