anonymous_blobfish 's review for:

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

4.0

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This wasn’t my favourite of Gailey’s books but I think that is just because every single character is in some way a piece of shit.

A dark sci-fi with elements of domestic horror, The Echo Wife follows a brilliant but unlikeable scientist as she helps her own clone cover up the death of her father philandering ex husband. Things do not go as planned.

I don’t think that summary really does this story justice but it’s also hard to describe more than that without delving into the detail of the story that really makes it stand out. This had the vibes of a Black Mirror episode with its building tension and kind of bleak premise. I loved that Evelyn was such an unlikeable and brilliant character because women so rarely get to be unlikeable and brilliant - they must always dampen their light lest they intimidate those (cough men cough) around them.

I don’t know exactly what was missing from this for me but it wasn’t quite a home run. I think I got really frustrated with how predictable it was and how the characters still fell for the twists and turns anyways. I also felt like the ending didn’t quite go how I personally would have wanted which just lot me a little bit. That aside, I think it was a really fun short novel and I once again had a great time with a book by Sarah Gailey.