Kellcey by Kacey Kells

An iconic piece of literature  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

7 May 2021

https://colinridyard.com/my-blog/f/kellcey-by-kacey-kells

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R3K3ACNM2T1ARC/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B084WRR7FK

 

A first-person, chronologically forward-moving novel, Kellcey begins with the heroine describing her early life, a “beautiful, peaceful and safe environment’ before delivering the hook which inexorably draws the reader into the story. Fast forward then to early teens to reveal the heroine tragically losing her sister but ‘blossoming’ into a confident 15-year-old falling in love for the first time with a confident, broad-shouldered, muscular handsome hero. 

Ben, the ‘dreamboy’ of Kellcey’s desire is so deliciously described, one could be forgiven for thinking it the beginning of a wonderful romantic novel; an illusion maintained  in subsequent chapters which describe the day her romantic ‘hero’ asks and takes her on a date, their blossoming romance, the meeting parents, holiday surfing and stolen kisses in the school yard. The fantasised contrasts with courtly love, vampire romance and Regency’s le bon ton are also worthy of mention; I particularly loved the tragically ironic juxtaposition of the maternal dragoness and the fair maiden rescued by the knight in shining armour.

Of further interest was the way a free-spirited grandmother and a more stubborn grandparent who embodied ‘millenia of archaic traditions’ were contrasted. The author provides a wonderfully coloured palette, upon which, like a classical painter of old, the heroine paints interesting arguments on social Darwinistic follies. Is it, she argues, fair for parents to expect their daughters to behave maturely when they are cocooned in the cotton wool pseudo protectionism of traditional genderist dogma? The real question it quite rightly elicits though, is, why, after millions of years of evolution, are we even in this situation? Surely to God, in a world of equality our daughters (and sons) should always be free to come and go as they please without the fear of negative consequences? Alas, this question still has no reassuring answers in a society where we are constantly bombarded with the stark reminders of how the innocent, too many times, fall victim to the indifferent, cold-blooded, fork-tongued champions of greed, lust, envy, wrath, pride, gluttony and sloth.

One such malign entity comes in the form of, John, who from the start makes crude and inappropriate remarks around Kellcey forcing Ben to intervene. This foreshadowing and framing of a culture that treats women as property at extremely young ages and teaches boys the objectification of women is a normal part of the homosocial order is the central theme of the story and casts its malevolent shadow over the blossoming romance between the two star-crossed lovers. Kellcey is, in many ways, a profound social commentary on a par with other greats such as Priestley’s “An Inspector Calls” and Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” both which, similarly highlighted the suffocating injustices and inequalities suffered by women. 

What I thought quite excellent in Kellcey, and what gave the book its own unique powerful voice was how the heroine as her older, wiser self, would share her own thoughts and effectively coach the reader pointing out danger signs, suggesting what is right, what is wrong, and more importantly, how things in life can start to go amiss in ways one may not fully appreciate at the time. The eloquent message she drives home is especially relevant to all young lovers – beware the folly of building up your hopes and dreams on the shaky foundations of a bad romance.

And in spite of Kellcey’s initial deification of Ben, it is indeed a bad romance. His abuse and excessive drinking cause him to all but pass out at a party. This is seen as a green light by John, who, together with a group of his friends commits the most despicable of crimes. The chapter describing exactly what happens next comes with a warning as indeed it should. It pulls no punches and is not for the faint hearted. Reading it will leave you horrified, mortified and infuriated and in my case, an overwhelming desire to climb into the story book and deal out some summary justice. 

In the aftermath and like Cormier’s classic novel, we find who the real ‘heroes’ are.  The maternal dragoness, the girls in the rape crisis centre, kind-hearted Philip and the wounded veteran amongst others, all help Kellcey in different ways to come to terms with the contemptible crime committed against her. We have a flash forward to older Kellcey’s perspective and whilst I won’t drop any spoilers, the additional message she leaves is one of hope which really should be written in stone: A balanced and strong society cannot treat girls and women as a weak link; rather, it must see them as a full part of the community. A society cannot achieve all its potential if such discriminations remain.

In conclusion, I confidently predict generations of students will be studying Kellcey in future English literature modules in a way not too dissimilar to the way we study other such classical texts as Hemingway, Steinbeck & Priestley. Kellcey is a heroine with a powerful voice and the message she delivers is way too important for any civilised society to ignore.