“I sensed even in that moment that the two of us were at a crossroads. The map of our lives stretched out before us, and I could see, quite clearly, the various paths that I might choose to take, and the ways in which this choice might affect my sister.”
If you’re going into this thinking it’s a thriller, you either need to adjust your expectations or pick up a different book. This is…a gritty, contemporary crime novel. It’s a story about sisters. It’s a story about family. It’s a story about addiction and the way addicts are viewed and treated. There are some suspenseful moments here, but one thing you should know before reading – there’s not much that actually happens in this book (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). It’s not literary whiplash like some books can be. It’s not bouncing from one reveal to another, or one heart-pounding moment to the next. The story does pick up a bit in the last 100 or so pages.
This is not a feel-good story. This doesn’t have a “happy” ending. This book will probably piss you off – our main character has made some horrible choices in her life (some you can blame her for, some you can’t).
But it’s good. This is a book that’s very of-the-moment. The opioid crisis has hit many communities and caused irreparable damage. This topic might be too much for some readers – I’m guessing that if you have any personal experience with addiction, you’ll probably want to skip this. It’s a 500 pager, but a quick read. If you’re someone who hesitates to pick up big books (that’s an issue for another day…) don’t let this one scare you.
Read with Aimee 