I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really really liked the premise of this novel. It just seemed so twisted that I thought it would be something I would really enjoy. I was really happy to get an ARC for this novel… and now, here is my review:
When she was 3 years old, Irini Harringford was given away to her relatives by her parents. While she has spent her entire life trying to convince herself she is fine with this, deep down Irini desperately wants to understand why she was the one sent away – and why her older sister, Elle, remained at home. So when Elle reaches out to Irini to inform her of their mother’s passing, Irini returns to the family home. But she is ill at ease. Irini and Elle are not close… and for good reason. She knows only too well what Elle is capable of. Drawn to her sister and afraid of her manipulative tendencies, Irini tries to protect herself even as she is sucked back into her family’s toxic secrets. She is soon about to find out that the past she yearns to understand is more complicated than she could ever imagine – and unearthing all the secrets could put her future in jeopardy.
This novel had a lot of potential as it began. I really felt Irini’s emotions and was drawn to her story. As soon as Elle was introduced, she gave me those perfect creepy vibes I was looking for. I loved the way they interacted with each other, and I loved that the story flitted between the past and present. However, I thought that the reason the siblings were split up was really obvious from the get-go; in fact, that was what I thought the twist would be about and I was quite disappointed that it wasn’t. By the halfway point, this novel had lost a lot of its intrigue. Even the characters stopped being interesting. I really only kept reading to see if what I had guessed would come true, and it did. Honestly, I feel like this novel could have been way better if there was more depth to the characters, and a less obvious plot. I also felt like the ending wasn’t fully developed, making it lackluster. For those reasons, I’m giving it a 2/5 stars.
Happy reading ~