A review by mayrad
The Charmed Wife by Olga Grushin

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this novel. On the one hand, I thought it was incredibly creative and I loved the interweaving of the various fairytales. I thought the overall message was captivating. I think my problem was with the execution. It was confusing and difficult to follow at times. The side story about the mice, although I understand the purpose, was too long and distracting. The switch at the end was strange and the ultimate conclusion

that Jane was mentally ill and everything had been in her head

defeated the message of the book. Some parts of this were really good but, overall, it was just okay.