Week before last I read Caprice Crane's Forget About It - the story of doormat Jordan Landau who, following an accident, takes control of her life. Last week I read The Self-Preservation Society: the story of Jo Morgan, a self-confessed "scaredycat" who, following an accident, takes control of her life. The similarities don't end there - both women's accidents are bike-related, both suffer head injuries and - even more spookily - both their fathers have given them Jelly Bean-related nicknames. Both books were written and published around the same time, so I'm not suggesting either one copied the other, more that great minds think alike!
All the above similarities aside, The Self-Preservation Society is very different to Forget About It. Jo has a very safe life. Along with her boyfriend, she works in Accident Prevention, is hyper-aware of risk and has basically arranged every aspect of her life around the avoidance of it. Of course, you can't live any sort of life and avoid risk completely, but Jo only learns that when she's knocked down on her way to work (she'd forgotten her reflective jacket).
The accident causes Jo to suffer flashbacks - perfect recollections of incidents in her childhood. Like many of us brought up in the 80s, Jo was petrified at the prospect of nuclear war. Following the guidelines in the government issued Protect & Survive leaflet, Jo started stockpiling food and planning for a potentially terrible future. But when her younger brother got sick - and her parents focus turned to him - Jo's present wasn't so great either. And then there were those strange women at nearby Greenham Common...
Along with the flashbacks, Jo's a lot moodier and less easy-going than she used to be. At first Jo and her family and friends blame the change in her behaviour on her head injury, but with the help of fellow patient Frisky (an 85-year-old former fighter pilot) and his foxy, but mysterious grandson Luke, Jo starts to understand that a life without risk isn't necessarily one worth living.
I really enjoyed The Self-Preservation Society. Jo's flashbacks (actually my favourite parts of the book since they were so evocative of my own scaredycat childhood ... not that I'm a narcissist or anything) are cleverly woven into the story and are never jarring. Frisky and Luke are great fun, but also surprisingly deep. In fact, many of the characters reveal hidden depths and keep you guessing and thinking right to the end.
Rating: 4/5
Like this? Try Forget About It by Caprice Crane (obviously!)
