This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I read it knowing this book is a thriller, however, I do believe this is more an in depth examination of a dysfunctional family whom continues to be mired in the results of unaddressed trauma. It involves three generations, but the older generation, the protagonist’s parents, do not have a front row seat to this train wreck, we hear from them, but not until they need to provide their piece of the puzzle.
This book really pushes the twist by placing a woman in the position of a psychological abuser. This woman reeks havoc on her oldest child and, by association, her younger daughter and earlier, with her ex husband. It’s all very strange that no one identified what was happening or answered the oldest child’s subtle cries for help. What we do know is our protagonist is a person you will deeply dislike, her ex husband and her new husband are also not likable in any way either. The protagonist is very unhinged and surely looks to be, at the very least, a sociopath, but then you find out her story which is mired in buried trauma and apparently, her parents are responsible for this trauma by their actions during a rough patch in their marriage. This lead to an unthinkable tragedy that the protagonist carries. Everyone has excuses and things blow up needing immediate attention. The end is pretty dissatisfying in the sense that I wanted comeuppance and that wasn’t realized.
I enjoyed this book, if you read it as a case study it’s fascinating, but this is not an entertaining read; as you read you feel that you’re walking beside the characters as the story plays out which is not a bad thing; this story is a page turner. There are many twists and it unfolds in a very well paced way. Overall, this is a 4 star read for me and I would read this author again.
Thank you for this ARC provided by Grey’s Promotions.
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