Book Review: Hummingbird by T.C. Parker
Genre: Horror
Age: Adult
This is the kind of book I had to sit with a little before working out how I felt towards it. It happens, and there was a lot to think through with this one, though I’m not sure if the way it’s laid out helps.
It almost feels like a series of connected novellas, and more than once I had to pause and try to work out the where and when for the characters as they jump back and forth quite a bit (the first section starts after the second section, a later part goes back even further, etc). By the end, I was kind of swept up just enough but then something would happen that had me questioning “when did this bit happen, again?”.
So yeah, could have done with tightening up, could have done with maybe spreading out the POVs rather than having them in sections. But in all fairness, Parker is a talented writer and I really appreciate what she did here. She pushed things, and gave us a book that feels different and unique. It’s also refreshing to see more UK-based take on religious horror.
Hummingbird is about an English village called Gallow, where a new priest has the local congregation riled up about the changes to curriculum, specifically the fact it’s more inclusive towards LGBTQ+ folks. Jodie is forced to walk past these protestors when she takes her son to school, forcing her to pass her fellow villagers who are becoming more monstrous by the day. Until they start disappearing. As the novel progresses, the circle of characters widens, and we meet various people connected to the evil at the heart of the community.
This is a layered book, with the protests feeling very vivid not just due to the last few years, but even before that with similar protests taking place at communities in the UK pre-pandemic. More recently we’ve seen huge backlash against anything that could be considering inclusive, and it makes the book feel timely. Although the evil here is monstrous and infectious, it’s clear it’s able to get a foothold due to existing prejudices.
Just to circle back to why this wasn’t quite a top-rated fave of the year for me – we go through a lot of different characters here, and each has their own journey. Unfortunately, it means by the time we get to the climax things feel in a bit of a rush. Certain threads feel like they’re dropped quite quickly, and some of the plot doesn’t end up as fleshed out as it could be with how much is going on. It also means there’s quite a bit packed into the last part to wrap things up. Overall, however, it’s a vivid, experimental book that takes the reader on a fairly interesting journey, and there’s definitely not a moment where you can really feel bored by the unfolding events.
I knew Parker was a good writer, but Hummingbird definitely solidifies that.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
www.elleturpittediting.com
I purchased this book on Amazon
