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A review by jaimeed
The Housewife by Valerie Keogh
5.0
The Housewife by Valerie Keogh
Review
This was a deeply interesting, page turning, psychologically thrilling story by Valerie Keogh. This was the first book that I’ve read by her and I’d definitely read more of her work. Valerie Keogh wrote in the back of the book that writing this story was challenging and difficult, at times. When I first started reading it, I had to take breaks because the psychological element was a bit strong for me. Just a warning, if you are sensitive to mental illness topics, this one may be hard to read. Though, I will say, it will get easier as you become more invested into the story. Diane is a housewife and stay at mom to her little girl. She struggles with paranoia, or does she? As she says, “just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” She also struggles with memory loss, panic, and anxiety. She knows something may have happened to her, but what? She is haunted by a woman who she sometimes catches outside of her house, staring at her from the street and watching her as she picks up her daughter from day care. She is haunted by screams of a baby. She wonders, is my husband doing this to me? Is he trying to make crazy? Or am I crazy? This story is definitely chilling. You almost feel crazy along with Diane. This is a storyline that holds questions so that you can’t put the book down, you just want to know the answers. You want to know, is Diane losing her mind? Or are the things she is seeing and hearing real? There were parts during the story where I just hoped and hoped that she wasn’t losing her mind. I was nervous for her. What I admire most about this story is Diane, her courage and strength to keep pushing forward and not caving to how she was feeling. It may have been easier for her to just throw in the towel and be admitted, to be honest. But she didn’t, and I love that about her. The last bit I want to add is that the story was somewhat predictable. There is one part that Keogh included in the first half of the book, that somewhat gave away a part of the ending. Either way, this was a good read. It was chilling, it was highly interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Keogh also wrote Secrets Between Us, which I will be reading, as well.
Book release date: February 27th, 2019
Make sure ya’ll check this one out!
***I received an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and Bookouture and I am voluntarily giving my honest review.***
Synopsis:
“There’s no place like home” – that’s what I tell myself as I pull another flawless meal from the oven. This perfect house on a quiet street was supposed to be my sanctuary, a place to recover. But everything changed the moment I saw that woman in the charity shop. She triggered something dark, buried deep within my memory…
Now I’ve started forgetting small things, like locking the front door.
And bigger things, like remembering to pick my little girl up from nursery.
I feel terrified every time I pass through a particular spot in our living room.
And sometimes, when I’m alone, I’m sure I can hear a baby crying…
I think the woman in the shop knows what happened to me. But if I can’t trust myself to believe she’s real, who will?
Mee’s Rating: 5/5 stars
Review
This was a deeply interesting, page turning, psychologically thrilling story by Valerie Keogh. This was the first book that I’ve read by her and I’d definitely read more of her work. Valerie Keogh wrote in the back of the book that writing this story was challenging and difficult, at times. When I first started reading it, I had to take breaks because the psychological element was a bit strong for me. Just a warning, if you are sensitive to mental illness topics, this one may be hard to read. Though, I will say, it will get easier as you become more invested into the story. Diane is a housewife and stay at mom to her little girl. She struggles with paranoia, or does she? As she says, “just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” She also struggles with memory loss, panic, and anxiety. She knows something may have happened to her, but what? She is haunted by a woman who she sometimes catches outside of her house, staring at her from the street and watching her as she picks up her daughter from day care. She is haunted by screams of a baby. She wonders, is my husband doing this to me? Is he trying to make crazy? Or am I crazy? This story is definitely chilling. You almost feel crazy along with Diane. This is a storyline that holds questions so that you can’t put the book down, you just want to know the answers. You want to know, is Diane losing her mind? Or are the things she is seeing and hearing real? There were parts during the story where I just hoped and hoped that she wasn’t losing her mind. I was nervous for her. What I admire most about this story is Diane, her courage and strength to keep pushing forward and not caving to how she was feeling. It may have been easier for her to just throw in the towel and be admitted, to be honest. But she didn’t, and I love that about her. The last bit I want to add is that the story was somewhat predictable. There is one part that Keogh included in the first half of the book, that somewhat gave away a part of the ending. Either way, this was a good read. It was chilling, it was highly interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Keogh also wrote Secrets Between Us, which I will be reading, as well.
Book release date: February 27th, 2019
Make sure ya’ll check this one out!
***I received an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and Bookouture and I am voluntarily giving my honest review.***
Synopsis:
“There’s no place like home” – that’s what I tell myself as I pull another flawless meal from the oven. This perfect house on a quiet street was supposed to be my sanctuary, a place to recover. But everything changed the moment I saw that woman in the charity shop. She triggered something dark, buried deep within my memory…
Now I’ve started forgetting small things, like locking the front door.
And bigger things, like remembering to pick my little girl up from nursery.
I feel terrified every time I pass through a particular spot in our living room.
And sometimes, when I’m alone, I’m sure I can hear a baby crying…
I think the woman in the shop knows what happened to me. But if I can’t trust myself to believe she’s real, who will?
Mee’s Rating: 5/5 stars