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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Del(ilah) was raised in a strict, patriarchal religious cult. She left home and is estranged from her family, but returns to her rural Minnesota hometown after her former fiancé is killed under suspicious circumstances and everyone is insists it was just a hunting accident. Del launches her own investigation into what happened to Lars and is forced to face her past and confront her former best friend - Lars's widow, Eve.
I was a big fan of Clarke's debut novel, GIRL, 11, so picking this one up was a no-brainer. I thought she did a really good job showing the trauma experienced by people raised in a repressive religion/cult. Eve's blog entries were really something - the way she fully bought into the whole Noble Wife line of patriarchal nonsense was really upsetting. I'm an atheist, so this way of thinking is so bananas to me and made me super uncomfortable (in a fun way?) I thought the pace was a little slow in the middle and got a little murky, but the ending was exciting and satisfying, and I'll happily read whatever else Clarke writes in the future!
Recommended for fans of The Project (Summers) and This Might Hurt (Wrobel) or anyone interested in reading about the darker aspects of extremist religions.
(3.5 rounded up)
* Thanks to William Morrow and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for the NetGalley review copy. Lay Your Body Down publishes June 27, 2023.
I was a big fan of Clarke's debut novel, GIRL, 11, so picking this one up was a no-brainer. I thought she did a really good job showing the trauma experienced by people raised in a repressive religion/cult. Eve's blog entries were really something - the way she fully bought into the whole Noble Wife line of patriarchal nonsense was really upsetting. I'm an atheist, so this way of thinking is so bananas to me and made me super uncomfortable (in a fun way?) I thought the pace was a little slow in the middle and got a little murky, but the ending was exciting and satisfying, and I'll happily read whatever else Clarke writes in the future!
Recommended for fans of The Project (Summers) and This Might Hurt (Wrobel) or anyone interested in reading about the darker aspects of extremist religions.
(3.5 rounded up)
* Thanks to William Morrow and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for the NetGalley review copy. Lay Your Body Down publishes June 27, 2023.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Amy Suiter Clarke has a compelling writing style with such a unique voice that I don’t find her story that is so wrapped up in Christianity inaccessible for me, as someone who did not grow up Christian.
This is a story about a young woman who is wronged by the toxic teachings that inspired cultish behavior in her small town church. She left six years ago, after once again, being betrayed by the people in her life who are supposed to protect her. When she was forced to confront these people once again, after finding out that the former love of her life died under suspicious circumstances, the sequence of events that follows both felt natural and entirely unpredictable in a way that was utterly satisfying to read. Clarke wrote characters who are complex, flawed, and like every human not all bad, and not all good. I sincerely look forward to any future books that she writes and shares with us.
This is a story about a young woman who is wronged by the toxic teachings that inspired cultish behavior in her small town church. She left six years ago, after once again, being betrayed by the people in her life who are supposed to protect her. When she was forced to confront these people once again, after finding out that the former love of her life died under suspicious circumstances, the sequence of events that follows both felt natural and entirely unpredictable in a way that was utterly satisfying to read. Clarke wrote characters who are complex, flawed, and like every human not all bad, and not all good. I sincerely look forward to any future books that she writes and shares with us.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Trying to get into more thriller/mystery type books since I never really give them a read. Thought the plot/twists were interesting but somewhat predictable. The writing style is really relaxed so it's easy to consume. I think the main character's methods of investigation was super amateur with 0 discretion so... It did make me cringe a little lol.
It was an ok, very middle grounf book, maybe like a 3.5-4 for me!
It was an ok, very middle grounf book, maybe like a 3.5-4 for me!
I wanted so badly to love this - after growing up in and leaving the Christian church, I’m a sucker for any story that focuses on the cult aspects, the corruption, the stifling teachings and exposing the villains but this really fell flat. I found it all really predictable and farfetched. The characters were just a little too on the nose and the ending wasn’t satisfying after all that buildup.
I wish some of the twists weren’t so obvious but at least the last one got me. Overall interesting and a story that rings too true for many
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good listen but predictable
2.5 stars. I did not like this at all. Which is disappointing because I loved “Girl, 11” so much.