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A review by laurapk
Are You Sara? by S.C. Lalli
4.0
I see quiet thrillers don't get as much love as they deserve. I really liked this book--the premise, most of the pacing, disliked the main character but liked how authentic she was. I also appreciated the twist.
This is a novel about violence against women, but because it's delivered through the perspective of a very flawed and power-hungry character it doesn't feel preachy. Our surviving Sara is a cut-throat, and there are obvious hints that she is on her way to becoming a villain herself. Still, that doesn't excuse the violence she experiences. The Sarah who is killed is also unlikable--the spoiled daughter of rich white people, she is slowly learning to deal with not getting everything she wanted; she too doesn't deserve what happens to her. I liked that the novel refused to give us a black and white situation. I liked the brief discussion of intersectional discrimination (gender and race). I liked the acknowledgement that power corrupts, regardless of gender and race. There were only a couple of stumbles in the book (). But overall, I believe this novel doesn't get as much love as it deserves.
This is a novel about violence against women, but because it's delivered through the perspective of a very flawed and power-hungry character it doesn't feel preachy. Our surviving Sara is a cut-throat, and there are obvious hints that she is on her way to becoming a villain herself. Still, that doesn't excuse the violence she experiences. The Sarah who is killed is also unlikable--the spoiled daughter of rich white people, she is slowly learning to deal with not getting everything she wanted; she too doesn't deserve what happens to her. I liked that the novel refused to give us a black and white situation. I liked the brief discussion of intersectional discrimination (gender and race). I liked the acknowledgement that power corrupts, regardless of gender and race. There were only a couple of stumbles in the book (