By turns bizarre and hilarious, Clare Allan’s psychiatric-hospital novel is a sad-funny satire on the state of the current mental health system. She’s talking about the UK, in particular, but I have a feeling the issues she raises are universal.
Told from the point of view of a psychiatric day patrient, it recounts the cautionary tale of Poppy Shakespeare, delivred to the hospital against her will for no reason she can discern.
It’s then Poppy against the system, as the rest of the baffled patients fail to understand why she’s so desperate to get out when they’re busy doing everything they can to stay in and keep the status quo.
The proverbial madhouse run by the inmates, Poppy Shakespeare has an original voice and a novel story. It’s more than worth your time.

I can’t put it down. It is laugh out loud funny and sad and bizarre and surreal and exuberant all at once. I cannot believe it’s a debut novel. IT’S ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY BOOKS I’VE EVER READ IN MY LIFE