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A review by weytani
Eve's Rib by C.S. O’Cinneide
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for providing an ARC of Eve's Rib in exchange for an honest review.
Going into this book, based on the (very cool) cover and the biblical symbolism of the title, what I expected was a dark exploration of a mother and daughter at odds, a legacy of magic, a dark twist. And I guess it delivered – sort of. The magic element took a pretty hefty back seat for the majority of the story, and I do think it could have been built into the narrative a little better. At times it felt like an easy stepping stone for characters to learn things quickly, and at other times it didn’t feel relevant at all. This could probably have worked just as well as a regular domestic thriller.
The book is told from three points of view – mother, father, daughter – with all three coming off as unreliable in their own ways. I think Eve’s chapters had some great one-liners, and Abbey’s left me wondering how much of the truth I was getting at the best of times. Richard, however, remained unpalatable from start to finish, which may have been intentional. If I’m honest, I was mentally begging to see divorce papers by the halfway point.
I did enjoy the slow build, these three people moving around each other and struggling to communicate the grief they all felt was theirs to nurse privately. The twist I was anticipating did come, but fell a bit short with the reveal of a fairly two-dimensional villain. From there, things wound up fast and I was left with more questions than answers. That said, I’d probably take a keen interest in more material on Abbey in particular, as well as Janet, who was far too entertaining for such a small role in the story.
Not a bad read overall, and I’d probably have a look at O'Cinneide’s other works in future.
As a last note, Richard’s mother is said to be watching Coronation Street at one point, with reference to East End Londoners. But this soap is actually set in the Northern city of Manchester.
Going into this book, based on the (very cool) cover and the biblical symbolism of the title, what I expected was a dark exploration of a mother and daughter at odds, a legacy of magic, a dark twist. And I guess it delivered – sort of. The magic element took a pretty hefty back seat for the majority of the story, and I do think it could have been built into the narrative a little better. At times it felt like an easy stepping stone for characters to learn things quickly, and at other times it didn’t feel relevant at all. This could probably have worked just as well as a regular domestic thriller.
The book is told from three points of view – mother, father, daughter – with all three coming off as unreliable in their own ways. I think Eve’s chapters had some great one-liners, and Abbey’s left me wondering how much of the truth I was getting at the best of times. Richard, however, remained unpalatable from start to finish, which may have been intentional. If I’m honest, I was mentally begging to see divorce papers by the halfway point.
I did enjoy the slow build, these three people moving around each other and struggling to communicate the grief they all felt was theirs to nurse privately. The twist I was anticipating did come, but fell a bit short with the reveal of a fairly two-dimensional villain. From there, things wound up fast and I was left with more questions than answers. That said, I’d probably take a keen interest in more material on Abbey in particular, as well as Janet, who was far too entertaining for such a small role in the story.
Not a bad read overall, and I’d probably have a look at O'Cinneide’s other works in future.
As a last note, Richard’s mother is said to be watching Coronation Street at one point, with reference to East End Londoners. But this soap is actually set in the Northern city of Manchester.