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A review by yvonne_aaf
Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was such an interesting reading experience!
The first thing I noticed was the writing style, especially in the chapters following Matthew, in that it felt bizarrely childlike, but also not, at the same time. I think this was such a masterful way of writing this story because it really emphasised the way in which Matthew is almost mentally frozen in his childhood, because of what happened to him, and how he still sees the world with a childish, naive, black-or-white sense of justice.
Because this book panned out in a way most thrillers don’t, I often found myself asking ‘where do we go from here?’ but I also never felt that the story was dragging its feet. Everything felt so purposeful, and I enjoyed being a spectator! I kinda guessed the twist as it neared, but thought it would be completely improbable, so I was surprised when it ended up being the case. However, it was executed so well, and looking back there were hints/clues that I completely missed, and I could see this being a good book to reread and annotate.
The characters were written really well, I felt that most of them were layered and complex, and I found myself having a lot of empathy for people that, in any other book, I would probably have despised. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a psychological thriller, with more emphasis on the psychological aspect :)
The first thing I noticed was the writing style, especially in the chapters following Matthew, in that it felt bizarrely childlike, but also not, at the same time. I think this was such a masterful way of writing this story because it really emphasised the way in which Matthew is almost mentally frozen in his childhood, because of what happened to him, and how he still sees the world with a childish, naive, black-or-white sense of justice.
Because this book panned out in a way most thrillers don’t, I often found myself asking ‘where do we go from here?’ but I also never felt that the story was dragging its feet. Everything felt so purposeful, and I enjoyed being a spectator! I kinda guessed the twist as it neared, but thought it would be completely improbable, so I was surprised when it ended up being the case. However, it was executed so well, and looking back there were hints/clues that I completely missed, and I could see this being a good book to reread and annotate.
The characters were written really well, I felt that most of them were layered and complex, and I found myself having a lot of empathy for people that, in any other book, I would probably have despised. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a psychological thriller, with more emphasis on the psychological aspect :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Blood, and Murder