Book Review no: 13 Ghost Child by Caroline Overington

Back in 1982 a five year old boy dies after apparently being bashed by strangers on his way home from the shops. Immediate suspicion is cast on the story being told by his mother and her boyfriend and much speculation and scandal haunt the Barrett housing estate, west of Melbourne for years to come. Although the case is gradually forgotten, it is suddenly thrust back into the spotlight almost 30 years later when the sister of the victim faces court on an unrelated manner. Will the real story finally be revealed after all these years?
 In some ways Ghost Child is almost like a non-fiction book, as it tells the story through the veiwpoint of multiple witnesses - eg the investigating police officer, journalists, social workers etc. In saying that, it didn't detract from the story - in fact it worked quite well as you got a sense of the crime from many different perspectives. The writing itself is very good - well paced and tight. 

 Many themes are explored in the novel - the welfare 'sub-class', child abuse, fostering of children and the many shortcomings of the child protection system in Victoria (although it could be any Australian state) in the 1980s. You do get the sense that all these topics have been well researched and present a true account of what happened to many children. In terms of time and place, the author really gets the era and location spot on, with the many voices in the novel backing this up very well.


The suspense throughout is gradual, building towards the end when you know the real story is hopefully going to be revealed. By the time you reach the conclusion it is a real page turner.


Despite the sad (yet realistic) theme within the book, there is still a sense of hope that life can turn out OK (sometimes) with a bit of luck and a lot of determination, even if you've had an horrific childhood.