Annabel Pitcher is clearly a very gifted storyteller. What could have
been a disastrous train wreck was actually a page turner. And even
though I knew what was going to happen pretty much from the get go, I
still wanted to finish the novel. The ending was satisfying although I
can see where some people will be disappointed. The entire premise of a
British girl writing to an American on death row was brilliant! The
epistolary style which I sometimes don't particularly care for was
perfect for this story and done so well.
The whole book was
weighted with waiting. Waiting for a death sentence, waiting to expose
secrets, waiting for Grandpa to get well or die. I felt that Zoe was
living her life in a holding pattern. But isn't that really how most
people go through life? Simply waiting for what's just around the bend
while not realizing how good they have it in the present. Zoe is a
prime example of this. The writing was so palpable in its anticipation, I
almost felt I could reach out and touch it. This book really drew out
the tension making the reader wait for the payoff. It isn't until the
very end that the big reveal happens. So while Zoe is waiting, you the
reader also experience it.
I would recommend this book to anyone
who likes a good payoff at the end of their story. It is definitely a
character driven novel that explores human relationships. It is deftly
woven, and one in which the reader feels compelled to keep turning the
pages.
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