Today I’m delighted to be able to shout about I Am Dust. My review is written with thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the blog tour and Orenda Books for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

A haunted theatre
A murdered actress
Three cursed teenagers
A secret that devastates them all…

The Dean Wilson Theatre is believed to be haunted by a long-dead actress, singing her last song, waiting for her final cue, looking for her killer…

Now Dust, the iconic musical, is returning after twenty years. But who will be brave enough to take on the role of ghostly goddess Esme Black, last played by Morgan Miller, who was murdered in her dressing room?

Theatre usher Chloe Dee is caught up in the spectacle. As the new actors arrive, including an unexpected face from her past, everything changes. Are the eerie sounds and sightings backstage real or just her imagination? Is someone playing games?

Is the role of Esme Black cursed? Could witchcraft be at the heart of the tragedy? And are dark deeds from Chloe’s past about to catch up with her?
Not all the drama takes place onstage. Sometimes murder, magic, obsession and the biggest of betrayals are real life. When you’re in the theatre shadows, you see everything.

And Chloe has been watching…

Review:

Before we begin, this review needs a disclaimer. There are no words in my vocabulary that adequately express how amazing I Am Dust is so everyone should just read it for themselves. Louise Beech’s writing is absolutely incredible and I was enchanted from the very first page, often reading phrases repeatedly so that I could fully capture the beauty of her words. 

I Am Dust is a story of jealousy, unrequited love and teenage angst and Beech puts these abstract concepts into words brilliantly. I could feel the emotions in such a visceral way. I didn’t always want to like the central characters but I was taken into their world and could not let go. 

I don’t usually like a supernatural theme so I was a little worried by talk of spirits and ouija boards. These worries were completely unfounded as once I was immersed in the story I could not help but believe in all the superstitions and be completely taken in by them and what they meant for the characters. 

It is clear that Beech has experience of the world of theatre and her knowledge is conveyed brilliantly throughout the novel. I had such an in depth picture of the setting that it was impossible not to become involved in the novel. 

At the heart of I Am Dust is a mystery and my eagerness to discover what happened to Morgan Miller kept me turning pages furiously. I did not expect the ending, but it is perfect. I Am Dust has found its way to my heart and it will be a long time before I can let it go. 

I Am Dust is available from Amazon.

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