Deanna S

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.

Deftly and realistically told from the perspective of an underaged, Southern protagonist searching for a sense of belonging, The Sweet In-Between is reminiscent of Bastard Out of Carolina. Like Bone Boatwright, Kenny Luogo has had more than her share of misery at a very young age. Having lost her mother to cancer and her father to prison, Kenny questions her gender, familial ties, and future as she comes of age in a small Southern town. Hard circumstances haven't hardened her, but manifest themselves in the form of insecurity, weak sense of self, and fear of abandonment. Her difficulties, painful to read at times, are brilliantly tempered with resiliency and hope. Intense, touching, and beautifully written, this book is highly and enthusiastically recommended.