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darkpsychereads's review
5.0
4.5 Stars - Deceptively clever legal thriller
I almost gave up, but the first third of the book is deliberate in portraying this naive fatherly character. It escalates into something fantastic, trust me, stick with it.
This is a very cleverly written book, and it is unputdownable towards the end.
Father is a highly-esteemed pastor and expects his daughter is innocent, Mother is a lawyer who has distanced herself from motherhood, and a wild-child teen daughter who is accused of murder. The story is told in thirds and the first third is explored through the fathers eyes, and is admittedly slow and certainly doesn't represent the pace of the two remaining thirds. The second part is described through the daughter's perspective, and the character immediately becomes likeable - Stella is sharp, witty and impulsive, and I enjoy every moment of her experiences as she explores young adulthood with her best friend Amina. They encounter a charming young man who triggers a series of strange events, leading to his body being found, with Stella in question of murder.
The truth is not so simple, and the events unravel in a deceptively unique fashion during the last third, told through the mothers lawful eyes. It's almost a story that is told in thematic segments of religion-psychology-law, and how these modes of thinking interact.
The ending feels like a crescendo of discovery and emotion, and I truly enjoyed this book.
"Is there any sort of situation where you can say with certainty that a single person is responsible for what happens? Everything in life is dependent on so many different factors that interact in so many different ways."
Highly recommended read!
I almost gave up, but the first third of the book is deliberate in portraying this naive fatherly character. It escalates into something fantastic, trust me, stick with it.
This is a very cleverly written book, and it is unputdownable towards the end.
Father is a highly-esteemed pastor and expects his daughter is innocent, Mother is a lawyer who has distanced herself from motherhood, and a wild-child teen daughter who is accused of murder. The story is told in thirds and the first third is explored through the fathers eyes, and is admittedly slow and certainly doesn't represent the pace of the two remaining thirds. The second part is described through the daughter's perspective, and the character immediately becomes likeable - Stella is sharp, witty and impulsive, and I enjoy every moment of her experiences as she explores young adulthood with her best friend Amina. They encounter a charming young man who triggers a series of strange events, leading to his body being found, with Stella in question of murder.
The truth is not so simple, and the events unravel in a deceptively unique fashion during the last third, told through the mothers lawful eyes. It's almost a story that is told in thematic segments of religion-psychology-law, and how these modes of thinking interact.
The ending feels like a crescendo of discovery and emotion, and I truly enjoyed this book.
"Is there any sort of situation where you can say with certainty that a single person is responsible for what happens? Everything in life is dependent on so many different factors that interact in so many different ways."
Highly recommended read!
vkoka89's review against another edition
4.0
What a surprisingly great read! This had me guessing until the very last page. There are three parts to the story, narrated by the father, the daughter, and the mother. At first I thought the characters were really unlikeable but the author did a brilliant job changing my mind as the story progressed and the perspectives shifted.
heathersenter89's review
5.0
Engaging, easy read. The characters were established and relatable. Definitely recommend!
samsmith_swc's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nickyskene's review against another edition
3.0
A nearly normal family is about a girl - Stella who is accused and imprisoned for murder. The story is written in three parts - mother, father and daughter perspectives. It is cleverly written however I felt that separated it was a bit disjointed and may have been easier to follow if the three parts were more mixed. Overall the book was enjoyable and the story was ended in a satisfactory way but it took a while to get there.
mediaqueen86's review
5.0
I highly enjoyed this noir-thriller. A rebellious daughter accused of murder. Her pastor father and lawyer mother who can’t believe their little girl could do such a thing. Or could she? A tale of murder, lies and betrayal told from three different points of view that don’t seem to add up until the end. It started as a slow burn, but I found myself tearing through the last third of the book to find out the conclusion. Very happy I chose this as my Book of the Month add on!
courtnetto's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
For me, it just felt like it took too long to actually get into the book. I persevered and read to the ene, although it was quite difficult to push through. Based in Sweden, we meet the Sandall family - Adam who is a pastor of a local church, Ulrika who is a lawyer and Stella, their teenage daughter, who is the prime suspect in the murder that has taken place. Stella and her bestfriend Amina, meet the victim in a club when he tells the girls a little white lie about his age. From here, both girls strike up relationships with the man, Stella being the first one to have a sexual relationship with the man. Only we begin to meet Linda as the book progresses, at first it's unknown who she is but it's soon revealed that Linda is actually an ex of Christopher (the victim). Linda stalks Stella and tries to make her aware of what Christopher is really like, although she does not believe her.
The book is written in 3 parts, Adam's story, Stella's story and Ulrika's story which are all based around the time of the murder as we read about how Stella's time in custody as she is accused of being the murderer - but did she do it? Her parents may also play a part in this story as they notice suspicious things around their house. Although, the more you read Ulrika's story, the more you discover that she wishes for her daughter, Stella, to be more like Amina.
I don't think I would read again if given the chance.
"It's even in the Bible: An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth. Before Jesus fucked everything up with that part about turning the other cheek."
"For a psychopath, sex is all about power. In the beginning, the psychopath places all the focus on their partner during the act of sex. But psychopaths are drawn to excitement and variation. Soon he will want to spice up their sex life, often with activities that seem uncomfortable to the partner. The psychopath slowly pushes the partner's limits and in this way gains power over her. If the partner refuses to give in to his suggestions, he responds by making her feel guilty or threatening to find someone new."
The book is written in 3 parts, Adam's story, Stella's story and Ulrika's story which are all based around the time of the murder as we read about how Stella's time in custody as she is accused of being the murderer - but did she do it? Her parents may also play a part in this story as they notice suspicious things around their house. Although, the more you read Ulrika's story, the more you discover that she wishes for her daughter, Stella, to be more like Amina.
I don't think I would read again if given the chance.
"It's even in the Bible: An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth. Before Jesus fucked everything up with that part about turning the other cheek."
"For a psychopath, sex is all about power. In the beginning, the psychopath places all the focus on their partner during the act of sex. But psychopaths are drawn to excitement and variation. Soon he will want to spice up their sex life, often with activities that seem uncomfortable to the partner. The psychopath slowly pushes the partner's limits and in this way gains power over her. If the partner refuses to give in to his suggestions, he responds by making her feel guilty or threatening to find someone new."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, Rape, and Stalking
cassidyliebl's review against another edition
2.0
Trash. Could have been much better if it was like 200 pages shorter.