Stephanie Jane recenzis Willow Weeps de Louise Worthington
An exciting read
4 steloj
I was impressed with Louise Worthington's previous novel, Distorted Days, so jumped at the chance of a review copy of Willow Weeps. I'm so glad I did! This psychological suspense thriller maintains an eerily unsettling atmosphere throughout its story, meaning I found it almost impossible to set the book aside. I had to know what was going to happen next!
I loved that I could never be completely sure how much of what Willow sees (and hears and smells) was also real to the people around her and how much was solely in her own head. Unreliable narrators are amongst my favourite characters, especially when stories are told from their unique perspectives. It can be a tricky point of view to portray, but Worthington absolutely nailed it for me in Willow Weeps. I could always empathise with Willow's situation and her decisions. All Worthington's characters are plausibly flawed so their …
I was impressed with Louise Worthington's previous novel, Distorted Days, so jumped at the chance of a review copy of Willow Weeps. I'm so glad I did! This psychological suspense thriller maintains an eerily unsettling atmosphere throughout its story, meaning I found it almost impossible to set the book aside. I had to know what was going to happen next!
I loved that I could never be completely sure how much of what Willow sees (and hears and smells) was also real to the people around her and how much was solely in her own head. Unreliable narrators are amongst my favourite characters, especially when stories are told from their unique perspectives. It can be a tricky point of view to portray, but Worthington absolutely nailed it for me in Willow Weeps. I could always empathise with Willow's situation and her decisions. All Worthington's characters are plausibly flawed so their emotional depth makes them interesting to read about. Even the ones I ended up really not liking - I don't want to say who in case it spoils plot surprises! - kept me intrigued and glued to the pages.
The settings are intriguing too, particularly the repurposed former children's home which has been done up as luxury appartments. We had considered a new flat in a former hospital just a few years ago, but were concerned about echoes of the building's emotional history so this aspect rang very true for me. I did find myself getting lost at moments towards the end of the story and had to go back and reread pages to be sure what was happening. I think, as the tension ratchets up for Willow, it did for me too so I was breathlessly reading faster and faster. Too fast! Willow Weeps is not a book for bedtime because I think its excitement will keep readers wide awake!