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| The Silent Wife |
Title: The Silent Wife
Author: A. S. A. Harrison
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 326
How I Found It: Some friends recommended it.
Date Completed: 6/9/18
Summary: Jodi and Todd have a picture-perfect marriage that has been emotionally dead for a long time. A series of choices they make lead to a dramatic end to their relationship and Todd's life.
What I Thought: Some very dear friends of ours recommended this book to me and even graciously loaned me their copy. They talked it up, so my expectations were high when I packed it in my suitcase for Italy.
I read almost the entire book during our endless layover in LaGuardia airport. If you've ever been to LaGuardia, you know how desperately anyone in that place needs an escape. Easily the worst airport I've ever been in.
Unfortunately, this book was not as gripping as I had hoped. I found Jodi's character to be cold and flat. The character is obviously meant to portray the cool collection of having everything together, but to have that carry into her inner left was disconcerting. She didn't feel emotionally engaged in her actions and so I didn't feel emotionally engaged with her story.
The chapters alternate between Jodi's and Todd's perspectives until Todd meets his untimely end. I found Todd's chapters more compelling, but my gosh is he an awful person. His character is so deeply selfish and irresponsible. I found him to be a textbook case of "man child." So, while I didn't feel connected to Jodi and as thought I wanted to side with her, I also didn't feel any particular sympathy for Todd's character either. That's not a good recipe in a book crafted to pull you back and forth between two characters.
Ultimately, I think Harrison's writing style just isn't the right fit for me. A story that could've been infused with so much drama and emotion felt flat and clinical. But, obviously our friends really enjoyed it, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Will I Re-Read: Probably not
A Reduced Review: I found the lead character so cold and flat that I had a hard time connecting with this book at all.
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