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A review by jholt2899
Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
[TL;DR]
The Mertons are the perfect family; rich, beautiful, and successful. Or at least that's what they seem like. When both their parents are found dead in a murder robbery, the Merton children stand to inherit millions. Catherine, Dan, and Jenna are all suspects, and there is no clear answer as to who did it.
I'm going to need more mysteries like this that spin true crime. I adore this genre and coupled with the family drama, Not a Happy Family is deliciously juicy. The character drive here is what keeps the storyline interesting. I think it's really fun to have an unreliable narrator, and the third person point of view shielded the reader from the characters' inner thoughts which created a more complex narrative.
I only wish that the plotline regarding Rose had turned out to be more dramatic considering how chaotic this family was. Perhaps a crazy meltdown of a fight would have sealed the deal for me. Otherwise, this was wildly entertaining and the ending was perfection, tying the bow on the whole story.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
TW/CW: blood, murder, family drama, explicitly detailed scenes, gore
The Mertons are the perfect family; rich, beautiful, and successful. Or at least that's what they seem like. When both their parents are found dead in a murder robbery, the Merton children stand to inherit millions. Catherine, Dan, and Jenna are all suspects, and there is no clear answer as to who did it.
I'm going to need more mysteries like this that spin true crime. I adore this genre and coupled with the family drama, Not a Happy Family is deliciously juicy. The character drive here is what keeps the storyline interesting. I think it's really fun to have an unreliable narrator, and the third person point of view shielded the reader from the characters' inner thoughts which created a more complex narrative.
I only wish that the plotline regarding Rose had turned out to be more dramatic considering how chaotic this family was. Perhaps a crazy meltdown of a fight would have sealed the deal for me. Otherwise, this was wildly entertaining and the ending was perfection, tying the bow on the whole story.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
TW/CW: blood, murder, family drama, explicitly detailed scenes, gore
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse