The God Fix

The God Fix Synopsis

Book description: The God Fix is a dark and challenging coming of age story set in Greater Manchester in the early 2000s. Taking place across multiple visits to his extended family, Matt, a boy from Surrey, must grapple with the gravity of unravelling discoveries about his family, forcing him to contemplate his life, his faith, morality, revenge and death.

Synopsis: Split into three parts, part one follows Matt, an 11-year-old boy from a middle-class family, as he travels north to stay with his less affluent relatives in Greater Manchester in the early 2000s. Matt bonds with his cousins, Josh who is of similar age, and Ellie who is a few years older. Witnessing an argument between his uncle Harold and his aunt Jill, Matt is quickly made aware of his uncle’s temperament and alcoholism.

During a game of hide and seek, Matt discovers a shoebox of VHS tapes in his uncle’s wardrobe, which at the onset of puberty, he excitedly assumes is pornography. An act of petty vandalism results in a threat from a member of the public that he’ll call the police, leaving Matt and Josh in a frenzied state.

Their panic hits a crescendo when they see a police car parking outside the home and hear a knock at the door. Their minds are put somewhat at ease when it is revealed that the police are there to arrest Harold who had gotten into a fight at the pub. The following day, Matt chooses to stay home alone in the house.

He uses it as an opportunity to take a VHS tape from his uncle’s wardrobe to watch. The tape, a few years old, is of his cousins being sexually abused by Harold. Confused and distraught, Matt pledges revenge. Part two of the story is set three years later when Matt visits his relatives once again.

A teenage Matt has told no one of what he discovered, though the trauma has stayed with him. At this point in time, Matt and Josh have become distanced and initially struggle to reconnect. His aunt and uncle, like Ellie, have become more devoutly religious. To Matt’s ire, Josh defends Harold as a father and emphasises the importance of family.

Matt feels a visceral hatred towards Harold and is sceptical towards Harold’s piousness and supposed affection for his family. When Josh leaves for evening football practice, Matt bonds with Ellie over music and discusses religion. Ellie’s reasoned approach to her faith is appealing to a spiritual Matt.

When Josh returns home with Harold, with Josh having been caught smoking, an argument culminates in Josh calling his father a pervert. When alone with Josh, Matt takes the opportunity to rally Josh against his father, revealing that he knows about the abuse. Josh vehemently rejects the notion that he is weak or a victim.

He tells Matt that he’s hidden away a small bottle of poison which he got from a school friend. He tells Matt that he can exact revenge on his father any time he wants. The next morning, enthused by the idea of revenge, Matt is disappointed to find that Josh has already made amends with his father.

En route to breakfast, Harold requests a private conversation with Matt in which he apologises for the argument and asks Matt to pray with him. An incensed Matt pledges to himself that he will kill Harold. In the afternoon, a bowling trip gives Matt an insight into Josh’s emotional volatility.

In the evening, Matt and Josh drink beer stolen from Harold; Matt feels a sense of rebellion and freedom. Matt uses the opportunity of Harold being in the bathroom to spike his drink with the poison. Realising the gravity of what he’s done, Matt starts to feel nauseous and stays home whilst Josh goes out.

He speaks with Ellie about religion and forgiveness. Understanding the reality of the consequences of his actions, Matt waits for Ellie to leave before taking the poison himself. He lies down waiting for it to take effect, contemplating his life and death, and praying for salvation. Matt wakes up the next day.

He soon after realises that Harold too has survived. When he confronts Josh about the ‘poison’, Josh reveals it to have been regular vodka. Part three is an epilogue, set another few years later at Harold’s funeral. Harold has died from a heart attack, and Matt struggles with the guilt and injustice of knowing that Harold got away with his crimes.

Ellie seems to be doing well, as does Josh to a lesser extent. His aunt, meanwhile, is distraught and emotionally unstable. In the end, Matt cannot find it in himself to forgive Harold.