A review by serendipitysbooks
Lioness by Emily Perkins

dark emotional reflective medium-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

4.0

 

Lioness is the story of Therese whose husband, an older, wealthy property developer whom she married when she was in her 20s, is now being investigated for fraud and corruption. It’s an exploration of wealth, class, privilege and materialism, but also of identity, complicity, losing yourself and female rage . I mostly admired Perkins’ writing and felt she captured small moments and their significance really well. However, I was never convinced by the scenes involving Claire, by the relationship between her and Therese, or their activities in the zone. These never felt authentic, even given the changes Therese was undergoing, and felt too out-there to be believable, at least to me. Overall, a thoughtful and timely story which I enjoyed, but with a few aspects that I struggled to believe in.