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A review by noveldeelights
Guilty by Laura Elliot
4.0
Goodness gracious me, this is one dark read!
I requested this book on Netgalley because of the cover. It was the pretty pink balloon that did it. Never mind reading the description so I didn’t actually know what this book was about. Except someone made a terrible mistake that could ruin their family. Thank you tagline. And so I was pleasantly surprised.
When thirteen year old Constance goes missing, reporter Amanda Bowe zeroes in on Constance’s uncle Karl and absolutely vilifies him in her articles. Six years later, Karl’s life is in ruins. He’s lost his job, his house, his wife and child. As the saying goes, mud sticks. Meanwhile Amanda is thriving. She has a successful career, a husband and a son.
This is a story about revenge but also about how powerless you are when nobody believes you, even when you know it’s the truth. In this day and age of “fake news”, this story is incredibly apt. “Guilty” highlights the power of the media and how quickly and easily they can distort facts and turn them into something they’re not. Yes, they do good but they’re also capable of utter destruction.
You can’t help but feel for Karl. Watching him go from being a valued member in a close-knit family to being completely alone, was heartbreaking to read. Despite his actions, I sympathised with him all the way. A sentiment I couldn’t quite extend to Amanda. I kind of wanted to hurt her. Badly.
“Guilty” is one gripping psychological thriller with a well constructed plot and realistic and believable characters. I felt it was quite slow but I was still mesmerised. The addition of newspaper articles was genius as it truly showed the difference between what actually happened and what the reporter wrote. It really added an extra layer and proves you shouldn’t always believe what you read.
Incredibly thought-provoking, it’ll make you question everything.
Many thanks to the publisher for my advanced copy!
I requested this book on Netgalley because of the cover. It was the pretty pink balloon that did it. Never mind reading the description so I didn’t actually know what this book was about. Except someone made a terrible mistake that could ruin their family. Thank you tagline. And so I was pleasantly surprised.
When thirteen year old Constance goes missing, reporter Amanda Bowe zeroes in on Constance’s uncle Karl and absolutely vilifies him in her articles. Six years later, Karl’s life is in ruins. He’s lost his job, his house, his wife and child. As the saying goes, mud sticks. Meanwhile Amanda is thriving. She has a successful career, a husband and a son.
This is a story about revenge but also about how powerless you are when nobody believes you, even when you know it’s the truth. In this day and age of “fake news”, this story is incredibly apt. “Guilty” highlights the power of the media and how quickly and easily they can distort facts and turn them into something they’re not. Yes, they do good but they’re also capable of utter destruction.
You can’t help but feel for Karl. Watching him go from being a valued member in a close-knit family to being completely alone, was heartbreaking to read. Despite his actions, I sympathised with him all the way. A sentiment I couldn’t quite extend to Amanda. I kind of wanted to hurt her. Badly.
“Guilty” is one gripping psychological thriller with a well constructed plot and realistic and believable characters. I felt it was quite slow but I was still mesmerised. The addition of newspaper articles was genius as it truly showed the difference between what actually happened and what the reporter wrote. It really added an extra layer and proves you shouldn’t always believe what you read.
Incredibly thought-provoking, it’ll make you question everything.
Many thanks to the publisher for my advanced copy!