True to the month of October, I turned to moodier novels from the selection at the library. They’ve been a nice pairing with my Fall Watchlist helping me soak up every drop of spooky season. I’m sure I’ll read happy things again, just not today.
For the broken hearts: All Your Perfects explores the unraveling of a marriage after years of infertility. Chapters juggle back and forth between the hopeful beginnings of their relationship to the current state of their marriage making the reality of their circumstances even more painful to watch unfold. The nonlinear timeline of happiest and bleakest memories swirl around into a blur of emotions. Needless to say, I had an emotional hangover after the chapters that take place in present times.
In a lot of ways, I was reminded of the films, A Marriage Story and Blue Valentine (highly recommend both, just keep tissues on hand.) I appreciate how no one in the relationship is the “bad” guy. No one is free of faults but no one intentionally tries to hurt the other either. It’s a vulnerable tale of slipping away from each other little by little and the efforts taken in order to get back to one another. At the core of everything, it’s a love story in all of its imperfections.
4/5 mugs
For the fans of Real Housewives with a dark twist: A high stakes chess game of two women; one willing to seduce and manipulate her way to get what she wants; the other that seemingly has it all – a picture-perfect marriage, fancy house, and the social status of someone who lives life on a pedestal. They tow the line between friendly neighbors and dangerous enemies, a predictable plot at first glance but I was pleasantly surprised to see the story pick up and take unexpected turns in the last half.
It’s told from both women’s perspectives allowing the reader to toggle back and forth between who to empathize with and who to loath. The storytelling was rich but I found the husband in the middle of the love triangle to be infuriating. In a way, it’s clever how uninteresting he was written. The women were so much more complex than the man at the center of it.
I love a good cat and mouse chase, especially when the roles are reversible. The rating was knocked down a few points because the opening chapters dragged on. The author spent a lengthy amount of time offering the background of each character and their motives as opposed to dropping us right into the story and letting us figure things out on our own.
3.5/5 mugs
For the not easily disturbed: Well intentioned and loving couple, Chris and Hannah struggle with fertility issues until an opportunity to become a family falls into their lap. A neglected child, Janie is found alone roaming a parking lot and shows up at the hospital where they work. While it’s clear she’s been malnourished and mistreated, the details of her case are a mystery for her health and social care workers. When Chris gets assigned to be her surgeon, little Janie steals Chris’ heart. Only trouble is she doesn’t have that warm affect on Hannah.
Despite the red flags, Hannah sees the undeniable bond between her husband and Janie. With some convincing she gets onboard with her adoption knowing how happy that would make Chris. She assumed that with unconditional love, structure, therapy and patience, they can become the family she’s always wished for. However, the behavioral problems and disturbing interactions that occur between them whenever Chris is at work only worsen with time. The new parents argue over how to handle Janie which drives a bigger wedge between them.
I had a sense of dread throughout the entire novel thanks to the exceptional pacing. There were enough sweet and hopeful moments sprinkled in the beginning to make you think that the outcome might actually turn out alright. I was rooting for this family’s happy ending. Alas, if you’re familiar with Lucinda Riley then you know that’s not how she operates.
The Perfect Child was more unsettling than the “sinister child” plot of it’s film counterparts. I’m filing this under one of the most eerie reads to date. Read at your own risk.
Trigger warning: child abuse, violence, animal cruelty
5/5 mugs
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