Disturbance

(Hardback)

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Description

As the sun sets on a feverishly hot July evening, a young woman spies on her teenage neighbour, transfixed by what looks like an occult ritual intended to banish an ex-boyfriend.

Alone in a new town and desperate to expel the claustrophobic memories of her own ex that have followed, the narrator decides to try to hex herself free from her past. She falls in with the neighbour and her witchy friend, exploring nascent supernatural powers as the boundaries of reality shift in and out of focus. But when the creaks and hums of her apartment escalate into something more violent, she realizes that she may have brought her boyfriend's presence - whether psychological or paranormal - back to haunt her.

With astonishing emotional depth and clarity, Disturbance explores the fallout of abuse. Propulsive and wry, this razor-sharp debut twists witchcraft and horror into a powerful narrative of one woman's struggle to return to herself. This lyrical novel, which explores all the ways that relationships and trauma can haunt our lives and the lingering physical and psychological effects of abuse, is perfect for fans of Boy Parts and My Year of Rest and Relaxation.

Reviews

Clake's first novel is blazingly emotionally intelligent, caustically well-observed and at times painfully funny. Shot through with the most convincingly uncanny and unsettling latent plot I've encountered in years. Comparisons are odious, but it feels like Normal People meets Twin Peaks * Luke Kennard *
When I Hit You meets The Craft - this slim, searing novel lures you in with the delicious nostalgia of teenage witchcraft before breaking you in two with its acute account of emotional and physical abuse. I was left completely breathless * Ruth Gilligan *
Told in vivid domestic details flavoured by the occult, Disturbance embodies the claustrophobic fear and denial that can haunt survivors of abuse long after the danger has passed. This book reads like a poem but hits like a horror novel. What a mysterious, painful, yet strangely delicious slice of life * Ashley Hutson, author of ONE'S COMPANY *
A smart, sinister novel about how an abusive relationship - with its ominous rituals, hexes and jump-scares - can turn a home into a haunted house. Blood-curdling and bloody brilliant. * Clare Pollard, author of DELPHI *
I enjoyed it very much. It is a beautifully written exploration of the aftermath of an abusive relationship. The prose is deceptively simple, highly sensual and sparkling with original imagery. Humorous and insightful in its depiction of teenagers dabbling in witchcraft, it is ultimately a serious story about a young woman recovering from trauma, and the psychological complexity of her story is both disturbing and - ultimately - immensely satisfying * Emma Henderson *
Wonderfully witchy and emotionally astute. Disturbance hums with a tense and eerie energy and paints a powerful portrait of a young woman recovering from abuse * Chlo Ashby, author of WET PAINT *
A hypnotic debut . . . the narrator's history is delicately unveiled, and I was in awe of the nuanced way in which Jenna Clake handled such a harrowing subject * Stacey Thomas, author of THE REVELS *

Author Bio

Jenna Clake's debut collection of poetry, Fortune Cookie, won the Melita Hume prize in 2016, and was published in 2017 by Eyewear. It received an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors in 2018 and was shortlisted for a Somerset Maugham Award in the same year. She was shortlisted for the inaugural Rebecca Swift Women Poets' Prize. Her poetry criticism has appeared in Poetry London, The Poetry School, and The Poetry Review. Her second collection Museum of Ice Cream was published by Bloodaxe and featured as one of The Telegraph's best new poetry books in 2021. She lectures in Creative Writing at Teesside University.