Review by bakingbookworm - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

bakingbookworm 's review for:

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Jessica Guerrieri

3.0

dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This debut novel is a slow burn, character-focused story that explores motherhood, complicated family dynamics, identity and alcoholism. Leah is the mother of three young kids who feels like she's the black sheep of her husband's very tight knit, conservative family where motherhood seems to be the ultimate goal.

The story started out light but soon took a darker turn as the focus turns to the less talked about sides of motherhood - the sacrifices made, the unfulfilled dreams and how addiction can impact a mother and the family around them. It's an uncomfortable read at times (probably the author's aim) as we witness Leah's decline into addiction which was inspired by the author's own experiences with substance abuse. Among the darker topics, there are moments of light, specifically Leah's bond with her sister-in-law Amy, which was my favourite part of the book.

I have mixed feelings about this story. On the one hand, I appreciate the topics addressed but felt that the story was too slow burn for me and despite enjoying complicated and flawed characters, a lot of page time focused on Leah's long-winded introspection (mainly her obsessive hatred towards her mother-in-law) which bogged down the story and made her a hard character to connect with.

I think this story will connect more with people who are deep in the parenting trenches and all the demands and expectations they face and while this story didn't quite grab me, I think it will appeal to people who enjoy literary fiction that digs deep into poignant topics and it would make a great book club pick for the discussions it will instigate.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Harper Muse for the complimentary digital copy of this book that was given in exchange for my honest review.

Content Warnings