Scan barcode
marmel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
daja57's review against another edition
4.0
"When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily." (first line)
The protagonist/ narrator (a life model at a local college) murders her mother at the end of the first chapter. From there until the end of the first quarter, she is alone with the body. The police get involved almost exactly at the half way mark; the narrator goes 'on the run' with about ten per cent of the story to go. The plot is therefore mostly a classic three act structure plot.
The book is written in the past tense, from a consistent first person PoV. There are repeated flashbacks, mainly to the narrator's childhood: a large part of this book is an exploration of her relationship with her mother, a woman whose wants and needs dominated and controlled the lives of her husband and daughter. There is a huge amount of sadness here, in the portrait of an American suburb at the end of its life, filled with old people at the end of theirs, and the particular horror of the stifling atmosphere inside this family home. It is a bleak portrait of failure and waste and futility and the situation of the narrator, who has spontaneously murdered a woman who would soon have died anyway, seems inescapably grim.
The book is written in the typical American style with huge amounts of detail which works beautifully when she is murdering her mother; it certainly adds verisimilitude though it can be a little exhausting.
Although this is much less of a page-turner than Sebold's The Lovely Bones (another book with a murderous hook) the depressing portrait of the world is compelling. February 2021; 290 pages
The protagonist/ narrator (a life model at a local college) murders her mother at the end of the first chapter. From there until the end of the first quarter, she is alone with the body. The police get involved almost exactly at the half way mark; the narrator goes 'on the run' with about ten per cent of the story to go. The plot is therefore mostly a classic three act structure plot.
The book is written in the past tense, from a consistent first person PoV. There are repeated flashbacks, mainly to the narrator's childhood: a large part of this book is an exploration of her relationship with her mother, a woman whose wants and needs dominated and controlled the lives of her husband and daughter. There is a huge amount of sadness here, in the portrait of an American suburb at the end of its life, filled with old people at the end of theirs, and the particular horror of the stifling atmosphere inside this family home. It is a bleak portrait of failure and waste and futility and the situation of the narrator, who has spontaneously murdered a woman who would soon have died anyway, seems inescapably grim.
The book is written in the typical American style with huge amounts of detail which works beautifully when she is murdering her mother; it certainly adds verisimilitude though it can be a little exhausting.
Although this is much less of a page-turner than Sebold's The Lovely Bones (another book with a murderous hook) the depressing portrait of the world is compelling. February 2021; 290 pages
jennymwoo's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at page 76. A thoroughly unpleasant, boring book.
noodlerabbit88's review against another edition
I love the writing but it's quite hard to follow. It's like we're following her train of thought so one second we're in the present, then we're reminiscing and then we're back again. Hard to keep up.
lindsayaunderwood's review against another edition
1.0
I genuinely disliked most things about this book. I hated the main character and everything she thought or did. I've hated characters in the past, but they've always had some redeeming quality, been well-written, or at least made sense. Not so here. I give this one 1.5 stars. The .5 is because the ending made sense and fit in well with what I thought the character would do.
carlosdanger's review against another edition
1.0
This was awful! After every page I turned, I couldn't believe the shockingly awful decisions the character KEPT making. Avoid this one at all costs
edshara's review against another edition
1.0
Just couldn't get into this. I think I made it to page three.
witpip's review against another edition
3.0
If you like a messed up book. This is the one. Wow. Just wow. I enjoyed this book.
I seen reviews with people saying they hate it because it's not like the lovely bones. Well it's not suppose to be because it's a different book. Don't let that stop you from trying this story.
It's definitely fucked up but it's a relief to NOT read another book with a happy ending.
I seen reviews with people saying they hate it because it's not like the lovely bones. Well it's not suppose to be because it's a different book. Don't let that stop you from trying this story.
It's definitely fucked up but it's a relief to NOT read another book with a happy ending.
mitsyleigh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0