A review by frenchtoast_n_books
Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book wasn't quite for me though I can appreciate it. 

Moshfegh is eloquent and I love how committed she is to writing a strong character with a unique personality. I love that the main character is very unreliable in her narration.....but that's about all I loved and enjoyed when it comes to this story. 

I wanted more from the Magda mystery then we were given and less past reflection of Vesta. The lengthy chapters and paragraphs also made me struggle to read this without falling asleep within minutes. Lastly, Vesta is such a problematic character that also hindered my reading experience. She is fat phobic, misogynistic, and classist to a toxic level. 

This decent into loneliness, grief, and aging gives a mystery premise the addition of metaphysical exploration that could be just what readers are after if you are okay with the things I had issues with. 
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