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A review by alexandriaeve0194
Eating the Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis
4.0
A close friend recommended that I read Eating the Cheshire Cat as she thought it would be something I’d enjoy, and she definitely wasn’t wrong. It’s set in Alabama and I’m a Mississippi girl, so I was immediately immersed in the atmosphere of the story. It also made it easy to connect with the characters and their motivations because it felt like I was reading about girls I’ve known my whole life. I also love any book that gets a little cutthroat, and this book absolutely did that. When someone gets their fingers broken in the first chapter, you know it’s gonna be a wild ride. When it’s the character’s mom who does it for her daughter, you know you better buckle the hell down. There was action, drama, teenage angst, various mother-daughter relationship dynamics, and just that sweet Southern dialect to tie it all together.
I can understand why people wouldn’t like this book considering what I’ve mentioned so far. Dark humor isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite flavor, ya know? But if you enjoy dark humor, you’ll be entertained throughout the entirety of the book.
The only reason I gave this a four instead of a five is the way Nicole’s character arc plays out, and how that ultimately affects the ending of the novel. Once you learn about each character’s past and how all their lives intertwine, it would make sense that Bitty Jack and Serena’s stories ended the way that they did. Nicole, however, was just used as a lesbian plot device. I don’t enjoy when gay characters are presented as the villain or conflict in a story. If we would’ve been given more information on how Nicole’s mind works rather than just being shown that she has a shitty overbearing mother, perhaps her actions would have been more believable for me. Regardless, it was a fun read and I’d be willing to pick up other books by this author.
I can understand why people wouldn’t like this book considering what I’ve mentioned so far. Dark humor isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite flavor, ya know? But if you enjoy dark humor, you’ll be entertained throughout the entirety of the book.
The only reason I gave this a four instead of a five is the way Nicole’s character arc plays out, and how that ultimately affects the ending of the novel. Once you learn about each character’s past and how all their lives intertwine, it would make sense that Bitty Jack and Serena’s stories ended the way that they did. Nicole, however, was just used as a lesbian plot device. I don’t enjoy when gay characters are presented as the villain or conflict in a story. If we would’ve been given more information on how Nicole’s mind works rather than just being shown that she has a shitty overbearing mother, perhaps her actions would have been more believable for me. Regardless, it was a fun read and I’d be willing to pick up other books by this author.