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reutgirl 's review for:
The Family Remains
by Lisa Jewell
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Family Remains is the sequel to The Family Upstairs, so if you haven't read that one yet, spoilers ahead!
This is the story that ties up some lose ends from the first book. Birdie's and Michael's remains have been found. Lucy lives looking over her shoulder, waiting for the moment she's tracked down for killing her ex. Phin is on the run, avoiding reuniting with his friends. Henry is still obsessed with Phin. And Libby is just trying to love her best life, basically knowing very little of the life the others lived in the house on Cheyne Walk. We are introduced to Rachel, Michael's new wife.
Sequels rarely live up to the first book and this is no different. The multiple POV is confusing sometimes and is not my favorite writing technique (thought I seem to see it a lot in newer books). The storyline is pretty straightforward with just a few rather predictable twists. The last 1/3 of the book picks up pretty well and finishes with a twist I didn't see, so that was good. Overall, the plot feels forced and I don't know why Rachel's story was really needed, although there is a tie in. I couldn't quite give this 4 stars, but not a total bust.
This is the story that ties up some lose ends from the first book. Birdie's and Michael's remains have been found. Lucy lives looking over her shoulder, waiting for the moment she's tracked down for killing her ex. Phin is on the run, avoiding reuniting with his friends. Henry is still obsessed with Phin. And Libby is just trying to love her best life, basically knowing very little of the life the others lived in the house on Cheyne Walk. We are introduced to Rachel, Michael's new wife.
Sequels rarely live up to the first book and this is no different. The multiple POV is confusing sometimes and is not my favorite writing technique (thought I seem to see it a lot in newer books). The storyline is pretty straightforward with just a few rather predictable twists. The last 1/3 of the book picks up pretty well and finishes with a twist I didn't see, so that was good. Overall, the plot feels forced and I don't know why Rachel's story was really needed, although there is a tie in. I couldn't quite give this 4 stars, but not a total bust.