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A review by heylaurita
The Survivors by Alex Schulman
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This one was an interesting read. In it, we follow Benjamin’s POV in two separate timelines. One of three brothers, Benjamin takes the reader on a journey as he and his siblings return to their family cottage in Sweden to spread their late mother’s ashes. It’s also through Benjamin’s POV that we gradually learn of a catastrophic event that forever changed the family’s life some twenty years ago.
It’s evident pretty early on in the story that we’re dealing with some very unhealthy family dynamics. The root cause of these dynamics are relatively unclear for the majority of the novel and are revealed literally in the last few pages. I can see what the author was trying to do and I can see how this was meant to be a thriller (both psychologically and domestically), but there were a few things that just did not work for me -
First, the two timelines! The present-day timeline, where the adult siblings are meeting up to spread their late mother’s ashes, is a linear plot line. Great, I had no issue with that. The timeline of the past, that catastrophic event that happened when Benjamin was a boy, was written in reverse; as in, it’s told backwards. It threw me! I had a really tough time keeping up with the storyline. The second issue I had with it was how abruptly the whole thing ended. The author drops this massive truth bomb on the reader and the whole thing ends a few pages later. Like, wait, that’s it?!
Now, disclaimer, this story does contain heavier subject matter that is not my typical read. I’m sure that has a lot to do with my feelings about this book too. If you’re looking for a dark, tense, and atmospheric slow-burn, this may work for you.
It’s evident pretty early on in the story that we’re dealing with some very unhealthy family dynamics. The root cause of these dynamics are relatively unclear for the majority of the novel and are revealed literally in the last few pages. I can see what the author was trying to do and I can see how this was meant to be a thriller (both psychologically and domestically), but there were a few things that just did not work for me -
First, the two timelines! The present-day timeline, where the adult siblings are meeting up to spread their late mother’s ashes, is a linear plot line. Great, I had no issue with that. The timeline of the past, that catastrophic event that happened when Benjamin was a boy, was written in reverse; as in, it’s told backwards. It threw me! I had a really tough time keeping up with the storyline. The second issue I had with it was how abruptly the whole thing ended. The author drops this massive truth bomb on the reader and the whole thing ends a few pages later. Like, wait, that’s it?!
Now, disclaimer, this story does contain heavier subject matter that is not my typical read. I’m sure that has a lot to do with my feelings about this book too. If you’re looking for a dark, tense, and atmospheric slow-burn, this may work for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Mental illness and Alcoholism