How have I not read Jill Ciment before?! I loved this odd, quirky, utterly original story that took elements of books we see all the time (an affair, a trial, a horrific death) and blended them into something wholly new and fascinating. The writing style is perfect for the story, as is the tight editing – and I can’t offer higher praise than that. Ciment does an incredible job presenting the intricacies of motivation, determination, responsibility and self-awareness, and using them to establish a plot that is tight, taut, and wholly engaging. She twines these themes over, under, and through the trial, the relationships, and the aftermath of it all in a way that generated suspense and tension even when there was little-to-no actual action. Her ability to pinpoint emotion, response, and rationalization and present them in clear, crisp, and – most importantly – concise language meant that not a word was wasted and every line pulled you toward the conclusions that wound up feeling inevitable even though I never saw many of them coming.
It was a quick and marvelous read and I’m definitely going to look for more from her. Thanks to Penguin First to Read for my review copy.
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