A review by evanlorant
Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This was a fantastic character study of a failing mother/daughter relationship centred on the issue of agency. I loved the parallels between Elena and Rita and Isabel, they were very well layered together. I will say the first 2/3 of the book were very slow, especially when I couldn’t tell where it was heading plot-wise. But it wasn’t unenjoyable for that portion either. The descriptions of Elena’s Parkinson’s tended to be quite graphic, which I think added to the theme of agency really well. Overall not my favourite read, especially because it was billed as a “crime novel” I was expecting more of an investigation kind of vibe, but by the end it did win me over!