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A review by shelleyann01
House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler
4.0
There wasn't even a name for what Leigh was now. If she lost her husband, she’d be a widow. Her parents, an orphan. But what did you call a mother who lost her child? There was no word for what she was. It was unthinkable and thus unnameable.
Bonnie Kistler manages to create a world that is immersive, introspective and nuanced without getting bogged down in the details over heavy-handed themes. She draws you in and holds you, with a world that feels authentic and fascinating, tightly coiled until it springs on you and forces you to question whether people really can start fresh. This is Kistler's debut offering, she can craft a tale.
The characters were brilliantly crafted, and I felt that I knew most everyone in the story on a deep level. The narrative style allows you to weave in and out of the psyches of even the most opposed characters, and I felt deep sympathies for each character at one time or another, often simultaneously. There were very few points when I felt any characters lacked adequate depth. The drama was captivating. The web of events and histories created one of the most engrossing stories I have read in a long time.
I can't say enough good things about this book. There were so many different layers to the story and I found myself thinking about the characters and the choices they made for days after I finished reading the book. It would make for a good book club selection because people are going to have strong opinions about some of the things that were brought up in this book. This is a debut from Bonnie Kistler and I'm looking forward to her next novel.
Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Bonnie Kistler for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.
#HouseOnFire #NetGalley
All my reviews can be read here: https://shelleyann01.blogspot.com
Bonnie Kistler manages to create a world that is immersive, introspective and nuanced without getting bogged down in the details over heavy-handed themes. She draws you in and holds you, with a world that feels authentic and fascinating, tightly coiled until it springs on you and forces you to question whether people really can start fresh. This is Kistler's debut offering, she can craft a tale.
The characters were brilliantly crafted, and I felt that I knew most everyone in the story on a deep level. The narrative style allows you to weave in and out of the psyches of even the most opposed characters, and I felt deep sympathies for each character at one time or another, often simultaneously. There were very few points when I felt any characters lacked adequate depth. The drama was captivating. The web of events and histories created one of the most engrossing stories I have read in a long time.
I can't say enough good things about this book. There were so many different layers to the story and I found myself thinking about the characters and the choices they made for days after I finished reading the book. It would make for a good book club selection because people are going to have strong opinions about some of the things that were brought up in this book. This is a debut from Bonnie Kistler and I'm looking forward to her next novel.
Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Bonnie Kistler for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.
#HouseOnFire #NetGalley
All my reviews can be read here: https://shelleyann01.blogspot.com