Rating: ★★★★
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Harper Perennial) in exchange for an honest review.
This was an incredibly fascinating novel.
First off, this novel is a slow burn. The book starts off on the slow side and then gradually gets more and more interesting as it progresses.
The three women in this book are all very complicated and complex. I found them to be utterly riveting. They’re all morally grey which makes them feel more real and raw. Sometimes they make decisions that others may find irritating, but to me that makes they more dynamic.
I liked the flashbacks that were woven throughout the book. They helped highlight different things about the women. The flashbacks also gradually introduced new information about them. There’s no information dumping in this book. Everything gets revealed at just the right time.
This book does get compared to Sally Rooney’s books (Conversations with Friends and Normal People). I’m a big Sally Rooney fan and there is merit to that comparison. The writing style, tone, and pacing are similar in a way.
Lastly, I liked the ending because it brought the book full circle, but at the the same time I didn’t like it. To me, the ending didn’t fully resolve everything I wanted to be resolved.
Overall, this book is a compelling character study of three women coming to terms with how their lives turned out.
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