What do readers think of How to Be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman? Write your own review.

This is not a feel-good novel....but it is a very grabbing psychological thriller that keeps you guessing throughout..I found myself wondering if somehow Hector was to blame for the eerie things happening to her of if she was descending into a form of midlife madness..good first novel!

I found this book a bit confusing right from the title. There was not even one character I felt especially interested in. It wasn't a bad book, but just a book. Not memorable for me.

After reading this book I am more confused than when I started it. I found myself not sure where I was in the story and what was going on. I got excited as the story unfolded and thought I finally understood and then the ending left me even more confused. Well written story, but maybe not for me. I almost feel stupid after reading it and not being able to understand the story.

How to Be a Good Wife is a good book, but it's not exceptional. Chilling and well-paced, the storyline drew me in right away: When the narrator, Marta Bjornstad, starts having flashbacks, it's clear that someone in the Bjornstad household is mentally unstable. Is Marta's husband, Hector, deranged? Or is Marta delusional? This marriage between two morally (and mentally) ambiguous characters was somewhat reminiscent of GONE GIRL, though told only from the wife's perspective. Unfortunately, since I only heard Marta's side of the story, I found it difficult to fully sympathize with her or anyone else. Even so, Marta's story is intriguing and likely to appeal to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers.

Haunting.

I always see this word while reading reviews, or blurbs in the cover of hardback books, but have never used it myself. Since I'm usually one of those people who can predict the ending and turns of stories, I'm not easily fazed (maybe only once, while reading Stephen King's Misery, but I was young and didn't know any better). I'm glad there's finally a book where I can use this particular word in my review.

Haunting.

Yes, haunting, chilling, poignant, evocative, stirring, startling, unnerving, disturbing, mesmerizing, terrifying, unforgettable… You can use any or a combination of these words to describe the book. No matter which one, this story will haunt you for a long, long time.

Marta and Hector are a couple living together. Their son, Kylan, has grown up and moved out. Early in the book, we instantly knew something is just not right with their relationship; something seems to be wrong with one or the other. Marta follows the instructions on one particular book her Mother-in-law gave her for her wedding, and her recites the rules in her mind as she carries out the tasks in her day:

"Make your home a place of peace and order."

"Your husband belongs to the outside world. The house is your domain, and your responsibility."

"Never question his authority, for he always does what is best for the family, and has your interests at heart."

Hector goes to work as a teacher, and Marta stays home and does all the housewife duties: clean, cook, shop. She watches the clock closely since she always needed to be ready and have everything prepared, especially the meal, before Hector gets home. Marta does not remember anything before her marriage to Hector. Her whole universe and existence revolves around her husband.

"After a hard day at work, your husband will want a hearty meal to replenish his spirits."

Marta is also on some kind of medications, and Hector always makes sure she remembers to take them. Sometimes he stands in front of her and examines her mouth after swallowing. You need them, he says. However, Marta decided to skip the medicine, and that's when some weird visions appeared. She keeps seeing this frail, skinny blonde girl in various places of the house. She's wearing white pyjamas with flowers. Sometimes she's clean, healthy and has perfect nails; other times, skinny as bones, filthy with dirty bitten nails and the color of the pyjamas grey.

"Never bother you husband with domestic matters."

Who is the girl? Is she hallucinating, as Hector keeps insisting she is, or is the girl a real person in repressed memory? Should Marta continue to take her medication, or skip to see and hear the girl more clearly? Nothing seems to be what it is. Could she trust her instincts and memories? Should she trust her husband instead, or is she losing her mind? Then, things are getting even worse when Kylan return to visit with his fiancée… Marta's sometimes strong, clear and coherent and other times lost, confused and full of doubt narrative will break your heart.

"Always put the needs of the rest of the family above your own."

It's unbelievable that this book is a debut and how young the author was when she wrote the book. Emma Chapman writes with the skill of an accomplished, mature and experienced author. The concept is brilliant, the plot tight and the prosecution smooth. She explores many facets of our society with ease and grace. She did not take the easy way out by providing us with a straightforward answer to the question we are still asking ourselves way after the last page is turned… Brilliant.

Thanks to the publisher and Bookbrowse for providing my advance reader's copy.

From the very beginning of this book, there was something unsettling about it. I would pick it up, read a little, and then, put it down. Something about it felt sinister. Emma Chapman paints a portrait of a woman, older, her son having recently moved out and not quite sure what to do with herself. As her story unfolds, it becomes clear that something is definitely not right. The imagery in this book is outstanding. Another positive about the novel is that it is a fast read. Once I got into it, I could not put it down. Its definitely a book that make you ask yourself what would I do if this happened to me or someone I loved.

This book never drew me in and turned out to be nothing like I expected, in a negative way. Marta's story never took hold or really made much sense to me and there were plot holes galore. A lot of details essential to the plot were left completely unexplained, which made the entire story implausible to me. At times it even seemed that parts of the narrative were missing. Not a particularly enjoyable read, sorry to say.

This book reminded me of Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson. Marta's mind seemed to be playing tricks on her all of the time--things seemed to be memories but she couldn't be sure if they were real or not. The book had good twists and turns.