A review by constantine2020
Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Contemporary

The Egide family flees to a New Hampshire estate in search of solace after the death of a member of their family. While there, they face a mysterious "river witch" and discover some shocking secrets.

The river witch, Davina, has an eerie affinity for the natural world and says Marie's grandpa gave her the cabin as a gift. The situation escalates into a tense standoff. Evicting Davina is something that Marie is motivated to do because she wants to sell the estate and move on with her life. Hannah and Pen, her two teenage daughters, have different perspectives on the matter. 

Pen is wary of Davina's peculiar behavior, while Hannah sees a kindred spirit in the woman who is shunned by society. Secrets start to come to light as tensions grow. The standoff intensifies between the two parties until the whole thing comes to a satisfying resolution. Both parties will find themselves facing their own insecurities, pain, and disturbing pasts. 

The narrative is thought-provoking, and the premise as a whole does not have complete black-and-white areas. There are no bad guys in this story, only those individuals who view things from their unique points of view. As a reader, this will make you judge the characters’ certain actions without being overly critical of their bigger motive. 

The story is beautifully written, and the characters are fleshed out. The only drawback for me is that the narration is in “own voice” and from six characters’ perspectives. When a story needs to be told from multiple points of view, I prefer the narration to be in a third-person style. This is something that pertains to my individual preferences, and if you are okay with such a structure, it should not have any impact on the enjoyment you get out of everything. The chapters are relatively brief, which means that you can read them in a concise amount of time. 

“Only when you lose the desire for the things that don’t matter do you start to have fun.”

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced reader copy of this book.