SPOILERS AHEAD
‘Tell Me What I Am’ by Una Mannion is an excellent example of how to write a good character. In a book where a mother, Deena, goes missing, her sister Nessa must uncover the secrets of her disappearance while also attempting to contact her niece, Ruby, after she was won in a custody battle. Ruby has no recollection of her former life nor her mother, having been fed lies by her narcissistic father, Lucas. The book surrounds Ruby and Nessa’s journey towards the truth, both having to overcome their own personal struggles as well has the world around them.
Nessa is a woman very attached to her past, so much so, it deeply affects her relationships. I like how Ronan, her boyfriend, wasn’t written as her ‘saviour’ nor as a quick fix to an all-encompassing problem. He tried to help Nessa only to be turned down. Nessa actively sabotaged her relationship with him because the weight of her sister’s disappearance was too crushing despite how close she and Ronan were. He signified a part of her past in which she couldn’t get back and so she had to let him go. I really like this element of their relationship as it adds a more realistic feel to the writing. It is very rare for a relationship, especially one with physical distance between the pair, to withhold in the face of intense and traumatic pressure like what Nessa and Ronan went through. To see their relationship flourish in the midst of this pain would both be unrealistic and out of place in my opinion. However, you can still see their connection with Ronan showing up to Lucas’ pretrial despite getting married to someone else. Nessa, as an independent character, is also very well written. She is stubborn and devoted to Deena and Ruby, so much so, she puts herself at risk both physically and mentally. Throughout the book, I found myself longing for her to successfully contact Ruby as she was a consistent mothering/nurturing figure throughout the book, something Ruby desperately lacked. Ruby, in a way, is written like Nessa, especially with the self-sabotaging of relationships but through no fault of her own. Her not messaging back Tim because time slipped by, due to her being consumed with her mother’s disappearance, is very realistic and makes her feel human. Allowing characters to make mistakes makes them a more engaging figure to follow throughout a book. As a result, I found that as a reader, I connected with her more and felt more sympathy towards her plight. Mannion writes younger characters incredibly well, catching their aging via dialogue and how their internal thoughts and external speech matures. She also writes a subtly narcissistic character brilliantly too. Although it is already determined that Lucas was an unfavourable person and even worse partner, Mannion doesn’t just use statements like “Lucas was abusive” as the sole piece of evidence of his poor character. She notes his controlling behaviours subtly through dialogue and description like the narration commenting on how he doesn’t like his mother, Clover, having the TV too loud, noting how he “loved [Deena] mimicking his phrases”, or even how he didn’t enrol Ruby into school. Ruby’s fear of having his truck pull up tells us all we need to know; he is a fear-inducing figure, far exceeding the levels of a normal authoritative parent.
This use of language and description doesn’t just help with character development but also the plot as a whole. While refraining from being overly complex, the writing still contains a good level of description to get your imagination whirring. There are motifs in the book that frequently reoccur like that of the angel or the moving of boats. Subtle elements that are noted in the background really build up the scene and give it that realistic feel. For example, Ruby noting that she was a clam in a school play, Nessa referencing the joeys in a nature documentary she saw when Ronan hugged her, and Nessa practicing her ‘bitch face’ for if one of Lucas’ lawyers looks at her again. These elements build the scene and develop the characters indirectly. They also, in some cases, like Ruby being a clam, add an air of hilarity to the writing which lightens the mood and makes the book feel less emotionally strenuous which therefore makes an easier read. In addition, the inclusion of the story of Gentileschi and how it relates to Deena was a wonderful addition which is indicative of the further research that Mannion had to do to flesh out this book.
The only areas of the book that, in my opinion, have room for improvement, are the pacing and certain parts of the plot. While there are elements like the end of chapters that leave readers on a mini cliff-hanger, rounding off the scenes nicely without being too intense, the overall pacing of the book is perhaps a little too drawn out. The constant changing of POVs is a nice addition as it showcases the drawing together of Ruby and Nessa, revealing information to the readers that Ruby is unaware of. Yet it is used too much. Towards the end, it started to drag and made me feel as though the climax was never going to happen. When it did, it was somewhat underwhelming. The reveal that Deena was dead was just shoved in. We only got to see Ruby’s reaction to the news, not Nessa or her brothers. Clovers big explanation at the end seemed like a quick solution for the book-long mystery and Lucas’ ‘craft’ seemed to have no character or depth. It came off as very generic. I also think that a book ending without readers getting to see whether Lucas was sentenced left it feeling unresolved. It could have perhaps been remedied by Nessa and Ruby finally meeting but it only briefly referenced.
That being said, overall, the book was very entertaining. The most important elements were all covered with the characters being really well developed and the writing style entertaining throughout. Yes, end the book felt rushed but that doesn’t take away from the positive elements. Regardless, people aren’t going to stop reading something because the ending is a little off, especially since the good characters and language is still there and the plot is too engaging to not find out what happens.
If you like a mystery thriller that showcases incredibly well written women then I suggest you give this one a go. It doesn’t have an overly complex plot to follow so it makes for an easier and more entertaining read.
4/5