Product Description

Jessamy Harrison is eight years old. Sensitive, whimsical, possessed of a powerful imagination, she spends hours writing, reading or simply hiding in the dark warmth of the airing cupboard. As the half-and-half child of an English father and a Nigerian mother, Jess just can't shake off the feeling of being alone wherever she goes, and other kids are wary of her terrified fits of screaming. When she is taken to her mother's family compound in Nigeria, she encounters Titiola, a ragged little girl her own age. It seems that at last Jess has found someone who will understand her. TillyTilly knows secrets both big and small. But, as she shows Jess just how easy it is to hurt those around her, Jess begins to realise that she doesn't know who TillyTilly is at all.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #109350 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
In the The Icarus Girl, eight-year-old Jessamy Harrison is the only child of a Nigerian mother and English father--sensitive, intelligent, imaginative and prone to sudden and inexplicable screaming tantrums. She has unusual obsessions for a child--Hamlet and haiku to name two--and finds it hard to make friends. Then, on her first visit to her mother’s family home in Nigeria, Jess meets TillyTilly, a strange child with extraordinary abilities who leads her into forbidden places and uncomfortable situations. Some time after returning to the UK, TillyTilly turns up at the Harrison's London home and, at once, life for everyone is turned upside down.

This complex, multi-layered novel is compelling because of its unusual subject matter but also because of its lyrical prose. Written while studying for her A-levels, Helen Oyeyemi’s debut shows an immense maturity and understanding which belies her age. There are a number of dream-like scenes of intense emotion--a mystical visit to a funfair, an insight into a fellow pupil’s shameful secret and a sleepover that ends badly--that cleverly blend magic realism with horror story. But there’s also an innocence--intermittent reminders of Oyeyemi’s youthfulness which sneak up unexpectedly. Some of the dialogue is confusing and the structure is less than smooth in parts.

The Icarus Girl looks deep into Jess’s soul and asks questions about the true reasons for her troubled state of mind and her place in her family, her community and in society at large. It looks at the issues of self and the alter ego, at the relationships of twins and doubles and from there, deeper still, into complex psychological issues of identity and belonging. As a child of mixed-race herself, Oyeyemi has much to say on the wider and most important issue of cultural identity, integration and tolerance. This is a promising first novel by a talented young writer. Would be particularly appreciated by precocious and literary teenagers.--Carey Green

Review
'This is a beautiful, haunting story of precocious eight-year-old Jessamy ... This compelling tale of folklore and cultural differences is sure to top the bestseller lists' Daily Mail 'A moving study of alienation' Guardian 'An astonishing achievement ... simple, well-drawn characters, crisp dialogue and an enviable grasp of the rudiments of storytelling' David Robson, Sunday Telegraph 'The author plays numerous sophisticated games with notions of twinship and identity ... A highly auspicious fictional debut' Sunday Times

Helen Brown, Daily Telegraph
‘Flickering between viciousness and vulnerability, The Icarus Girl is a compulsive, disrupting read’

Customer Reviews

If you let people know what you think, you're dead."
Eight-year-old Jessamy Harrison, the daughter of a Nigerian mother and a British father, sometimes spends five or more hours hiding motionless in the family's linen closet, attempting to find some sort of "fragile peace." Prone to uncontrollable screaming fits, both at home and at school, she also has high fevers and panic attacks, and often talks to herself. Struggling with obvious emotional problems, Jess is a bright but lonely child, with no friends, a mother who spends most of her time writing, and a father who is away most of the day.

When her mother takes her to Nigeria during a school vacation, she sets in motion a series of events which ultimately leave Jess struggling to hold on to her selfhood. While visiting her Yoruban grandfather, Jess explores an abandoned building and discovers a strange girl her own age secretly living there. Titiola, whom Jess calls TillyTilly, becomes her first true friend, and though Jess explores the countryside with her, no one in her family ever sees her.

When Jess returns to school in England, her friend TillyTilly follows. Jess is delighted at first, but TillyTilly begins to monopolize her time, deliberately breaking things in the house, "getting" people who make Jess unhappy, and causing accidents. Jess's parents become alarmed at the havoc, especially when Jess insists that it is caused by her mysterious, unseen friend. Then TillyTilly reveals a family secret, and the battle begins in earnest for possession of Jess's soul.

Nigerian author Helen Oyeymi, who wrote this book when she was eighteen, incorporates aspects of Nigerian culture when Jess returns to Nigeria on a second visit. Oyeymi keeps the action fast-paced and creates considerable suspense as Jess, through TillyTilly, becomes physically dangerous to those around her. Only her Yoruban grandfather, who believes in magic and traditional ceremonies, seems to have the resources necessary to exorcize the demon.

The novel moves along smartly, developing tension and excitement by recreating many of the nightmares of childhood, though the author's simple approach to complex problems may reflect her youth. Jess, an eight-year-old, is far too sophisticated about TillyTilly and too articulate about her fears to inspire much reader empathy, and she never feels quite realistic, especially when she herself questions whether TillyTilly really exists. Both her ultimate battle with TillyTilly and the conclusion of the novel feel artificial. Still, Oyeyemi has created a psychological horror novel which dares to be different, incorporating a clash of cultures and parallels with the Icarus legend in this memorable debut novel. (3.5 stars) Mary Whipple

Psychological horror novel which dares to be different.
Eight-year-old Jessamy Harrison, the daughter of a Nigerian mother and a British father, sometimes spends five or more hours hiding motionless in the family's linen closet, attempting to find some sort of "fragile peace." Prone to uncontrollable screaming fits, both at home and at school, she also has high fevers and panic attacks, and often talks to herself. Struggling with obvious emotional problems, Jess is a bright but lonely child, with no friends, a mother who spends most of her time writing, and a father who is away most of the day.

When her mother takes her to Nigeria during a school vacation, she sets in motion a series of events which ultimately leave Jess struggling to hold on to her selfhood. While visiting her Yoruban grandfather, Jess explores an abandoned building and discovers a strange girl her own age secretly living there. Titiola, whom Jess calls TillyTilly, becomes her first true friend, and though Jess explores the countryside with her, no one in her family ever sees her.

When Jess returns to school in England, her friend TillyTilly follows. Jess is delighted at first, but TillyTilly begins to monopolize her time, deliberately breaking things in the house, "getting" people who make Jess unhappy, and causing accidents. Jess's parents become alarmed at the havoc, especially when Jess insists that it is caused by her mysterious, unseen friend. Then TillyTilly reveals a family secret, and the battle begins in earnest for possession of Jess's soul.

Nigerian author Helen Oyeymi, who wrote this book when she was eighteen, incorporates aspects of Nigerian culture when Jess returns to Nigeria on a second visit. Oyeymi keeps the action fast-paced and creates considerable suspense as Jess, through TillyTilly, becomes physically dangerous to those around her. Only her Yoruban grandfather, who believes in magic and traditional ceremonies, seems to have the resources necessary to exorcize the demon.

The novel moves along smartly, developing tension and excitement by recreating many of the nightmares of childhood, though the author's simple approach to complex problems may reflect her youth. Jess, an eight-year-old, is far too sophisticated about TillyTilly and too articulate about her fears to inspire much reader empathy, and she never feels quite realistic, especially when she herself questions whether TillyTilly really exists. Both her ultimate battle with TillyTilly and the conclusion of the novel feel artificial. Still, Oyeyemi has created a psychological horror novel which dares to be different, incorporating a clash of cultures and parallels with the Icarus legend in this memorable debut novel. (3.5 stars) Mary Whipple

Interesting
This was an interesting read. I got a copy after reading a short review in Heat Magazine, and I wanted to read a book written by a fellow 18 year old. The book starts quite interestingly, and it focuses on a deep social-cultural issue of twins and Nigerian culture. My only worry is whether people not from a Nigerian/African culture will really understand the symbolism and profoundity of the issue of twins etc. I think Jessamy is a well developed complex character. Though I think certainly more character development was needed on her Mother and Father. I felt that I never really knew who they were, especially the Father. It all gets a bit confusing towards the end, and I dont feel entirely comfortable with the ending. Though, this is definitely an inspired debut by Oyeyemi, and I look forward to reading more from her and seeing her grow and mature as a writer. Plus she's given me hope that 18 year olds CAN get books published!