Hydra (Adriane Howell, Transit Lounge)

Adriane Howell’s debut novel Hydra is unsettling and dreamlike. In its folds, the strange and unflinching Anja becomes the reader’s friend—because we’re privy to her thoughts, because she tolerates our presence, and because there’s no-one else. She’s an ambitious antiquarian who returns to the office after a period of leave. In a moment of dedication to an antique chair, and to her career, Anja injures a woman and is fired. It’s an unjust turn of events and we can feel revenge brewing within her. Anja leaves the world of antiques and stumbles upon a seaside cottage near a naval base. On a whim she signs a 100-year lease and moves in amid the ragged sea air and wild scrub. But something about her new home is not right—she feels like she’s being watched, perhaps by an inhuman presence. Anja is not a very likeable person, but she is a very likeable character. We’re on her side, rooting for our protagonist despite her unruly inner monologue and questionable decisions. Anja’s behaviour almost follows dream logic but her bizarre choices are met with sound responses from the world around her, creating moments of disjunction when her inner life and the outside world clash. Howell’s writing is thrilling and haunting. Through it she delves into memory, revenge and the consequences of loneliness. Similar to Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Hydra is a book for readers who love still nights, urban legends and unhinged protagonists.

Danielle Bagnato is a book reviewer and marketing and communications professional.

Category: Reviews