Ahhhh what a fantastic book! Forward-thinking, experimental and yet totally easy to follow. Little Scratch will resonate with anyone dealing with any kind of trauma; the book reflects the universality of human suffering back at the reader, detailing it perfectly in fragmented and persistent thoughts, but especially looks at trauma after rape and sexual assault in the workplace.

The everyday-ness of it too was special. I used to work for a news magazine as an assistant and the whole office experience was written very accurately.

I’d love to read this in paper book form as well as I can see it having a different impact through the written word.

An amazing book! Audio-wise, the narrator was clear and unflappable, the recording very good quality.

Conveyed in a stream of consciousness, Rebecca Watson presents us with a day in life of a woman, capturing just how mundane everyday tasks are, while also diving into the mind of a victim of sexual assault.

This book is REALLY unique. The form itself is creative and challenging, but what it offers is even better. It allowed me to really connect with the story that the character is telling. I read it in one sitting, which seems rather fitting given the book tells a story of day in life.

I think requesting this audiobook was one of my best decisions this year - listening to author herself reading the story exactly how she intended it to sound made an entire experience even more special. I don’t think my mind could have done this book justice, but Rebecca Watson reading it certainly does.

Little Scratch 🌸

I listened to this on audiobook and I’m really glad I did. It’s read by the author and I think because of the way this was written this is really important.

It’s hard to explain but it’s almost a chaotic flow of consciousness and thoughts as the narrator goes through her mundane daily life. But there’s one all consuming thought and feeling and that’s the trauma of a sexual assault. These feelings invade her every day thoughts.

This was just a really really clever book and I’ve never read anything like it.

You know when you walk down the street alone and your brain just kind of talks to you and you have all these weird thoughts like oh I recognise that person, shall I cross here, what’s that smell, my toe hurts, one foot after the other, was that my phone, where is my phone. And these all kind of merge into one? They’re thoughts you hear in your own voice? Well that’s basically what this book is, but we can see the effects of the invading thoughts about her sexual assault.

I think that the book is written in a similarly chaotic way with words spread across the page, and that will either work for you or it won’t, but I’m really glad I listened to the audiobook as it’s then how the author envisaged the words being read and wow what a performance.

I’d really recommend giving this a go - 4⭐️.

Thanks to @netgalley and @wfhowes for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Ad - gifted.

This book is deeply original and will be a huge hit. It has all the makings of a modern classic, with a rich authorial voice, outstanding writing, and a thoughtful take on the current moment.

This debut novel will I think be one of the most innovative I read in 2021 – and I would be not be surprised to see it featuring on both the Women’s Prize and Goldsmith Prize lists. The Goldsmith was of course won in its first year by Eimear McBride’s harrowing stream-of-consciousness novel “A Girl is a Half Formed Thing” which is the only time ever I have listened to an audiobook as a way of gaining entry to a book I had found it difficult to access in print (just for reference in a typical year I read around 150 novels and listen to 0 audiobooks) – allowing me then to read the novel.

So when I heard of this novel – with its experimental stream-of-consciousness rendering on the page of the thoughts of a woman suffering trauma, a book very much about voice and which it is impossible to read other than aloud in one’s head – I was delighted to be able to both buy the novel in print but also to source a copy of the Audiobook (narrated by the author herself)..

The style of this book I should stress is very different – rather than McBride’s relentlessness assault of fragmentary sentences and inventive language, we have here intersecting, sometimes parallel, sometimes intervleaved threads of internal monologue but also What’s App exchanges, emails, trip advisor reviews, poems, railway annoucements, brief conversations – all written in everyday language, thought and speech. The look and particularly spacing of the text on the page is itself part of the effect- and very different again to McBride’s wall of text. And the voice too very different in both animation and accent (Southern English, twenty-something, well educated).

The unnamed narrator is an assistant for an unnamed international newspaper – and the story is one Friday in her life, starting with her awakening, slightly hungover, through to her drifting to post-coital sleep. Most of it takes place in her “dreaded” office – and much of the background detail will be very familiar to any London based white collar worker. There though, and what gives the book its propulsive power, the spectre of her sexist boss and a rape (which he blithely will not acknowledge and which the narrator has still not disclosed – including to her “Him” her boyfriend) hangs over her.

The form follows both from the book’s set up and from trying to capture the multi-tasking digital world in which we now exist, the author said in an FT article she authored on the art of fiction in the age of social media “When I started writing my own novel, incorporating this digital compulsion was one of the first issues I ran into. I was writing a book that aimed to follow the mind of a woman in her twenties, nonstop, so ignoring it would be a plot hole. But quickly, I found that it opened up my protagonist, created a portal to others while still keeping her isolated. It inspired me to shake up form; the pressures of an age of distraction making me break up prose into columns and fragments.”

There are some clever touches in the book.

Even as I wrote the review it was tempting to refer to elements of the plot that fit closely what I understand of the author’s life and experiences – and the one time when the book diverts to a WhatsApp group chat (otherwise the narrator leaves them unread, instead just communicating with her Mum and her Him) it is for a brief discussion on female auto-fiction.

Cleverly then there is a benign colleague in the book – who checks in on the narrator occasionally, especially when she senses she is particularly distressed – and this colleague is effectively, in many senses, the author.

The text (as my opening and closing quotes show) brings in ideas of linearity in thought and conventionality in writing (for example when the narrator finds some notes discarded by a colleague in the women’s toilet bin).

Overall I thought this was an excellent book treating an important if difficult subject –#MeToo and sexual assault in the workplace.

The author herself, announcing the upcoming audiobook, tweeted recently something which very much captured my different experiences with the novel and the audiobook “It was a strange thing to record as the text is so much about encouraging the reader to make decisions and learn patterns. Instead, it becomes a performance, but it still demands attention and, I think, works. I always heard it in a voice!”. If there is a difficulty in accessing the text it is in deciding how to read when there are two different sections interleaved – do you read each in series or attempt them in parallel (or – which I think is the most appropriate – pick according to context). The audiobook – while still retaining the idea of interleaving threads – makes this choice for you, which both brings you closer to the author’s own choices (and narrator’s true voice) but also I think removes some of the reader’s agency.

So my recommendation – buy them both.

I don't usually listen to audiobooks, preferring to read a book myself, but this has converted me! It's utterly compelling and addictive listening. The flow and form of the writing is so brilliant, and is like one long stream of consciousness. The everyday monotony is mesmerising and so cleverly interrupted over and over by trauma and memories of an assault. There are dramatic pauses and moments of humour with comic timing which really benefits from being read to you by the author! The voice in my head wouldn’t have done it justice – I really recommend listening.

Following the inner monologue of a young woman, this book touches on issues of belonging mental health and sexual assault, and can be quite unflinching in its portrayal of these themes.

It is written in a stream-of-consciousness style in parts, with occasional phrases and lines repeating either to explain the action the character is doing or is mostly focused on (for example, 'pedalling, pedalling') or their thoughts bubbling to the surface. This occasionally make the text suffocating, in exactly the kind of way that thoughts can, and so what at first takes some getting used to evnetually becomes a background rhythm that accentuates many moments of the text.

For example, when the character is thinking over her sexual assault, the gurgling sounds of her memories heighten how crowded and overwhelmed her thoughts are, and this feels especially effective in those sections.

I listened to this as an audiobook, with the author herself reading it, and for me that added a great deal to the experience, as there is a real rhythm and pace to this (rather short) book that propels it forward and gives the text real emotional punch.

The audiobook experience also allows for some effective use of sound itself, with some voices growing and shrinking as another voice interrupts or overpowers, and highlights some of the clever wordplay that is subtle throughout (for example, while one voice is in the foreground, another is in the background saying 'pedalling, pedalling') leading to a moment where the two voices combine to say 'backpedalling' at an especially good moment).

Although it was not always as successful for me (some passages felt a bit too circuitous for me), this book is arresting and powerful, and is worth sticking with to get a glimpse into the mind of a woman processing trauma.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into this book, it’s written in fragments, following the ‘stream of consciousness’ model to express the manic thoughts of the narrator (who has gone through a traumatic event). It’s a very experimental novel but I grew to like the character more and more as the book progressed. It’s definitely not for everyone but I’d recommend it if you’re looking to broaden your horizons, or if you enjoy poems (as consuming the text is very similar to reading poetry).

I'm a newbie to audiobooks, and this. This I loved. First thing is a word on the narrator. Little Scratch is narrated by the author in audio format and from what I've heard about the style in which this book is written, I think is a huge thing. The fact that Watson can truly tell her novel as she wants to was probably key in successfully telling this story.

So on to the story.

This lyrical and daring novel is set over the course of day. A day in the mind of an unnamed woman who has been raped by her boss. The effect that this has had on her and her feelings towards her 'him' as she refers to her boyfriend, is explored throughout.

Listening to this novel, it felt like stepping inside the mind of a woman and just listening to her thoughts throughout the day. I imagine reading it would almost be like when people do that thing where they write unconsciously and words just pour from the pen.

I honestly am struggling to find the words to describe this - but it was dark and humourous. It was profound. It was daringly different. And I loved it. Having listened to it, I'm tempted to go and buy it in a written format as I'm fascinated by how it might compare.

I'm afraid I abandoned this one early on as although the blurb really intrigued me, this style of writing is very niche and not one I enjoy.

Watson takes on the day in the life of a woman who is processing a recent experience of sexual assault.

I was kindly gifted a copy of the audiobook version of this by @wfhowes. I would love to purchase a hard copy of this to see how the book is formatted as you can tell from the narration, Watson is attempting to bring an original and fresh style of writing. It's very conversational but also poetic in a way and I enjoyed how much you had to pay attention to this to understand it. It’s almost of a stream of consciousness.

This will be a memorable read because of how different it is and in spite of the topic discussed being quite heavy it was an accessible and quick read. However, I think this would be better to read in a hardcopy and not audiobook.

Audiobook version: Rebecca Watson's internalised and analytical observations as voiced by her (the protagonist's) body and mind, of a day in the life, read very well and I believe could even work as a one woman stage performance. It is witty, topical, very personal and she does a great job of placing pauses, where we need to take stock, breath and think about what was just said, rather than the very real rambling loquacious voice in our head that just won't let up. We all know how difficult it is to block everything else out and listen to our own mind, whilst living in such a fast paced world that is today, but if nothing else, this audiobook is food for thought at least and it touches on some salient subjects, enclosed within the safe walls of her poetic mind. A very unusual yet intriguing audiobook that is definitely worthy of your attention.

Amazingly captive and very disturbing, this audiobook was a terrific listen. I cried, I laughed, I cried. Listened listened listened.

Just perfect, I could see the text in my head dripping down in slow curls. Cannot wait to own a copy in print. Thank you Rebecca for reading your book to me, it is rare to find the author's voice in audiobooks and you really put extra icing on your wonderful cake by doing so.

Loved it.

Thank you to WFH and Netgalley for an audio review copy read by the author.

I have read a few reviews which call this jarring because of the narration style.

I really liked the fast paced chatter style and the distracted nature of the protagonist. it had a real quality to it.

This book is funny, it's about mundane office life, it's heartwarming and heartbreaking and real.

TW sexual assault.

A daring debut.

Taking place over one day, in little scratch we follow an unnamed woman as she goes about the mundanity of life in the wake of a recent sexual assault.

I chose well with my first audiobook of 2021. This book is so different and so engaging. Don’t get me wrong, it’s tough listening at times, addressing a serious issue, but it is so affecting. The way Watson threads together the thoughts of a woman trying to go about her day in the office, logging in to a slow computer server, making tea, going to the loo, but no matter what she does, she can’t keep the thoughts of what happened to her out of her mind. They keep creeping back in no matter how hard she tries. And when that space opens up, all the thoughts she’s trying to keep out start flooding in. She is suddenly questioning everything and everyone. Why has her boyfriend not responded to her text? He’s busy at work she reminds herself. Why is the colleague she barely knows offering her a cup of tea? Does she know something? And on, and on..

I listened to the audiobook of little scratch and have seen online, images of the layout of the physical book and I’m so intrigued. I’ve noted that some readers found the book difficult to read because of its layout and I wonder if I would have struggled with it if I had read it rather than listened to it. The audiobook was a really interesting experience as I felt like I was listening to an inner monologue. And as the author herself narrated it, she set the pace, which can move quite quickly and almost frantically at times. I look forward to picking up a physical copy to see how the words translate to the page.

Overall, a tough subject matter but worth reading. But maybe start by listening to it first?

The audiobook of little scratch will be released by W.F. Howes Ltd. on Thursday, 14th January, 2021. My thanks to W.F. Homes Ltd. and NetGalley for the advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Rape, sexual harassment in the workplace, self harm.

Though initially thrown by the recording style (I thought I'd accidently skipped ahead when the overground tannoy cut off her train of thought) once I adjusted I found myself unable to stop listening and devoured the entire audiobook in a single sitting.

Watson's performance was engaging, endearing and slightly off, perfectly embodying the dissociated state of her protagonist, The inner dialogue of processing her trauma was raw and impactful. She is not the 'perfect victim', she is complex, with contradicting emotions, she is human. I particularly enjoyed where the inner and outer dialogue intersected, the power of the internal pain masked by 'normality. Most striking in the interactions with her 'him' as she wrestles between enjoying the bliss of his ignorance and finding comfort in her disclosure.

I was surprised to see that this was first published in print only, the style of the writing, the subject matter, the state of the protagonist's mind lends themselves brilliantly into the audio format. I'm not sure readers of the print edition would get the same level of immersion, though on that note would flag that the audio is best avoided for those who are triggered by sexual assault and self harm.

True stream of consciousness narration won't be for everyone- the effect is definitely achieved, it reads exactly how sudden intrusive thoughts come in to your head when thinking about something else entirely (especially with regards to a trauma), although here it seems more artificial and can get tedious at times.
The book doesn't have a crux so once you've read the description there are no surprises in the content; I expected the form to be a tactic to revealing a surprise but the text really is just a flow of monotony, as in real life. Definitely better experience when listened to as an audiobook rather than read, I think, but will not be for everyone.

Author Rebecca Watson delivers her audiobook in a style reminiscent of a spoken word performance or piece of theatre. "Little Scratch" examines the aftermath of trauma and the minutiae of the daily grind as the world turns regardless. She had me at hangover poo. Watson's work is bold and honest as she effectively conveys the effects of trauma on the mind. We see obsessive, spiralling and intrusive thoughts. I've never seen mental struggle and decline described so accurately. The horror of a constant stream of inane chatter inside your own head. An astute representation of incredibly challenging subject matter.