Winner of the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize, Denizen, is a literary thriller revolving around nine-year-old Parker, his life and constant battle to contain and understand his psychotic behaviour.
Living in a rural town in NSW, Parker is a difficult character. Prone to violent temper tantrums, he is selfish and destructive. Many of his tantrums come with memory loss. He fears something is wrong with his brain, and for good reason. Parker’s mother constantly abuses him, physically and mentally. Their relationship is a turbulent, vicious roller-coaster of violence and abuse. A relationship that at times is difficult and painful to read.
The narrative is not linear and changes abruptly without warning.
Watson skilfully uses dream sequences and memories to move in time, shifting the narrative to the present where Parker is a father with his own child. He has escaped the isolation of his childhood town, and his psychotic episodes, with medication, are now seemingly under control. However, a return to the outback for a camping trip with his only two childhood friends may prove otherwise.
Watson does not pull any punches with this book. This is a very dark novel that explores mental illness and the related violent behaviour. Working as a nurse in regional New South Wales, Watson has experienced the problems stemming from mental illness firsthand. If you are averse to bad language and graphic violence, then this book may not be for you.
The nature of the illness and the structure of the narrative create an air of ambiguity and tension which make it hard to stop turning the pages. It is also beautifully written.
Reviewed by Neale Lucas
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