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A review by katykelly
Disclaimer by Renée Knight
3.0
3.5 stars
What a premise to start a book with - you begin reading a book and realise it's all about you. I found a copy in the library based on that alone.
The story turned into something a little more routine in many ways though, I think I was hoping for something more sci-fi and futuristic in its plot. But I did enjoy listening (I had an audiobook version).
The book Catherine Ravenscroft is reading is about her, about a day in her life she would rather forget. One that she now can't. Someone doesn't want her to. But who has sent her the book? And why?
The fairly quick unravelling of the 'who' leads us to a rather dark tale, but again, this isn't the whole truth, as the two narrators between them tell a story that only at the end is laid bare.
The truth may wreck her life, her family, her marriage. It's one of those books where you hang on to find out if your guesses are correct. I worked it out before the big reveal, and found it very strange - I couldn't quite understand the 'why' of what happened, it just didn't gel together.
It's cleverly put together though, leading you up various paths, using both the unreliable and secretive narrators and also passages from the Book to tell the story.
Towards the end, the scenes involving the revelations I found particularly well written and involving, there is some excellent writing there. But I don't want to say any more for fear of giving away spoilers.
I found it an interesting read, not a satisfying one, but I'm glad I gave it a go after the publicity it's garnered. It will be enjoyed for its twists, its unusual use of narrators and its intriguing central premise.
What a premise to start a book with - you begin reading a book and realise it's all about you. I found a copy in the library based on that alone.
The story turned into something a little more routine in many ways though, I think I was hoping for something more sci-fi and futuristic in its plot. But I did enjoy listening (I had an audiobook version).
The book Catherine Ravenscroft is reading is about her, about a day in her life she would rather forget. One that she now can't. Someone doesn't want her to. But who has sent her the book? And why?
The fairly quick unravelling of the 'who' leads us to a rather dark tale, but again, this isn't the whole truth, as the two narrators between them tell a story that only at the end is laid bare.
The truth may wreck her life, her family, her marriage. It's one of those books where you hang on to find out if your guesses are correct. I worked it out before the big reveal, and found it very strange - I couldn't quite understand the 'why' of what happened, it just didn't gel together.
It's cleverly put together though, leading you up various paths, using both the unreliable and secretive narrators and also passages from the Book to tell the story.
Towards the end, the scenes involving the revelations I found particularly well written and involving, there is some excellent writing there. But I don't want to say any more for fear of giving away spoilers.
I found it an interesting read, not a satisfying one, but I'm glad I gave it a go after the publicity it's garnered. It will be enjoyed for its twists, its unusual use of narrators and its intriguing central premise.