A warning! Not for the faint of heart!

The Compass Stone tells the story of a young woman who lives in a 'dysfunctional' family unit and has a relentless taste for blood, death and a penchant for sado-masochism.

As the above may indicate, the book is extremely dark. Written in an almost dream-like manner, the narrative is penned in the first person by the woman as she catalogues her sexual adventures with unsuspecting men. During these encounters she sets out to murder them taking great pleasure in the act of their death.

We are also shown the other side of her life which is almost as surreal as her sexual encounters. In her spare time off from her sexual fantasies (or realities? ), she observes the insects in her greenhouse and, in minute detail, recalls their habitats, habits and lives. She also gives us glimpses of an unusual family relationship where she isolates herself from her sisters who care for her dominating and bullying father. Questions about the family situation always remain as we are merely left with hints about the family dynamics, especially her fathers relationship with his daughters. The narrative also explores, first hand, her views as she philosophises about love, hate, death, good and evil.

The Compass Stone is a wonderfully surreal book. I would like to say I 'enjoyed' it, however, the subject matter relating to the murders is not something one would 'enjoy'. That said, I found it an extremely thought provoking and beautifully written book.

I was always left with a sense of disbelief and questioning. Is the young woman actually living this life? Are the murders she commits real? Are her sexual fantasies being played out for real? Or is it the active imagination of a young woman exploring her sexual fantasies or building an imaginary world around her as a means of escaping the reality of her life. Right up to the end of the book I was unable to decide. This still remains today!

A wonderfully imaginative, thought-provoking, dark and atmospheric book written with such ease and poetic mastery. ( )