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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this book and the themes it explores about forgiveness in marriage, particularly at the end. As a therapist who does a lot of couples counseling, this was right up my alley. Though thankfully I haven't had any clients with stories as complicated as this one!
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Fatphobia, Murder
Moderate: Car accident
Found it fairly predictable and felt too much time was spent on Tess's story when she had such a little part in the triangle of Rachel, Cecilia, and Tess.
2 Stars.
This wasn't for me. The only thing this book had going for it is that I, stubbornly, wanted to know what happened in the end. Other than that, the characters were dreadful and the plot was kind of boring. I found myself skimming the last 100 pages just because I wanted get through it.
This book was triggering for me in terms of the obscene amount of body shaming. It seemed like the author was trying to add complexity to certain characters and their relationships by bring up weight and loosing weight and "becoming beautiful". However, this was useless to the plot and the characters. It was just problematic. I felt as though a lot elements of this book were thrown together to make the plot more interesting but it failed, in my opinion.
I really loved the [b:Big Little Lies|33516773|Big Little Lies|Liane Moriarty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559835163l/33516773._SY75_.jpg|27570886] by this author but the novels of hers I've read since then have been disappointing. I don't have any interest in reading anything else my her at the moment.
This wasn't for me. The only thing this book had going for it is that I, stubbornly, wanted to know what happened in the end. Other than that, the characters were dreadful and the plot was kind of boring. I found myself skimming the last 100 pages just because I wanted get through it.
This book was triggering for me in terms of the obscene amount of body shaming. It seemed like the author was trying to add complexity to certain characters and their relationships by bring up weight and loosing weight and "becoming beautiful". However, this was useless to the plot and the characters. It was just problematic. I felt as though a lot elements of this book were thrown together to make the plot more interesting but it failed, in my opinion.
I really loved the [b:Big Little Lies|33516773|Big Little Lies|Liane Moriarty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559835163l/33516773._SY75_.jpg|27570886] by this author but the novels of hers I've read since then have been disappointing. I don't have any interest in reading anything else my her at the moment.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Car accident, Murder
I loved the different plot lines of this book and how they all wove together to solve the mystery. I couldn't put it down!
According to the Libby app it took me 8 hours to finish this book. Holy heart wrenching, but also some good old soap opera feels. I really enjoyed this book, as if my reading time doesn’t indicate that, and devoured this book. Every spare moment was spent reading it. Were some moments outlandish, sure, but overall I liked the characters and love Liane Moriarty!
Cecilia Fitzpatrick finds a letter written to her by her husband John-Paul. Her husband had intended for the letter to be read in the event of his death. Though Cecelia doesn't open the letter immediately, she reads it eventually. In the letter, her husband confesses to the murder of a teenager named Janie Crowley. Cecilia decides not to turn her husband in because doing so will hurt her family. She also struggles to reconcile that John-Paul is a murderer, not the upstanding man who was a good husband and father.
Meanwhile, Rachel Crowley, mother of the murder victim, deals with another blow as she learns her son and daughter-in-law will be moving to another country. They will be taking their son Jacob, who is Rachel's beloved grandson. After her daughter’s murder, Jacob has been Rachel’s reason for living.
Browsing through some videotapes one night, Rachel finds a tape of her daughter and Connor Whitby together. She believes the video is incriminating evidence that Connor was responsible for Janie’s death; however, the police don’t seem to agree. Rachel is outraged that the authorities don’t take the evidence seriously. Rachel decides to take matters into her own hands. When she sees Connor crossing the road, she hits the accelerator on her car. Instead of hitting Connor, however, she hits young Polly Fitzpatrick who has ridden her bike into the street trying to get Connor’s attention. Though Polly survives, she is seriously injured. Ironically, it was John-Paul, Polly’s father, who had admitted in the letter that he had killed Janie. Now, Janie's mother has unintentionally injured his daughter.
Cecilia tells Rachel it was John-Paul, not Connor, who was responsible for Janie’s death. John-Paul is left with the guilt of his daughter's injury. If he had confessed to the murder of Janie Crowley, Rachel would have never gone after Connor. Polly would not be facing life as an amputee.
Meanwhile, Rachel Crowley, mother of the murder victim, deals with another blow as she learns her son and daughter-in-law will be moving to another country. They will be taking their son Jacob, who is Rachel's beloved grandson. After her daughter’s murder, Jacob has been Rachel’s reason for living.
Browsing through some videotapes one night, Rachel finds a tape of her daughter and Connor Whitby together. She believes the video is incriminating evidence that Connor was responsible for Janie’s death; however, the police don’t seem to agree. Rachel is outraged that the authorities don’t take the evidence seriously. Rachel decides to take matters into her own hands. When she sees Connor crossing the road, she hits the accelerator on her car. Instead of hitting Connor, however, she hits young Polly Fitzpatrick who has ridden her bike into the street trying to get Connor’s attention. Though Polly survives, she is seriously injured. Ironically, it was John-Paul, Polly’s father, who had admitted in the letter that he had killed Janie. Now, Janie's mother has unintentionally injured his daughter.
Cecilia tells Rachel it was John-Paul, not Connor, who was responsible for Janie’s death. John-Paul is left with the guilt of his daughter's injury. If he had confessed to the murder of Janie Crowley, Rachel would have never gone after Connor. Polly would not be facing life as an amputee.
This could have been a 4 or 5 star book, but the ending is very disappointing.
The author could be a great writer, except for her compulsion to wrap everything up perfectly, which is unacceptable for greatness.
The author could be a great writer, except for her compulsion to wrap everything up perfectly, which is unacceptable for greatness.