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Blog > Thoughts > Sean's Thoughts > The Secret World of Zoe Golding – A Book Review

The Secret World of Zoe Golding – A Book Review

Written by Sean on Sunday, July 18, 2010

Author Jane McGowan recently published the novel "The Secret World of Zoë Golding" with Fern House. The publisher emailed me to let me know about the book, likely because it deals primarily with Body Integrity Identity Disorder. I read the book with interest, as there are not many published books that touch on BIID, especially in novel format.

The book is listed on Fern House’s front page under "Controversial Publication". That didn’t inspire me confidence. I saw that and was worried the book would sensationalise BIID for the plot’s purpose. Fern House’s website describe the book as:

This novel is classified as ‘Medical Fiction for young adults, and older readers.

"I’m just so lucky to have found someone I can trust absolutely. But I’m not going to tell you everything at once; it’s far too, powerful, so you’ll have to get used to it bit by bit."
– Zoë Golding to her cousin Fiona Maxwell

As long as sixth-former Zoë can remember, she has dwelt in her own secret world, a world about which she could speak to no one except Beauty, her mermaid doll.

But after her parents die in a road accident, Zoë goes to live with her cousin Fiona, and is able at last to confide in someone she trusts. But will Fiona understand the drastic action Zoë thinks she needs to take to fulfil her secret desire?

Bottom Line

It’s a worthy read, although not a stellar one.

Pros

• The author describes BIID quite well overall.
• The way Zoë disclosed and explained BIID to her cousin Fiona.
• While the story focuses on the need to be an amputee, there *is* mention of the need for other conditions such as paraplegia, blindness, etc.
• May let teenagers with BIID reading the book know that they aren’t alone.

Cons

• The implied reason Zoë has BIID.
• The implausible background story, and sheer number of amputees met throughout the book.
• Writing style (this is only a negative if you are not a teenager, as the style definitely aims for that age group).

Bit More In Depth

Don’t worry, I’ll try not to give any spoilers :)

The publisher says the book is aimed at Young Adults, and the writing style really shows. I found the style slightly annoying, but realise that as I’m not the target market, that probably means the style is spot-on.

I particularly liked the preamble that Zoë used to tell Fiona that she was going to tell her something important about BIID. It rang very true to how I’ve approached it with some people in my past.

I’m going to tell you things that you may find … strange. Perhaps you’ll not understand them at all. Perhaps you’ll think I’m … mad. But they are – have been – part of my life ever since I can remember. I’ve grown up with them, and they’ve grown up with me. And now I’ve got to the point where if I bottle them up any longer I may … well, I’m just so lucky to have someone whom I can trust absolutely. But I’m not going to tell you everything at once; it’s far too … powerful … so you’ll have to get used to it bit by bit. You can ask questions, but I may not have the answers. Or I may not be ready to reveal them. And remember, no one else must ever know about them.

Over the pages, Zoë does a pretty good job explaning how it feels to have BIID. I admit that I was glad to see it done this well, because I had concerns about "misrepresentation". Unfounded, as it turns out.

If you’ve read much of what I have written, you’ll know that one of my biggest issues is that everytime BIID is discussed in academic papers, newspaper, tv, books and other media, the entire focus is aimed at the need to be an amputee. This has really gotten under my skin. I was not surprised that Zoë needed to be an amputee. I was glad, however, that at some point during the book, the reader is informed that needing to be an amputee is not the only expression of BIID. Kudos to the author, even though it’s only one sentence burried 3/4 of the way through the book.

One aspect that really struck me was how this book could easily become a "cherished book" for teens with BIID. I had a movie that really hit home – The Other Side of the Mountain. I know other people had teenagers/young adult books dealing with wheelchairs that they really loved. This could be one of those books for the younger generations. And one that lets them know they aren’t actually alone. That is a major bonus as far as I’m concerned.

However… I did not like the various plot aspects that first implied, and later defined what caused Zoë to feel the way she does. Early on in the book the author describes Zoë’s childhood home as "…heavy, cold, oppressive…". As if growing up in that kind of environment was a cause of BIID. There are many people who have BIID that grew up in cold and impersonal households, but just as many that had happy childhoods. I don’t like that young readers might think they couldn’t have BIID because their younger childhood was happy and their parents warm and loving.

I don’t like the name selected for the alter-ego: Beauty. It implies that Zoë doesn’t feel beautiful. This hints too much at BIID being similar to Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a myth that is important to dispell. There’s even an academic paper on the issue! But there is a clever explanation as to why the name "Beauty", and it’s not as directly related to how Zoë is feeling as might appear at first.

Finally, I thought it unlikely that the protagonists would meet so many amputees. Not impossible, but unlikely. There were many. And one in particular that I wish they’d developped the story a bit more, or closed it off better. As it is, there’s a storyline that feels a bit unfinished. The backstory with Zoë’s mother and Amy seems a bit far-fetched. Again, not impossible, but it felt a bit contrived, and in many ways detracted from the story, and attempted to give a direct explanation as to the cause of Zoë feeling the way she does.

To Purchase

The Secret World of Zoë Golding
Jane McGowan
Fern House
ISBN: 978-1-902702-23-0
A5 paperback. 190 pages. RRP £7.99. 29 July 2010

If you’re interested in purchasing the book, please contact Fern House.

Please note that I am not associated with Fern House in any way and do not profit from any sales of the book. I should also disclose I was given a copy of the book for review.

Tags: Amputee, BIID, Book Review, Disclosure, Zoe Golding

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