Nicola Davison

Decoding Dot Grey, Nicola Davison’s beguiling novel (the follow-up to her suspenseful and moving In the Wake), takes the reader into the chaotic world of an unusual young woman on the cusp of adulthood, facing tragedy and learning how to cope with profound loss. Eighteen-year-old, socially awkward Dorothy “Dot” Grey prefers to spend her time with animals rather than people. It’s not that she dislikes people in particular, but she finds the social demands of human interaction frustrating and stressful. A huge part of her problem is that a year ago her mother was gravely injured in a hit-and-run accident—struck at the side of the road in the dark by a driver who didn’t see her—and is now lingering comatose in hospital. The sudden absence of her mother’s free-spirited influence from her life has left Dot confused and emotionally adrift. Despite her father’s urging, Dot cannot bring herself to visit her mother in the hospital, questioning the point of making such a gesture when her mother would not know she was there. Motivated by a need to exert her independence and to escape the smothering kindness of her grieving father, Dot has moved out of home into a shabby basement apartment, along the way amassing a collection of winged and multi-legged roommates: crickets, sowbugs, a domesticated rat, and the latest addition to the menagerie, an injured crow. Dot’s salvation at this time of great personal upheaval is her job at an animal shelter, where she has proven herself to be a diligent, resourceful and devoted employee. When an awkward young man named Joe shows up at the shelter wanting to volunteer, Dot believes she recognizes a kindred spirit, someone who is just as socially inept as she is. Despite some doubts, she begins to regard him as someone she can trust. In her second novel, Nicola Davison has written a captivating story from an eccentric young woman’s perspective, someone who is emotionally guarded and riddled with uncertainty about her place in the world among humans but is openly and impulsively affectionate when it comes to her animal companions. Dot’s bracingly snarky voice is a treat: engaging and entertaining, and thoroughly convincing. Dot Grey’s bittersweet story of loss and acceptance of life’s harsh realities touches the reader on many levels, and in the end teaches that the most reliable source of truth and solace is one’s own heart.

Note: Davison's book is marketed as YA, but there can be no doubt that adult readers will find much to enjoy in these pages.… (plus d'informations)

There are any number of moments in Nicola Davison’s gripping debut novel, In the Wake, when characters realize that things will probably not end well if they continue on the path they are following, and yet, against the advice of others, against common sense, and sometimes even against their own best interests, they stubbornly stick to that path. The novel begins with Emily and Daniel returning to Nova Scotia after several years living out west because of Daniel’s career. They have purchased a house in a coastal community located about 20 miles from Halifax, on a treed promontory overlooking the ocean. In stark contrast to the traditional structures nearby, the house they’ve purchased is a modern anomaly: its exterior composed primarily of glass, its interior designed on an open concept—of interest architecturally but hardly practical. Their closest neighbour, Linda, recently widowed, lives alone, though her home also serves as a refuge for her son Tom, who suffers from periodic and debilitating bouts of mental illness. With Daniel at work in the city or traveling on work-related business, Emily is left on her own for long stretches with the couple’s 3-year-old son, Ryan, an active toddler with a vivid life of the imagination, and their dog Hoover. In a short time, Emily and Linda, whose health is fragile, have formed a close bond built on necessity and mutual trust, which strengthens as the story progresses. The novel is narrated from Emily and Linda’s perspectives, in alternating episodes. Both characters are struggling with past traumas, which have left them guilt-ridden and emotionally vulnerable, and both carry complex backstories, which are revealed bit by bit. Then Tom comes home to live with his mother. When he is not in the grip of his illness, his presence provides a welcome distraction for Emily, and he enjoys spending time with Ryan, a circumstance that makes Daniel not just uneasy and suspicious, but also leaves him on the outside looking in. In the Wake is not a conventional suspense novel, but Nicola Davison builds considerable tension by bringing these characters together at a vital turning point in all their lives, with major decisions (as well as a major storm) looming on the horizon and each struggling with private demons. Don’t be surprised to find yourself holding your breath as the action approaches its gut-wrenching climax.… (plus d'informations)