Sophie

By Guy Burt

Book Overview

" Sophie] combines the creepy narrative power of a young William Golding with the disturbingly accurate memory of what it is like to be a child. . . . So good that one can only wonder what Burt] will do next." --The Times (London) In a dark room of a dilapidated house, as a storm rages outside, Matthew lights a candle and places it in the center of the floor. Its light spreads across the wall and illuminates Sophie, tied up in a chair facing him. She is frightened, fearful of what he might do next. But for now, it seems, all Matthew wants to do is talk. Talk about the events of nearly twenty years ago, about their strange childhood, and about the summer when Sophie grew up and everything changed . . . forever. Young Mattie and Sophie lived in a world seemingly without constraints. Their cold mother barely paid attention to her children. Their father, a mere shadow in their lives, was never home. So Mattie and Sophie had the run of the gardens and the woods beyond. They played youthful games, but Sophie was extraordinarily intelligent, a fact she took great pains to hide from her teachers, so as not to stand out. Sophie was everything to Mattie, and he worshiped her. He wanted to know her secrets, the things that went on inside her brilliant mind. But Sophie was changing. And the summer before she went away to boarding school, the things she had worked so hard to conceal would come spilling out--and Mattie would have to live with the shocking consequences. Now he's all grown up, too, and Matthew wants answers to the questions that still darken his mind--no matter what the cost. . . .

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345446593
• ISBN13: 9780345446596
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Excellent!

Everything was smooth and perfect! Condition is excellent, just like new, but about 99% off a regular price! Couldn't have asked for anything better! Shipping was as expedient as it ever could be, it arrived before I expected!

a real "barn-burner"

Fantastic! Horrifying, disturbing, etc, etc. I think the review on the back cover does a better job than any other that I have seen, so I'll second that motion. Great story, great characters, lots of twists, great ending. I'll definitely read the next one.

A great read.

Sophie by Guy Burt has to be one of the most haunting books i have read in a long time. Its a complex and sometimes confusing story of sophie and her younger brother mattie and the events of their childhood. Ending the summer before sophie is to go away to boarding school. Mattie adores sophie and she mattie. They are more like an extention of each other than their own individual person. Sophie is extremely intelligent, and takes very good care of herself and her brother. Their mother is a recluse and their father stays away on business. The way the author remembers being a child, not just how one acted, but thought and felt as well, if profound to me. He definetly has a fascination with childhood innocence and ultimatly its loss. As I got towards the end of the book i read slower and more carefully and i think this truly helped me to understand what was being revealed at such a fast pace. I did have to go back and re-read certain parts for clarity but he does leave unanswered questions. The author leaves you with the limited knowledgs of the characters personalties and lets you decide exactly what happened. How those characters would have acted. I shared this with a friend and it was very helpful having another persons opinions and ideas. It helped me to put more pieces of the puzzle together. I definetly recommend this book. It was a fairly quick read. One i had a really hard time putting down.

You have got to read this book!!!!

This is the most chilling story I have ever read. I love stories where you can not always guess what comes next. I actually had to reread some parts, just to understand the ending. The ending is by far the best ending of a book. It still leaves you guessing. I am now a fan of Guy Burt. Another great book from him is "The Hole". That also has a great ending.

Disturbing and chilling!

Sophie is one of the chilliest, most disturbing novels I've recently read. The tension and suspension build to a disarming climax as siblings Matthew and Sophie tell their childhood stories. Matthew wants to understand Sophie's above-average intelligence. Sophie has a brilliant mind, and Matthew has worshipped her for it. That is until he is forced to see Sophie as she truly is: manipulative, controlling and sinister. There are various disturbing twists throughout the novel. The ending is flooring. This is one of the best psychological thrillers ever written. I shall look to Guy Burt's work in the future. Highly recommended...