The second book in the Curio Chronicles series is here, and is out in print and digital, and so I want to take a moment to look at what is the second book of this series. As I have said before, the Curio Chronicles is the story of the life of Abigail Jennifer Watson, that charts her life and the choices she has made, and has to make, as she moves through life with her friends, centred around the conservative, and somewhat old fashioned thinking residents of her home village.
In the first book, Abigail’s Summer, she was just nineteen years old, and as she enters on page one of the second book, she will be twenty four, facing a life away from university, stuck at home, as Birch her best friend has remained at university to finish her doctorate in psychology.
It is here that I want to begin to highlight my thinking as I wrote the book, and firstly approach the theme of the story as the process of starting to grow up, and facing maturity begins. Based on my experiences with working with younger people, I have had a good chance to sit back and observe the reality of life, which let’s be honest, is not at all fair. The Curio’s as a group grew very close in a short space of time, but the movement into adulthood, is a difficult one, and once college and Uni were over, life takes a dramatic change as suddenly they are all faced with work, and the responsibility of an adult. The bond is still strong, but to a degree has been strained.
I really do feel that we do not teach enough adult skills in schools these days, and once set free from the bonds of education, our young tend to go a little wild for a while, and at times, that has some very negative consequences that the young are ill equipped to deal with. As a result of that, we see a lot of jumping to conclusions, overthinking, and drama. Oh yes, there can be a lot of drama, especially in the 22 to 30 year old bracket.
Having watched this, and I am currently experiencing this with one of my own children and their friends, I do find it quite fascinating from the point of view of human behaviour. The simple truth is that at eighteen and out of college and high school, the young tend to think, I am grown up now, and I can do as I like, and as society clearly shows, yes you can, but do not expect others to see it that way, especially the older generations. The culture clash that follows can bring with it a lot of resistance, and that will always lead to confrontation, not only with other generations, but also with each other, especially, if you are a young person influenced by the drama around you.
One of the delights of this book, was in the bringing together the group who all have different backgrounds and different attitudes, and allowing them the freedom to interact. To a degree, having established their persona’s in the first book, I was free to really explore and expand these characters, and I had a lot of fun doing so. Having Birch around helps, she is a natural negotiator, but she is fallible, as all through Uni she carefully controlled the amount of experiences that Abby has so as not to freak her out, and in many ways, Birch feels she has to take on that responsibility for all of the group. It is a beautiful characteristic, but it can also wear on you, and there are moments when even Birch finds life a struggle.
This book allows me the chance to really explore the characters, and get inside their heads as they interact with each other, and I cannot deny, I love the chaos that it brought through the group dynamic, as the group still felt very much like they could live as they did that summer aged around nineteen, but as they find out, it is not always as easy as they think, and there are some hard lessons to face and resolve.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book, was exploring Abigail, and taking into account all of her past history, with her cruel father, her aloof mother, and the wild liberated attitude of Hatty. Abby has learned to overthink everything, and she is always close to the edge of a panic attack. Her naivety is her weakest point, and it is simply her lack of knowledge of the outside world, and what people are really capable of, that leaves her at times a little too trusting, and as a result she gets exploited. I have seen this so many times in life, and when it is pointed out to the individual, they are shocked and at a loss of how to really respond. The problem is, when people are raised in such a protected environment, they do tend to move towards becoming inward, and start jumping to conclusions, and I have seen so much of this. They start to believe their own truths, and sadly they are so far removed from the actual truth, that when they are finally confronted, it is usually a massive blow to them, that leaves them reeling and unable to cope.
Abby, is very prone to such behaviour, hence Birch is always trying to point things out and increase her education, especially around issues of sexual discovery. It is easy to think that Birch is the most mature and responsible, and in that you would be wrong, it is actually Edwina, who favours her mother more than her father, and actually has a very acute mind for business. Birch is prone to outbursts of joy, and running off on excitable tangents, whereas Edwina, is far more grounded and level headed. Her sister on the other hand is only interested in emulating her idol, Hatty. Chloe swears like a sailor, and her passion is to paint and get laid, and she is exceptionally good at both, as we soon discover in the first few chapters of the book.
The thing is, Chloe is actually really tuned in to who she is, and she is actually a lot brighter than you would first expect. She is probably the best cook in the group, as she shares the role with her mother in the kitchens of her parents’ restaurant. She has simple tastes, and simple pleasures, and trust me, as we saw towards the end of the first book, she has absolutely no inhibitions at all, which does surprise and startle Abby more than she would be willing to admit. Within all of that, the most unexpected thing emerges, which is her huge heart, as Chloe is actually a deeply caring person, but in that, she is also very vulnerable. Chloe is very good looking and has never been short of admirers, but in many ways, it is also her handicap, as the simple truth is, most girls within her age group, hate her for being better looking and more popular at school.
Behind the scenes, Chloe has also been bullied a lot more than people realise, and her face of self assurance, is not quite as strong as you would at first expect, as will become clear in later books. The Curio’s, are the first group of girls that have ever treated her as an equal, and within that, she has grown to really care about them, because for the first time in her life, she has female friends, something she never thought would ever happen, and it actually means a great deal to her, and she is fierce in her defence of them, especially Abby.
Deb’s in the first book was very shy and naive, but since that summer, she has really come out of her shell, although there is still an innocence to her when it comes to girl things, especially around sexual subjects. Deb’s biggest drawback, is she has always felt isolated and a little lonely, and in many ways, with the addition of Birch at Abby’s side, Deb’s feels it a little more. When it comes to sex, in the last five years, she has more than made up for her lack of experience in book one, and she has lived quite the secret life, especially in Cambridge, where she has been working for the last three years.
With a reunion in mind the story begins, and in true Curio fashion, all of them are young, idealistic, and filled with exuberance, and yes, they feel they will just simply return to normal, and go as wild as they did in book one, which they do. Here the group get to show modern hook up culture and attitudes, and as many older readers will see, it is very different, if not eye opening from the days of their youth. I have no issue showing the generation gap here, and I hope my older readers will take a step back and just think for a moment, as they try to comprehend how much the world has changed. I know from my own youth, things are very different in comparison, and for my time, I was quite the liberated lunatic we see from Birch at times. There is a serious point here, because in the last book, Marjorie really was the villain and the culture clash really showed, but I cannot deny, when I pull off the covers and show the real difference between then and now, I wonder how many will find themselves feeling caught between the two groups?
It is easy to attack Marjorie in the first book, she really is vile towards the girls, but once you see what the girls are capable of, will you sit back and think Madge was right? There is a step up of sexual content in this book, I do try to hold back and write it more from Abby’s thoughts, but at times, a little description is required to paint the picture, and so, it is in the book, or subtly hinted at. I do not write any content, simply for idle titillation, there is a point to all of it, as is revealed either late in the chapter, or in the book, some events will play into other books, which is why it is there, as it is the vehicle towards the group learning a lesson. Will it be a little shocking for people who have not encountered this? Probably, but just read on, and all will be explained later.
I have stated a few times, within the Curio Chronicles, I take the village and all its inhabitants, and I use them as a tool to hold a mirror up to modern day society. I am lucky, I have had the fortune to be able to talk in great depth with many age groups in the last thirty years of my life, and I have learned a lot about the way society has changed a great deal. The young today are more exposed to adult media than my generation was, and as a result they learn things a lot quicker and earlier than we did.
Is it a problem within society, I feel it is and it isn’t? It concerns me that the young are exposed to this, and yet our education systems appear to be only concerned with certain issues. They do not teach relationship skills adequately in schools, or look at the responsibility that comes with sex. They are very good at teaching abstinence, but with the rise of porn and other explicit media young people are learning from what they watch, and honestly, it leads to behaviours that in many ways shock the older generations, because they can be abusive. It is out there, and it is happening, and this book reflects on some of the danger that comes with it, because our young are not shown how to deal with it maturely.
In today’s modern life, alcohol and a party attitude are where it is at, and whether you want to believe it or not, it happens. Most of the time, nothing really comes of it, but on occasion it can cause chaos, and I portray this from the point of view of young adult women, with their attitude towards life and their relationships, which is surprisingly accurate compared to today and those I have worked with. This kind of attitude and behaviour is reflected all the way from age 18, right up until past 30. Is it damaging? Some of it is, and in that some parents and parts of society are responsible, I have a very liberal and tolerant attitude, but even I feel concerns with how society is taking our young, and educating them.
The young have no education on issues such as empathy, compassion, and especially love. They really do not understand the relationship dynamic and feelings that bond two people together, and to be honest, they are so involved with image presented from aspects such as Social Media, they are too busy living their sexual lives. I am not condemning them, all of us have been there with our infatuations, what I would like to do is present it through the stories in a way that people begin to try and understand how our young have been abandoned by educational systems to fend for themselves, and learn the hard way.
Within the Curio group, I have placed Birch central, as she has grown up mainly with adults around her, and so even though she can appear unstable at times, she actually is a very well educated woman, who brings a dynamic of responsibility to the group. In this scenario, I also have Edwina, who is far more mature than the other girls, but she spends most of her days interacting with business people, and so has matured a lot faster. I have Chloe, who can be childish and is not very academic, but she is very street wise. Deb’s is maturing faster than Abby and Chloe, and is very grounded in her sense of loyalty and family. Last of all there is Abby, a very intelligent girl, who has retained a lot of her innocence, and yet due to the way she was raised, suffers from self doubt, and really finds it hard to truly trust her feelings or others. Anthony is a very business driven, and much more mature because of it, but he has suffered more than any, and understands the world in ways others never will, and within that, he has a lot of inner insecurity and loneliness.
It is a fascinating group dynamic, that leads to wild chaos, and yes is a great vehicle for humour, and within that, I do not hold back, unlike many outlets, I do not agree with so called modern censorship, and believe if presented properly, humour can be applied to any situation, as was seen in HTTK where in the midst of battle, the Specialist found that making a joke, lifted their spirits and got them through the tough times. Maybe it is a British thing, we do have a reputation for making fun of ourselves as well as others, and we do like to chuckle at the expense of others at times. Like all things with my writing, within the humour there is always a message that makes a serious point, and I do try to show it as clearly as possible, and in that, I have the best vehicle with the Curio’s. The conversations between Abby and Birch when they are alone, are a very important parts of the books, for it there that Abby’s understanding gains the most, and she learns so much to help her navigate life.
Abby’s background is the most important aspect of her in this group, and in a way, she is caught between two very differing philosophies. Abby has the very strict conservative views of her father, with his ruthless discipline, and that of Birch and her open liberated modern ways, and that causes a clash, and an inner crisis for Abby. In many ways she is caught between two fires, one that was beaten into her, and one of a yearning to be free and really understand who she actually is a human being. It does cause an inner turmoil for her, and just like her mother, at times she goes against her gut feelings, and finds herself in the midst of chaos, and heartbreak. It is a wonderful balancing act, and actually for myself one of the best parts of writing this book, and I do wonder as the book comes out, how many will pick up on her creeping self doubt, as she tries to really understand herself?
Like all things I write, there is much more, and within that, you must consider the grownups. Harriet is still living life on her own terms and giving out great advice to both Abby and Flick, although she is not as present in this book as she is in the first, and of that you will find out why. Edwin and Felicity are still together, and yet within that, there is more than meets the eye. This book shows some of the parallels of Felicity’s life repeated in Abby’s, and through that you draw a greater understanding of Felicity and the life she had before Edwin. Felicity still has much to learn about herself, and with Abby and Birch as examples, she starts to see herself very differently.
Roni and William bob in and out throughout the story to offer wisdom and insight, and yes, somewhere lurking is Bev. (Guard your Vagina!) As Bev matures a little more, and stretches her wings beyond the borders of Uppermill. Marjorie and her cronies are still very much alive and well, and spreading their vile thoughts across the village, and there have been a few changes to some of the background characters. Marion is back, and she is going through her own changes in life, as the story steps up another level, as some of the behind scene’s dealings by Marjorie surprise even her. As always, Lillian and Celia, the oldest perverts in the village are around for Birch to flirt with, as Lillian becomes over excited and fans herself with anything at hand, to cool her wild and naughty thoughts. There is a new central character, in the form of Isabel Johnson, who comes down from Manchester to bring her northern expertise to the frame, but I will leave that for all of you to discover within the pages of the book.
It is a good fast story with a lot of inuendo, and I feel a good pace, with some wonderful humour, as the book heads towards yet another climactic end in true Curio style. I am delighted with the response to the first book, it has been received very well indeed, and I am hoping this addition to the series will enhance the first book more. If you really do enjoy it and find it a fun illuminating read, please, tell your friends and encourage them to read it, I still have a long way to go before I am truly recognised for my work. Hit the like buttons on posts, write a revue, and comment about your enjoyment, they all add up to spreading the word, and I really would love more people of all generations to pick up the books and read them.
It is available in digital from all book app platforms, and also in print from good book retailers online or otherwise. The books are print on demand, and can be ordered from anywhere. Once again, I thank all of you who have read this, and I am already at work on other projects, one of which is Curio three, as well as a little more to add to HTTK, and other things completely unrelated to anything I have written so far.
Thanks for all the support, it really does make a huge difference to my writing life.
RJM.