Little Children is the first novel I have read by American author Tom Perrotta. It has been made into a movie, which I have not seen, however after reading the book I am keen to.
Not a fan of American writers I have to say I was drawn to the book by the cover, a very plain but intriguing close-up of artificial turf with 2 goldfish biscuits and disappointed when I discovered that it was in fact an American novel . The inside blurb seemed semi-interesting, hence why I still read it, however the book is much more than blurb gives away.
Basically it is the story of a group of '30 something' small town parents and the events that occur once it is revealed that a convicted child sex offender has returned to town. It is also, and probably more important, about what goes on behind closed doors when people are living lives unfulfilled. Rather like 'The Slap', Little Children is a dark yet still oddly humorous account of family life.
I really enjoyed the way Perrotta has used a common thread to draw the characters in the story together. Everyone, from ex-feminist stay home mum Sarah to ex-cop Larry, has been carefully crafted to be examined in both a positive and a negative light. Despite disliking all of these characters in some regard they are also easy to relate to. It is easy to imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes, and perhaps reminds us of what to avoid should we not wish to go there in the future. This is a clever writing.
Suspenseful but not frustratingly so, the writing is crafty and paints a picture of what is going on which kept me intrigued in the storyline; I was not rushing to the end to see what happened rather I enjoyed the whole story. I will keep an eye out for further Perrotta novels, and see the film.
