Author: Monica Vuu
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Genre: Modern & Contemporary Fiction, Crime & Mystery, Thriller, Suspense.
Year of release: 2023
Release date: 27/06/23
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
TWÂ Death of an infant, incest, death, pet death, drug use.Â
Synopsis
‘When one of us hurts, we all hurt…’
Port Brighton hates outsiders. The small coastal town has its own ways of dealing with the evil, the foolish, and the misled, and it holds tightly to them. But the seams start to split after two deaths occur on the same tragic night: a baby abandoned at the foot of a lighthouse, and a drunken teenager drowned in the storming sea.Â
Livvy is an insider. She keeps a watchful eye on what’s happening in town while looking out for her troubled older brother. What has broken inside him – and why?Â
Marie is an outsider. She’s escaped Port Brighton and started a new life, but she can’t forget the night at the lighthouse – it changed her family forever.Â
As gossip fuels rumours and tensions erode trust, the bonds that keep Port Brighton together begin to fray, threatening to expose the truth about more than just the two deaths…
Review
Welcome to Port Brighton, a small coastal town in Tasmania Australia; 300 people call this place home and events like the fish festival are attended by everyone, even if you don’t like the hosts because the hosts are outsiders trying to become insiders if the festival was anywhere else there would be a welcome committee, but Port Brighton is anything but welcome because Port Brighton hates outsiders.
Everything about Port Brighton might seem picturesque from the outside a nice beach to enjoy fish and chips on, a café ready and waiting to serve lavender tea but not all is as it seems the image becomes distorted the night of the fish festival when two tragic deaths occur sending the rumour mill into overdrive, bonds that keep this once tight-knit community begin to come undone when locals soon discover the bodies are two of their own; a baby abandoned at the foot of the lighthouse and a drunken teenager drowned in the storming sea.
 14-year-old Livvy is considered a Port Brighton insider having been born there, she keeps a very close eye on the happenings in town and is not afraid to cross the lines if she needs to, she must do everything she can to keep her brother Johnny safe. Once she’s done that everything will go back to how it was and she’ll have her older brother back and not just his damaged outer shell, which she can’t seem to repair. If only he’d see it from her point of view everything would be fine now, she must take drastic measures Port Brighton needs her right now if they have any chance at survival.Â
Marie is an outsider she managed to escape the town but a night at the Rum-Runners Lighthouse haunts her to this day and changes her family forever can she find peace in her new life, or will she remain trapped in her memories of the past she doesn’t want to remember but can’t let go of either?Â
The eerie cover captured my eyes followed by the sentence “Port Brighton hates outsiders” was all the encouragement I needed to read this book. It certainly satisfied me need for a dark mystery gothic thriller.Â
The characters took a little longer to warm up than I’m used to, but it only added to the feeling not all is what it seems in this town or with the residents themselves if only I could put my finger on it.
When One of Us Hurts has been written using the dual perspective techniques this is one of these reviewers stand out writing techniques. It allows the reader to see the story from every angle perfect for the mystery thriller genre.Â
Our first protagonist Livvy a 14-year-old who you’re led to believe has a very firm paulse on reality and seems to be comfortable in her own skin and a strong sense of community, it feels as if she would end up on some path of discovery, but as the plot progresses it becomes quite clear that Livy is a static character, she remains largely the same throughout the book in this reviewers opinion. Initially, I was keen to get to know her in the opening chapters by the closing chapters I’m not sure if I love her or loath her.
The second protagonist Marie is someone who in the beginning I couldn’t bring myself to have any attachment to, but the further Marie takes you through her memories of her son Johnny and the dreadful night of the fish festival it becomes clear Marie is the dynamic character in the book she has made the most changes by the time the book is coming to a close, you soon realise perhaps Marie is not the evil person she’s made out to be.
The minor characters and some of their activities will leave you slightly disturbed but still you’re unable to put the book down.
When One of Us Hurts was a slower-paced read for me I am sure there will be some out there who will devour this book at speed but I was content to immerse myself in this community it only added to the dark vibes the plot gives off, especially in the middle and closing chapters, the locals are boarding on sick and dare I say a little bit twisted but I will leave that up to you to decide.Â
Every so often a book will come along and completely surprise a reader I’ll admit I was worried this book would end up being like most small-town crimes which promises to be dark and yet doesn’t deliver however When One of Us Hurts is telling the truth when it says it’s dark! I’ve not read anything like it before and I am a little bit sad it ended. Still weeks later.
It is a unique story I am sure will be discussed for many years to come at no time reading this book could I even try predicting where this rollercoaster would end, I am so glad that this was the case as it made me enthusiastically turn the pages right till the closing sentence with my jaw hanging this being my reason for my high 4-star rating.Â
I was so surprised When I learned that When One of Us Hurts is Monica Vuu’s debut novel the author has managed to have plenty of character-driven moments that at times will make you laugh a little, pull at your heartstrings and include moments where you want to slap them silly or just moments you wish they would hurry up and reveal what happened.
Monica Vuu is definitely an author I’ve added to my must-read author category I cannot wait for her offerings in the near future.Â
Sub-plots included in When One of Us Hurts:
- Incest
- Infant death
- Small town
- Secrets
- Unwelcome visitors
- Death of a Parent
- Older brother
- Younger sibling
- Abusive stepparent
Tropes include in When One of Us Hurts:
- Misjudged death
- Early suspect
- Incompetent police
- Unassuming suspect
- Unassuming characters
- Multiple murders
- The killer plays with police
- Nosy reporter
- Big reveal
- Twist ending
I’m used to reading a mystery thriller title and feeling satisfied with the ending, I am not unsatisfied with the ending for this book but rather I was left feeling a little sad. I highly recommend When One of Us Hurts to a mature audience fan of the mystery thriller genre will want to get their hands on a copy of this book if they haven’t already.
With continued thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for sending a physical copy of this book to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.