just_one_more_paige 's review for:

Siracusa by Delia Ephron

3.0

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Lizzie is the reason this book gets 3 stars, otherwise, I'd say it's a 2 star at best. This is not generally my genre of choice, for example, I think I am one of the only people for whom The Girl on the Train was not earth shatteringly awesome. But I just don't think I've ever read anything with SO MUCH foreshadowing. Like, from page one, every character is writing looking back in time reflecting on a hugely life changing and altering event - so there's never a chance of anything coming out of the blue. And you know it has to be big, to have effected everyone so much, so there's really only so many options. And as soon as you read just a little bit of Taylor's obsession with her perfect, innocent, over-protected daughter, you just KNOW that little girl is the center of things. Especially since she is the one that doesn't get a narration voice. She's just presented as too innocent - no kid is actually like that. So the fact that the BIG EVENT is caused by her...not super surprising. And that right there is why I don't think this was anything overly special. It built for so long, then BOOM Kathy's death, the probability that Snow did it, the decision to hide it, alibi her and then it's over. Too fast after way too much build. But Lizzie - the introspection at the end about being surprised by herself, by what she is capable of, keeping her mouth shut about a murder because telling what she saw might actually implicate herself. What's right there? IT's the last section, the last thing you read, and it sticks with you. What is a person capable of? Hoe do you know until you face it? And would you be proud of yourself for what you are able to do or not do? Being left with that consideration is really the only way this story gets deeper... Otherwise it's just a couple voices, albeit well written different voices/personalities (good work there), with an overly predictable reveal, a view of nothing really special/unique marital and parenting problems (Michael and Finn are just uninspired guys...), and an overuse of foreshadowing that really can only ultimately end in letdown/disappointment.