ah24 's review for:

The Strangers by Katherena Vermette

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I really enjoyed this one…which always feels weird to say when you read a heavy book that makes you cry. I would recommend reading The Break right before it to refresh your memory as the characters are so interconnected. I felt so many emotions reading this book as I empathized with the various characters and their circumstances. Much like The Break, I feel like this is an eye-opening novel that would provide the reader with a lot of discussion and build some understanding about challenges some people face in life, and how those challenges can sometimes be cyclical. Page 15 made me sob. Had to put it down and cry. Not sure if it is just because I’m a mom…but the short moment between mother and child broke my heart. I wanted more of a conclusion when it came to Phoenix’s storyline…but as usual, kind of liked that it didn’t end all neat and tidy.