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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Started well, but not sure that the pace was sustained. It was an interesting narrative with an unreliable narrator, but I found that there were too many siblings in the story who didn't really have much reason for being there. Bit of a wooly ending
Spoiler
This story follows the experiences, recovery, and trauma of a family who were held captive and abused by their parents. The story is written from the perspective of the oldest daughter, Girl A, Alexandra (Lex).Lex was made executor after her mother's death in prison.
As Lex reaches out to her siblings, each chapter is based on their story, their childhood experiences, and how they have grown since they escaped.
As Lex reaches out to her siblings, she learns of their struggles, also while dealing with her own grief and loss.
While reaching out to her siblings, Lex also learns why she was made executor instead of her older brother.
This book is well written, easy to follow the different time periods and experiences.
This was a heartbreaking read, feeling for all of the characters and what they went through individually and together.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'll start by saying that I listened to this audiobook so that may have played into some of my issues with the book.
I also recently read The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell and the premise is similar. As such, I felt like this was a bit repetitive and not as well done.
My main problem with this book, honestly, was that it was way too ambiguous. I do appreciate that it's nice to leave the reader guessing on some things, but it feels as though this book confirms almost nothing. I don't mind being left with questions, but not this many questions.
I also found this story confusing. This could be partially because I listened to it. But I found myself rewinding and listening to parts over and over again because I was confused about when this was taking place (is Lex recalling a memory or talking about something current?), who was involved, that sort of thing.
*Spoilers ahead*
I would say that there were two twists in this book that had an actual reveal, being the deaths of Daniel and Evie. I thought both of these were well done.. Starting up a chapter called "Noah" and having it talk about "the baby" the whole time, only to learn at the end that the baby's name is Daniel, and realizing that Daniel must not make it out of the house (later confirmed when his body was found in a kitchen cupboard). And then of course, thinking Evie is alive only to realize that unfortunately wasn't the case. I think I just found these successful twists not big enough to overpower my confusion with the rest of the book - What really happened to Gabriel after he brought the cake upstairs? Was Daniel killed or did he die some other way? What happened to lex after her father found the book? Why did the parents treat their children this way, what was their motive?
The few questions I'm okay being left with are.. Is Ethan going to become his father, and, the question of Lex's future. Regarding Ethan, I'm comfortable not knowing. I think that's all part of it.. You get married with the best of intentions, just like Lex's mother and father, and it's difficult to say what turns a happy family into an abusive one. You don't really know until it's happened. Regarding Lex, I must be an optimist because the end of the book left me feeling positive, like she will return to the beach to remember Evie and celebrate the dreams they had together. But after doing some reading, I see that some wondered if she was going to commit suicide. Now I'm not sure.
Overall, I felt very "meh" about this book. I wouldn't recommend it to a friend but if someone were already reading it, I wouldn't stop them either.
I also recently read The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell and the premise is similar. As such, I felt like this was a bit repetitive and not as well done.
My main problem with this book, honestly, was that it was way too ambiguous. I do appreciate that it's nice to leave the reader guessing on some things, but it feels as though this book confirms almost nothing. I don't mind being left with questions, but not this many questions.
I also found this story confusing. This could be partially because I listened to it. But I found myself rewinding and listening to parts over and over again because I was confused about when this was taking place (is Lex recalling a memory or talking about something current?), who was involved, that sort of thing.
*Spoilers ahead*
I would say that there were two twists in this book that had an actual reveal, being the deaths of Daniel and Evie. I thought both of these were well done.. Starting up a chapter called "Noah" and having it talk about "the baby" the whole time, only to learn at the end that the baby's name is Daniel, and realizing that Daniel must not make it out of the house (later confirmed when his body was found in a kitchen cupboard). And then of course, thinking Evie is alive only to realize that unfortunately wasn't the case. I think I just found these successful twists not big enough to overpower my confusion with the rest of the book - What really happened to Gabriel after he brought the cake upstairs? Was Daniel killed or did he die some other way? What happened to lex after her father found the book? Why did the parents treat their children this way, what was their motive?
The few questions I'm okay being left with are.. Is Ethan going to become his father, and, the question of Lex's future. Regarding Ethan, I'm comfortable not knowing. I think that's all part of it.. You get married with the best of intentions, just like Lex's mother and father, and it's difficult to say what turns a happy family into an abusive one. You don't really know until it's happened. Regarding Lex, I must be an optimist because the end of the book left me feeling positive, like she will return to the beach to remember Evie and celebrate the dreams they had together. But after doing some reading, I see that some wondered if she was going to commit suicide. Now I'm not sure.
Overall, I felt very "meh" about this book. I wouldn't recommend it to a friend but if someone were already reading it, I wouldn't stop them either.
dark
sad