Overview

In Verge, Rowena Murray was born under a terrible omen—250 starlings falling dead at her birth—marking her as cursed. When her father dies and her mother sends her across a fractured post-Brexit Britain to the ancestral home of Culcraith for a ritual before the solstice, she must travel with Halim, an Egyptian-born driver, through counties guarded like borders. Their journey weaves folk curses, cultural tension and a landscape reshaped by isolation and superstition.

Writing & Voice

Attia writes with bold ambition, blending folk horror, road-trip tension and dystopian politics into a heady brew. The prose shines in vivid scenes of ritual and borderlands, though the novel sometimes tries to juggle too many elements—myth, dystopia, personal trauma—at once.

Characters

Rowena is compelling: rebellious, haunted and seeking meaning beyond her mark. Halim offers a quieter, measured counterpoint, as he navigates prejudice and culture. Their dynamic holds promise, but with several layers of conflict and many peripheral figures, the emotional focus sometimes slips.

Themes

The novel examines belief versus skepticism, tradition versus modernity, and how isolation breeds fear and control. The fractured Britain setting amplifies the curse-narrative: what looks like superstitious burden may be symbolic of deeper societal fractures.

What Worked

• Unique concept: a folk-horror road tripod set in a dystopian UK.
• Atmospheric voice: the borderlands, superstitions and cultural tension feel vivid.
• Strong world-building: the fractured Britain idea and layered traditions spark intrigue.

Minor Quibbles

• Thematic overload: at times myth, dystopia and horror compete rather than complement.
• Some character arcs and sub-plots felt under-developed compared to the ambitious setting.

Final Thoughts

A bold, imaginative debut, Verge is rich with atmosphere and ideas—but the weight of its ambitions means it doesn’t always land fully. Still, for readers drawn to folk horror, fractured landscapes and speculative road-trips, it’s an immersive read worth the journey.

Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.5 / 5)