When I started reading The Book of Guilt, I was puzzled by all the characters, the setting, and the events the characters were presented. About half way through the story, suddenly I realized nothing was as it might normally be. The three main characters were in a bed of lies from every direction except those who were alike. I began to feel a dread, a cold clammy feeling. The author had produced a series of clues about danger and death for the main characters. This feeling I had continued and kept me riveted in the uniqueness of the storyline and pulled me at full bore to the finish.
This was not a cozy. Much much bigger and far-reaching. No spoiler though, so no more. Think Shirley Jackson and her short story, The Lottery.
I highly recommend this book to book clubs and reading assignments that desire deep thought-provoking discussions and lively comments.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. 5 stars all the way for this book. I enjoyed this read much more than expected, while it reminds me of Never let me go, it stands on its own. Highly recommended.

The story centers around a set of triplet boys who have been raised in a very weird environment their whole lives. They believe their parents to be dead, and are cared for by their “mothers” at the orphanage. They’re only allowed to learn things from one set of encyclopedias, and also have to have every dream and “bad” deed recorded. They also believe they have a virus that requires them to take a lot of medication.

When the government decides to shut down the care homes and the boys are being prepared to live with real families, they find out most everything they’ve known is a lie.

Admittedly, I was a bit bored by the first third of this book. However, once the kids started figuring out what was actually going on, I got much more interested and was pretty invested by the end. It was dark and moved a little too slowly for my taste, but I did enjoy it overall.

There are some times when I read a book and it sticks with me… I don’t want to stop reading it, I keep thinking about it when I have to put it down, and it lingers after it’s over. This is one of those books.

This is the story of 3 boys in an alternate time when the end of WWII happened differently. They live in a home for boys, the last ones there, and there are strange things going on… who are their 3 mothers? What is going on with the medicine they have to take? Why do people look at them strangely on the rare occasion they’re out in public? I was so captivated, I didn’t want to stop reading until I found out what was going on… and each reveal was just as shocking as the last.

This was also layered with tales of a similarly aged girl, kept hidden by her parents, and a “minister of loneliness”, and her interactions with the boys. Their stories intersected really well.

This story was so captivating and haunting. The writing was beautifully done and makes me want to find more books by this author. The concept and reveals are something I will keep thinking of and this book is one I will recommend to everyone I can.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey is a masterclass in psychological unease—an unsettling, beautifully written novel that lingers long after the final page. Known for the haunting brilliance of Remote Sympathy, Chidgey once again proves herself a literary force with this chilling tale of identity, institutional control, and the quiet roots of evil.

Triplets Lawrence, Vincent, and William are raised in the eerie confines of the Captain Scott Home for Boys after being told their parents died of heart attacks weeks apart. Their lives are governed by ritual and surveillance: dosed with unnamed medicines, examined by the enigmatic Dr Roach, and shaped by three ‘mothers’ named Morning, Afternoon, and Night. Their inner worlds are recorded in the Book of Dreams; their sins in the Book of Guilt.

When a local baker slips and reveals a clue to their past, the carefully constructed narrative around them begins to unravel. What follows is a slow, sinister revelation of truth and trauma.

Chidgey’s control of tone and atmosphere is remarkable, and her ethical undercurrents are quietly devastating. Dystopian yet disturbingly plausible, this is fiction at its most provocative. A highly recommended, deeply affecting read.

This hauntingly original novel reimagines post-WWII England in the grip of a chilling regime, where the line between protection and control is terrifyingly blurred. Set in 1979, the story follows a group of unforgettable 13-year-olds—triplets Vincent, Lawrence, and William—trapped in the eerie isolation of the Captain Scott Home for Boys, and Nancy, a girl hidden away in a quiet house in Exeter under the guise of love and safety.

The world-building is masterful—familiar yet unsettling, rich with detail and creeping dread. From the strange “medicine” the boys are forced to take to the mythical allure of Margate, the author weaves a dark tapestry of secrets, lies, and government manipulation. As the lives of the triplets and Nancy intersect, the truth about their pasts and the sinister fate planned for them unravels in shocking and emotional ways.

Tautly paced and filled with suspense, this story is about resilience, identity, and the desperate courage it takes to break free from the systems designed to erase you.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one really got under my skin—in the best way. The Book of Guilt takes an interesting alt-history premise and builds something quietly devastating around it. Slowly, the Captain Scott Home for Boys is revealed and the triplet's story entwines with Nancy's in Exeter. Chidgey’s writing is elegant and full of creeping dread. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you, long after you think you’ve put it down.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey is an absolutely heartbreaking story about a group of children raised on the outskirts of the English Countryside where they are raised by three women. One woman records their dreams and gives them medicine. One woman teaches them, and one woman keeps an eye on them as they sleep. All the women mark down the children's misdeeds in what is known as The Book of Guilt. The children are told that if they follow all the rules and listen, they'll be sent to an amazing place where all of their dreams will come true. All of this seems innocent enough, however, as the story continues, several red flags appear.

The way the author brings out the characteristics and mannerisms of each child makes the revelations even more devastating. The manner in which these poor individuals were treated by the townspeople was outright disgusting, even after several years had gone by when the grave injustice was somewhat rectified.

Sadly, I was able to envision everything that had happened because it was very close to other horrific events in history. Even now, some human beings are considered lesser due to their backgrounds; and while that isn't exactly the same as what happened here, it is still quite abominable to know that if this were happened today, there would be staunch supporters of it because they would view it as something necessary because they don't believe that everyone is equal.

As heart-wrenching as the plot was, The Book of Guilt was well-written as well as enlightening about how certain things in history were able to occur without too much public knowledge.

Thank you to Net Galley and the author for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Book of Guilt.
The storyline of this book kept me guessing as to the nature of the children in the two orphan homes versus the child in the single family home..
Having spent my teenage years in the 1970's, many of the cultural references were spot on to what I remembered from that time of my life. (I had inherited a set of the Book of Knowledge encyclopedias from my mother's childhood. I used to love looking at those old books as a child. There was a lot of discussion both in the 1970's and in the novel of nature vs nurture and how much of our life is scripted in our DNA and how much is carried through how we are treated by the adults in our lives.
This title will make a good book discussion, especially among people, like me, who have lived through the 1970 and can recall that time in our lives.

This is a very interesting book that didn’t work for me, but I know other readers will love the story. If you are a fan of alternative history and dystopian fiction, you should check out The Book of Guilt.

In a mysterious boys home deep in the English countryside, in a very different 1970s following a World War 2 that no country won, triplet brothers are being raised in isolation for their health. The story follows the boys as they meet a girl from the village outside their home, and begin to question if they are truly sick at all- and what their treatments could be for if they are not.

My primary issue with this story is simply that it got much darker than I was expecting. While I love horror and rarely find a horror novel too dark for me, I think I was expecting a different tone or storyline from this book’s description / genre; so it caught me off guard. I also do struggle with stories where children are endangered / etc., so it was not so much a book for me. However, this does not mean the book was unsuccessful. Even though I didn’t love the story, I did appreciate the writing style and the way the mystery unfolded; I was intrigued by the plot, and kept reading trying to discover what was happening. The Book of Guilt will definitely find its readers; I just unfortunately was not one of them.

I would recommend The Book of Guilt to fans of Never Let Me Go and The Man in the High Castle, as well as to readers who enjoy alternative history, dystopian fiction, and speculative thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing for the arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.

OK so this book was way outside my comfort zone. But I’ve been trying to branch out, and this book fits that bill! It’s definitely a “what if” book. What if no one won World War II? What if Hitler's science projects continued? It takes place in the late 70’s, a time when I was raising my family, which made it a bit nightmare inducing. Everything that happens I believe “could” happen, so it’s kind of a cautionary tale. The main characters are triplets who are the last boys in their orphanage. They gradually come to realize who they are and why they are there. It was very upsetting to me, but really a riveting read. The characters are so well written, and the plot twists are amazing. If you love a good mystery/crime/shocking read, this is for you. I will continue to think about this book for a long while, and I know it will visit my dreams, probably as nightmares. Based on my preferences, because of the Ick factor, I would normally give it 4 stars. But it is so well done I have to give it 5.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the ARC for this book. Opinions are my own.

Set in a time post WWII but with an alternate ending. Triplet boys are the only residents left in an experimental home for orphaned children. They are being given medicine for a mysterious disease however the side effects of the medicine makes them gravely ill. The boys are also having their dreams and wrong doings recorded for the doctors to study. They dream of a day that will come when they are well and can be released to the Margate resort where they are told they can play all day and eat all they care to. This novel also tells of a young girl, Nancy. Nancy's parents are protective, don't let her have friends or go outside. She is dressed in outdated clothing and forced to pose for pictures in a precise way. She is lonely. The boys and Nancy paths' intersect and they discover the unspeakable truths.
Dystopian novel but not up my alley. I found it to be an extremely disturbing topic. I also think it moved quite slowly. I can not recommend

I would give this book 10 stars if I could. It’s an immersive, thrilling story, one which presents an alternate reality in a way that is at once far-fetched and utterly believable. It’s a compulsive, mysterious book that had me racing through it to uncover the “truth”.

Identical triplets Vincent, William and Lawrence live at Captain Scott, a Sycamore Home, with their caretakers, Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night. Their parents died in a car crash when they were little, or so they have been told. The triplets are under the care of Dr. Roach and start the morning with prescribed medication, something they are told will keep them safe from The Bug. They dictate their dreams to Mother Morning each morning, go about their prescribed chores and study from The Book of Knowledge, a multi-volume encyclopedia that is their only reading source. If they behave badly, they are written up in The Book of Guilt.

The triplets are the last of a long list of boys to live at Captain Scott, the so-called Sycamore operation being phased out. They dream of going to Margate, where the other children have graduated to, Margate being protrayed as a theme park of daily delights. When Sycamore management decides to put the boys up for adoption to the public and they start to socialize with girls from a female Sycamore Home, one of which lets slip Home secrets – why they take medicine each morning, what Dr. Roach is treating them for – the real action begins. I don’t want to say more for fear of spoiling the book. Suffice it to say that there are shocking reveals and issues that readers will think about long after finishing the book.

This is my first taste of Catherine Cridgey, but it won’t be my last. After finishing The Book of Guilt, I immediately put her other novels on my TBR list. Many reviewers more familiar with the author claim that this is their favorite of hers. Her other works – The Axeman’s Carnival, Remote Sympathies and Pet – are given high praise as well, several winning awards. My recommendation is to put this on your list of pre-ordered books for when it publishes on September 16 (2025).

Much thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me early access to this title.

The Book of Guilt is a beautifully written, morally urgent novel. It marries compelling, multi-layered characters with a morally fraught world that questions how far society will go for progress—and who gets left behind. If you're drawn to dystopias that echo Never Let Me Go but pack deeper political resonance, this one is hard to forget. Just be ready for a slow-burn opening before its emotional and thematic engines fully ignite.

6 star read!!! Easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. This novel is almost historical fiction but also dystopian, so it was a really unique premise. I was hooked from the beginning and as you go through this, you know something isn’t quite right, but you don’t know what. So, you keep reading and start to learn the truth right along with the characters. There are so many deep themes, especially toward the end, but the novel is very story-forward (versus poetic and artsy). The ending really devastated me, but in the best way, and I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Vincent, Lawrence and William are triplets who are the only boys left at the Captain Scott Home for Boys.
Nancy is a young girl kept hidden from the world by her parents and she doesn't understand why. As these two different worlds come together, terrifying truths come out that will change all thier lives.

I felt this story dragged because there was soo much fluffy descriptions! I also felt the pace was confusing as the timeline didn't feel very clear. I also wasn't sure if Vincent was 'telling' this story from his older self or there was just some 'tense' issues. This book was slow and then suddenly took a very dark turn and the ending was so rushed! I still felt very confused by the ending. A good idea just not fully flushed and tied up.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

There was so much about this that I enjoyed, and I really was eager to keep reading as it went and uncover the mystery behind it. And, for the most part, I felt like the unraveling of secrets was pretty satisfying.

The one aspect of the plot — and one of the main reasons I am not giving this a full 5 stars — that left me dissatisfied was the handling of William’s character and the fact that he assaulted (if not all-out raped; this is left fairly vague) another character and it contributes very little to the plot. I understand that much of William’s character was to add complexity to the ethics of this story, to make the reader question whether he “deserves” to be tortured, only to unveil the twist that it he is spared that fate, but I found the lack of any profound acknowledgment of his violent action here to be a bit distasteful. It also created a strange side plot of secret-keeping between Vincent, the Mothers, and the Minister that more or less spun its tires. The novel wouldn’t have been fundamentally changed without this plotline.

Additionally, the author’s odd fixation on fatness, particularly when it came to women and girls, was a tad grating. With the character of Karen, I understood it as a key part of her perception and treatment, but it felt so out of place and dated elsewhere. For a story that ultimately attempted to be about accepting difference, it truly felt odd.

Otherwise, though, I did enjoy much of this book and am thankful to have gotten to read. Some really tough moments but a lot of compelling aspects!

This book is set in an alternate England where WW2 had a completely different outcome. There are a set of triplets living in a boys home who’s lives will intersect with Nancy another child the same age, but has been sheltered her whole life. The boys are taking medication to help prevent them from getting some mysterious illness that has taken the lives of all the other boys in the home before them. They are the only three left. Through budget cuts, the boys' home is being shut down.

The writing is great, it takes some time to get used to the prose, but it is worth the effort. The characters have depth and the story makes you think. This book is a slow-burn, but it builds consistently and keeps you wondering what is truly going on. It is an interesting book that makes you wonder about how things could be if history was written differently. I didn’t think this book would be for me, but I did find it intriguing. I’m glad I tried it because it was really interesting. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this book. I am writing this review based on my own opinion.

This was such a dark, twisty read! Set in an alternate 1979 England where WWII never ended the way we know it, three orphaned brothers live in a creepy old home with strict rules and daily meds for a mysterious illness. Meanwhile, a girl named Nancy lives a strangely sheltered life nearby. As their worlds collide, secrets unravel fast; and wow, it gets intense. A chilling, thought-provoking story about survival, control, and truth.

It is the 1970's and WWII has a different ending. Triplets, Vincent, Lawrence, and William reside at The Captain Scott Home for Boys. They are the last remaining residents where everyday they are forced to take medicine for what reason they are unsure. They are told that if they recover from the mysterious bug they will move to Margate, a seaside resort with its Dreamland and Shell Grotto that seems like a Disney type resort. In the home Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon, and Mother Evening look after them. Each day they read from The Book of Knowledge. In the morning they tell their dreams to Mother Morning and if they misbehave their wrongdoings are written in The Book of Guilt. This is all overseen by Dr. Roach, who decides the medicines as well as the interpretations of dreams, especially the nightmares. Who is Dr. Roach and why is he giving the boys medicine for this mysterious illness?
Nancy, a thirteen year old girl lives a life tucked away in Exeter. Her parents do not allow her to leave the house. When people visit she is hidden away in a wardrobe. What happens when the triplets life intersect Nancy's and they are forced to escape and survive?

This is the third Catherine Chidgey book for me. I loved Pet and The Axeman's Carnival, so I was thrilled to receive an advanced digital copy. She is an outstanding author and will read anything she writes!