unwrappingwords's review
3.0
After the death of her husband, Jennifer, experiencing anxiety and depression, escapes Manhattan and flees to a small town, locking herself in her home and terrified of even minor interactions with the people around her. But something else lurks her home, something much more dangerous than she could have imagined.
The novel starts off really strong, allowing us to instantly understand Jennifer’s emotions and mental state, as she tries to deal with purchasing groceries at the local Walmart. As the novel progresses, we learn how she has gone from being an investment banker to keeping herself away from everyone else, and how she tries to heal by getting out and volunteering at a local charity. There are some genuinely creepy moments, especially when she starts hearing knocking at her door in the middle of the night, and tries to establish what the cause could be, asking neighbours and contacting the local police.
It felt at times, however, that Jennifer’s mental state drifted into the background, inserted only to remind the reader, rather than playing a pivotal part. The conversations with locals became repetitive, with almost everyone feeling a little too nice (and maybe it’s because I’ve been reading a lot of horror recently, but I almost started to think there was something darker going on with the townspeople). Descriptions were a little too specific, in some places reading a bit more like floor plans than prose. Hints at the past involving the house were never touched on again, and it felt like there were a few missed opportunities in the novel and the directions it could have gone.
Not to say I disliked the book. It was still an enjoyable read, a slow thriller that draws the reader along, and I became very invested in Jennifer’s story and what would happen to her. I wanted to see her succeed. I’d recommend this novel if you enjoy a slow thriller with very real characters and relationships.
The novel starts off really strong, allowing us to instantly understand Jennifer’s emotions and mental state, as she tries to deal with purchasing groceries at the local Walmart. As the novel progresses, we learn how she has gone from being an investment banker to keeping herself away from everyone else, and how she tries to heal by getting out and volunteering at a local charity. There are some genuinely creepy moments, especially when she starts hearing knocking at her door in the middle of the night, and tries to establish what the cause could be, asking neighbours and contacting the local police.
It felt at times, however, that Jennifer’s mental state drifted into the background, inserted only to remind the reader, rather than playing a pivotal part. The conversations with locals became repetitive, with almost everyone feeling a little too nice (and maybe it’s because I’ve been reading a lot of horror recently, but I almost started to think there was something darker going on with the townspeople). Descriptions were a little too specific, in some places reading a bit more like floor plans than prose. Hints at the past involving the house were never touched on again, and it felt like there were a few missed opportunities in the novel and the directions it could have gone.
Not to say I disliked the book. It was still an enjoyable read, a slow thriller that draws the reader along, and I became very invested in Jennifer’s story and what would happen to her. I wanted to see her succeed. I’d recommend this novel if you enjoy a slow thriller with very real characters and relationships.
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