It’s a world in which mothers are hard-drinking, poorly adjusted machines, fathers are simple appliances and children plot their own demise. Rob Davis introduced the Bear Park and Grave Acre in his surreal The Motherless Oven, and the second book in his gripping trilogy continues the tale of three rebellious children in a fantastic, perilous world. There are plenty of wonders here – children make their parents, strange bear-babies dwell in the woods and gods speak from ink pots. But this is a dystopia of mandated suicides where knives fall like rain, ruled by a vindictive weather clock who happens to be Vera Pike’s mum. The Motherless Oven saw Pike and her friends Cas and Scarper flee the police in a bid to avert Scarper’s death day, and The Can Opener’s Daughter delves back into the mysteries of Pike’s childhood, and forward as the trio probe secrets and face monsters and bureaucrats. It offers a dark, disorientating twist on the classic tale of kids against the world, setting school rivalries alongside talking trumpets and the crushing hand of destiny.
• The Can Opener’s Daughter is published by SelfMadeHero. To order a copy for £11.04 (RRP £12.99) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99.
