In an attempt to escape her old life, Nancy and her ten year old daughter Lara move to Ripton. A beautiful, quiet village in the Derbyshire countryside- perfect for a fresh start.
Everything seems like it’ll be perfect, Nancy now lives closer to her best friend Beth who is an incredible source of support, the fresh countryside air is better for Lara’s asthma than the city polluted air they lived amongst before, and the new house is what one could only dream of.
However, when Lara starts her new school, Nancy quickly finds that beneath the quaint village atmosphere is a minefield of playground politics and if you think the children are bad at school, the mothers are another level!
I absolutely love books by Michelle Frances and so was thrilled when I got the chance to read The Playground. I really enjoyed the setting – as I remember my own mum complaining about ‘playground politics’ and it is an area I haven’t seen crop up in many other thrillers. Whilst it may appear a bit of a mundane setting- it is so relatable to many and was intriguing to see how something which appears so pedantic can become so nasty and vicious.
The book is written in really short chapters. This worked incredibly well as it gave the story a fast and sharp pace which are key for a thriller, and it also meant I could not stop turning the pages – ”Just one more chapter- they’re short!’ I also liked the added addition of the WhatsApp group messages, which helped amplify the story.
There are lots of characters in the book and at first I feared I would not be able to keep up. However, the characters and their stories all intertwine and the character development is spot on. There are some you grow to love, some you hate, and some you feel sorry for- they are all incredibly realistic.
Overall, a very absorbing read, I could not put it down- 5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Playground is out now!
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