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A review by cmbarowsky
Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough
3.0
Rating: 3/5 Stars
“Someone can do a terrible, an unforgivable thing, and yet you forgive them if you love them. The heart is such a strange thing.”
Cross Her Heart takes an ordinary mother and daughter and threads dark twists throughout their lives. Lisa has worked many years to protect her daughter, Ava, from her checkered past. She only wants the best for Ava and herself. When she meets a man by the name of Simon, she thinks she might be able to finally move on with her life. But when a young boy falls into a river and Ava saves him, Lisa’s past comes back to haunt her.
Sarah Pinborough possesses a talent for weaving a dark tale. She slowly builds complex characters, and carefully constructs a strong visual and palpable setting for the foundation of her story. Twists and turns are found throughout the novel, with no guess as to where the story will lead.
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I loved Behind Her Eyes and 13 Minutes. However, this book just didn’t do it for me. It took me about 100 pages to get into the story because the development was sluggish, and the characters were unlikeable. I felt like Ava’s teenage angst was a little too over-the-top and annoying. By Part Two the story had picked up, but the twists thrown in felt unnecessary and often confusing. Two hundred pages in, I contemplated not finishing the book. I am glad I held on until the end, though, for the ending was the only solid, enjoyable part of this story.
I didn’t personally love this book. However, I still love Sarah Pinborough’s writing. If you love twists and unlikeable characters, maybe this book is for you.
“Someone can do a terrible, an unforgivable thing, and yet you forgive them if you love them. The heart is such a strange thing.”
Cross Her Heart takes an ordinary mother and daughter and threads dark twists throughout their lives. Lisa has worked many years to protect her daughter, Ava, from her checkered past. She only wants the best for Ava and herself. When she meets a man by the name of Simon, she thinks she might be able to finally move on with her life. But when a young boy falls into a river and Ava saves him, Lisa’s past comes back to haunt her.
Sarah Pinborough possesses a talent for weaving a dark tale. She slowly builds complex characters, and carefully constructs a strong visual and palpable setting for the foundation of her story. Twists and turns are found throughout the novel, with no guess as to where the story will lead.
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I loved Behind Her Eyes and 13 Minutes. However, this book just didn’t do it for me. It took me about 100 pages to get into the story because the development was sluggish, and the characters were unlikeable. I felt like Ava’s teenage angst was a little too over-the-top and annoying. By Part Two the story had picked up, but the twists thrown in felt unnecessary and often confusing. Two hundred pages in, I contemplated not finishing the book. I am glad I held on until the end, though, for the ending was the only solid, enjoyable part of this story.
I didn’t personally love this book. However, I still love Sarah Pinborough’s writing. If you love twists and unlikeable characters, maybe this book is for you.