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124 reviews for:
The Catch: The long-awaited debut novel from award-winning writer, Yrsa Daley-Ward
Yrsa Daley-Ward
3.64 AVERAGE
124 reviews for:
The Catch: The long-awaited debut novel from award-winning writer, Yrsa Daley-Ward
Yrsa Daley-Ward
3.64 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did not like the characters; it seemed like the author was trying too hard
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unique and interesting narrative and I liked getting to know Clara and Dempsey, but the last quarter of the book needed editing for clarity and impact - I found the ending somehow simultaneously heavy handed and confusing / unclear.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A surreal, complex story of duality, creativity and family. Can you realise your potential as a mother, as a sister, as a creative, as a woman in society? Daley-Ward probes these questions in the most uncanny of setups. Twin sisters meet their maybe-mother who disappeared 30 years ago and reappears the same age. Is she real? Is she a ghost? Is she a con woman? As the sisters investigate the mystery, they confront and reckon with their pasts. Highly original. Felt like reading an equally strange but slightly more accessible Helen Oyeyemi.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my free e-ARC of The Catch! This novel was wild and original, and probably one of my faves of 2025. I was hooked, often had no idea what was real and what was imaginary, and I think that’s the whole point. The whole novel is a story within a story, unreliable narrators abound, possible time travel, dreamy unrealities - and yet it all feels completely grounded? Like the feeling, the emotion, the grief, trauma, mental illness explored is all raw and real, no question about that.
It follows Clara and Dempsey, 30 year old twins whose mother abandoned them at 3 years old. They’re adopted by different people, Clara by Claudette and her white Italian husband, whose top priority is ‘good’ hair, and Dempsey by a down-to-earth councillor. The twins’ lives diverge after an altercation between their adoptive parents. Dempsey becomes enmeshed in a questionable wellness scheme run by a wannabe psychologist, while Clara becomes a successful author, penning a novel about two twins whose mother leaves, but returns in a fantastical manner. When Clara spots someone who looks exactly like their mother would at 30, she begins to wonder if her novel is becoming a reality.
I’ve not read Daley-Ward’s poetry, nor am I particularly a poetry person, but the little fragments of poetry scattered through the prose were lovely. The writing overall was knockout, so even when the plot got very meta and I was wondering what the hell was going on, I was always drawn back in by the writing. It’s one of those books where you just have to let the characters take you by the hand and let them drag you down with them - into mania or science fiction? I’m not really sure, but I know I loved the ride.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Twin sisters Clara and Dempsey have always struggled to relate, their familial bond severed after their mother vanished into the Thames. In adulthood, they are content to be all but estranged, until Clara sees a woman who looks exactly like their mother on the streets of London. The this version of Serene, aged not a day, has enjoyed a childless life.
This is honestly one of those rare occasions where a book leaves me confused and conflicted on how I am feeling about it — not necessarily in a negative way, I think? I will start by saying I think the writing style is really great, interesting and makes the story particularly engaging. I think both sisters were very well written and interesting to follow, even though they were both very unreliable narrators, which I usually love. I did find the story to be overall a little confusing, and I am still not sure I actually know what I read? But it definitely is such a fun, charming read, and it does its job keeping you hooked all the way through.
Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
This is honestly one of those rare occasions where a book leaves me confused and conflicted on how I am feeling about it — not necessarily in a negative way, I think? I will start by saying I think the writing style is really great, interesting and makes the story particularly engaging. I think both sisters were very well written and interesting to follow, even though they were both very unreliable narrators, which I usually love. I did find the story to be overall a little confusing, and I am still not sure I actually know what I read? But it definitely is such a fun, charming read, and it does its job keeping you hooked all the way through.
Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.