Erin Flanagan

So…I have mixed feelings about this one. This was my KindleFirst pick for June. I was expecting a psychological thriller but I feel like I didn’t get that? I’m not even sure it could be classified as suspense.

Anyway, this is about a sociology professor in her late 30s, Maris, who lives with her teenage daughter from her first marriage, and her second husband. She’s a recovering alcoholic who is suddenly experiencing blackouts. She later learns that other women have/had experienced similar blackouts, and they go in search of what’s causing it.

I was expecting a creepy, thrilling read, but instead I got a feminist narrative about rape culture, misogyny, female oppression by males, and the patriarchy. Which is fine, I’m all for that as a feminist, but this book wasn’t billed or advertised as that.

That being said, Maris is really unlikeable. I’m not sure why she insisted on constantly lying to her family when they seemed so supportive of her, and after awhile it started to really annoy me. There was a side plot that completely threw me off in between chapters involving the rapist that Maris wrote about, and a young woman who’s trying to get him, but I felt that didn’t add much to the story because she didn’t end up doing much anyway. The science behind everything seemed unrealistic and unbelievable.

It just felt like the story was trying to do a lot without fully executing any of its points well.

Told from Maris’ POV in third person, interspersed with first person from an unknown young woman.

In short, I liked the feminist messages and what it was trying to do, and I loved the premise. I just wish it were executed better!… (más)

So…I have mixed feelings about this one. This was my KindleFirst pick for June. I was expecting a psychological thriller but I feel like I didn’t get that? I’m not even sure it could be classified as suspense.

Anyway, this is about a sociology professor in her late 30s, Maris, who lives with her teenage daughter from her first marriage, and her second husband. She’s a recovering alcoholic who is suddenly experiencing blackouts. She later learns that other women have/had experienced similar blackouts, and they go in search of what’s causing it.

I was expecting a creepy, thrilling read, but instead I got a feminist narrative about rape culture, misogyny, female oppression by males, and the patriarchy. Which is fine, I’m all for that as a feminist, but this book wasn’t billed or advertised as that.

That being said, Maris is really unlikeable. I’m not sure why she insisted on constantly lying to her family when they seemed so supportive of her, and after awhile it started to really annoy me. There was a side plot that completely threw me off in between chapters involving the rapist that Maris wrote about, and a young woman who’s trying to get him, but I felt that didn’t add much to the story because she didn’t end up doing much anyway. The science behind everything seemed unrealistic and unbelievable.

It just felt like the story was trying to do a lot without fully executing any of its points well.

Told from Maris’ POV in third person, interspersed with first person from an unknown young woman.

In short, I liked the feminist messages and what it was trying to do, and I loved the premise. I just wish it were executed better!… (más)