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jesscoast's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is what I'd describe as an "all American" mystery. It's layered with fraud, trauma, abandonment, and abuse, but really is about the odd and unexplainable decisions of a secretive woman. The book starts off by asking readers to follow along the story of a mother who abandons her family. This might immediately throw off some readers, but Lipmann rewards the readers who stick around for the journey.
Although details about Polly's life and past are revealed throughout the story, her motives are not. It's impossible to know whose side to be on and if you're rooting for the good characters. The beginning was really exciting when so many new possibilities existed and everything happened at such a fast pace. For a reinvention novel, the arc plateaus at a realistic place, and instills a sense of waiting to the reader that the character is experiencing.
Though important details are sprinkled throughout, I found the middle of the book a bit hard to get through. I'm glad I stuck by though, it was worth it for the end. There is an unpacking of the institutions meant to help victims - police, investigators, insurance, etc that really instills a distrust in them and leaves the characters feeling vulnerable that I found exciting and a good critique. The manipulation of these systems was an interesting turn key.
I did enjoy the emotional attachment I formed with the characters and their relationships, though I found Polly's personality lacking a little, and substituted with descriptions of her looks a bit too heavily. I was disappointed to realize that the sunburn in the beginning never comes back to explain a plot point. I was expecting to find out that Polly had had some unexpected outdoor time like having to bury a body or row a boat to get away, but the sunburn didn't represent anything.
Although details about Polly's life and past are revealed throughout the story, her motives are not. It's impossible to know whose side to be on and if you're rooting for the good characters. The beginning was really exciting when so many new possibilities existed and everything happened at such a fast pace. For a reinvention novel, the arc plateaus at a realistic place, and instills a sense of waiting to the reader that the character is experiencing.
Though important details are sprinkled throughout, I found the middle of the book a bit hard to get through. I'm glad I stuck by though, it was worth it for the end. There is an unpacking of the institutions meant to help victims - police, investigators, insurance, etc that really instills a distrust in them and leaves the characters feeling vulnerable that I found exciting and a good critique. The manipulation of these systems was an interesting turn key.
I did enjoy the emotional attachment I formed with the characters and their relationships, though I found Polly's personality lacking a little, and substituted with descriptions of her looks a bit too heavily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Infidelity
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