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Author: Florence Knapp
Genre: Literary
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
I received a complimentary eARC from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Original • Layered • Sensitive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?
In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son’s birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she’d like to call the child, Cora hesitates…
Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora’s and her young son’s lives, shaped by her choice of name.
💭 T H O U G H T S
2025 has certainly been the year of the debut novel and Florence Knapp's, The Names, was among those garnering all of the praise in the bookish world. I was eager to get my hands on a copy before all of the hype, as it sounded exactly like something I would binge. But it was glowing 5-star reviews from several readers that forced me to move it up my priority list and read it now rather than later.
What an absolutely fabulous concept and structure - 3 parallel storylines told simultaneously with seven year time jumps and based on the choice of naming a baby. The story changes based on which name a baby is given and the ripple effect of domestic abuse. I was invested in seeing how life would play out in each version. There is also so much beauty in the prose.
But as much as I loved the idea and writing, I really struggled with wanting to pick this one up. At times I struggled with keeping the storylines and characters straight, which in turn kept me at a distance. It's also quite possible I was expecting a much more emotionally impactful book than what this one offers. That isn't to say this is an easy read. It is not. But it didn't get under my skin the way other topics on the topic of domestic abuse have.
The Names had a brilliant concept and structure, but it is one of those cases where all of the hype affected my own reading experience. I went with sky high expectations and it didn't quite meet them. It's definitely the time of book that makes the reader contemplate the idea of fate versus free will. There are some cases where I highly recommend the print version as opposed to the audiobook, and this is certainly one of those cases.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• parallel stories
• contemplating fate
• character driven narratives
⚠️ CW: domestic abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, gaslighting, toxic relationship, violence, murder, death, death of parent, grief, sexual assault, confinement, injury/injury detail, mental illness, alcoholism, pandemic/epidemic, suicide
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There’s something about that—when the quietest person, most reserved in their opinions, most reluctant to impose their thoughts on others, finally speaks; you hear."
"There was a subtle power in bowing out."
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Stalking, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Suicide
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic
To start out, this was an incredible book. I felt like I was people-watching, except that I was invited to watch and learn. This book is VERY heavy and is not something that should be read without knowing the trigger-warnings. However, if you're in a good mindset, this is a very interesting read. For a debut novel, this is amazing.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent
Wat een geweldig debuut. Ik kijk uit naar Knapps volgende werken.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Death, Homophobia
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Infertility, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Dementia, Pregnancy, Gaslighting