Well this was always going to be a difficult read, but of course fascinating all the same. The fact it is written by one of Fred and Rose's actual children makes it all the more insightful and compelling.

The things Mae and her siblings were exposed to as children and young adults is incomprehensible. From being made to sleep in a basement where dead bodies were buried beneath, to being told (and then being subject to) Fred's belief that 'it is a fathers right to break his daughters in'. 

Mae insists that some of their family life growing up was 'normal' and even happy. That her father was quite the joker and entertainer when he wanted to be. That they enjoyed similar holiday outings to others. However, with everything else she reveals about life at 25 Cromwell Street, it is incredibly hard to picture anything ordinary about them. 

I was suprised to read about the divide between siblings after their parents crimes were brought to light. Instead of being a united front against evil, they ended up pretty much picking a side of either parent and each other, and I found this quite unfathomable and extremely sad. 

One of the most frustrating parts to read about was how long Mae was still under the manipulation of her mother. After Rose was sent to prison for the most heinous crimes, she still protested her innocence and somehow managed to keep Mae as her support system and regular visitor. It took a very long time for Mae to actually walk away.

Thankfully, despite the incredibly complicated circumstances of her life and feeling as though she was  always having to hide who she was, Mae has eventually managed to carve her own future with a loving family of her own and a close circle of friends. 

Overall, this was a raw insight into the unimaginable life as a daughter of Fred and Rose West.