A review by ida03a
Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

3.0

I found the premise of this book quite interesting, and felt like it had a lot of potential, but I after thinking about it, it was quite dissapointing.
It seems to me that the whole point of the book was that Vesta, the main character, has imagined the whole scenario with Magda, and that it was actually her who wrote the note that starts the whole mystery. Idk, to me it kind of feels like a "then she woke up and it was all a dream" solution? I also never really understood why Charlie, her dog, went feral and tried to attack her? And then she just killed her own dog which she loved so dearly??? I mean was the dog even real?

Throughout the whole book you are waiting for something to actually happen, but everything that is happening are just speculations and Vesta losing her mind? I do usually love a book where you are confused and disturbed, but this one just missed the mark ig? I feel like she could have written the exact same book but gone a bit farther? It lacked drama and progression i think. And when vesta is speculating we shouldnt be aware that she is wrong/making up a story, the author should make the reader doubt what is real and what isnt, but I felt like I was reading about an old lady that was speaking nonsense.


Still, I find Moshfegh's writing style brilliant. The themes of loneliness, betreyal and greif really spoke to me, I also loved how much she included human relationship with dog, as I feel that is something that is rarely written about. (Then again I feel like that makes the ending even worse.) I honestly do not know how to reveiw this, as I read it quite quickly and didnt really find it boring, but it also didnt really make sense and the ending was just not it. :( 

Then again after reading "My year of rest and relaxation" last year I was a bit unsure of my opinion, but then again I kept thinking about it. This might be because I could relate to the mc, and i do not know if i can relate to this old and very odd woman.