Book Review: "Selfish Girls" by Abigail Bergstrom

I'm shuffling around lately and that means my reading is shuffling too. I'm trying to read stuff that I probably wouldn't normally pick up and one of those books is Selfish Girls by Abigail Bergstrom. I have to say that the beginning of the novel definitely draws us in, but as it plays out, the reader can get very annoyed by the characters. I'm not sure whether that is the point, but I definitely believe that there are characters that the reader can connect with easier than others. The novel explores generational trauma and womanhood. I will have to say though, even though it does explore these themes it is still a novel that is blind to class as I did find myself thinking in more than one instance that these are very middle class issues.

he novel opens with Ines Wyn, the youngest of the three Wyn sisters, returning to her childhood home in Wales after years away. Accompanied by her childhood sweetheart, she is emotionally fragile and grappling with recent personal trauma. Here is where I have an issue with this character - the very fact that her partner is a cookie-cutter piece of perfection whilst she is 'falling apart inside' makes the whole thing a big old cliché. But, I did enjoy the changed dynamics between the family that are awkwardly apparent as we meet different people.

The home, familiar yet strangely distant, awakens old memories of both warmth and neglect. Ines’ return is not simply a physical journey but an emotional one, forcing her to confront a family history she has tried to escape. As we get more and more into that history, we discover the true layers of the novel. I have to say, I enjoyed the flashback chapters more than the ones set in the present. They felt well-written and free from terrible tropes that don't make a lot of sense.

Ines' mother greets her and seems elated to have her home, but yet, it is only 'seems'. Her delight is tinged with anxiety: she is acutely aware of the tensions that have simmered beneath the surface of their family life. I can say that the mother definitely seems like a far more interesting character than any of the sisters. She has had this weirdly full life which has also been sheltered from her own daughters. She is very much a mother in the whole sense of protecting her kids from the truth, but eventually when it is confronted, there is an uncomfortable 'filling in' the girls have to do of their own lives.

Dylan, the middle sister, is portrayed as emotionally scarred from a past rejection, which has left her wary and defensive. She struggles with lingering resentment toward her family and particularly toward Gwen, whose parenting style contributed to her insecurities. Dylan’s pain manifests in subtle behaviors: sarcasm, defensiveness, and occasional passive-aggressiveness, particularly during interactions with her sisters. She is both protective of herself and frustrated by the inability of the family to communicate openly. This one definitely has some middle-sister syndrome. The whole passive-aggressive nature of her character can get rather off-putting time to time and I think that the whole 'rejection' thing is basically her saving grace. It is the one thing that makes her more connected to the reader.

The eldest sister, Emma, presents an outwardly successful life with a seemingly perfect marriage, yet internally she is suffocating under unspoken desires and dissatisfaction. She appears composed and reliable, yet her narrative reveals an ongoing struggle with identity and autonomy. Her couples therapy with her husband seems to be a bit of a hit and miss for me, I didn't really find it that interesting. I have to say the 'successful woman who stays in a bad relationship to save face' storyline is actually quite annoying because it is very rarely, if ever, actually true. Emma's storyline just seems a bit vapid on the whole and again, I just wasn't very invested in her as a character.

All in all, though this book explored some interesting themes, I have to say that I was not very impressed with the vast majority of the characters. Yes, the main character was interesting (sort of) and the mother was a great addition to the narrative. But, on the whole this book was kind of forgettable.