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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
Daughter is told from the perspective of Jenny, a doctor and mother, as she deals with the disappearance of her daughter, Naomi. Jenny is vilified, by herself and everyone around her, for being a working mother. There is little evidence that she is a particularly bad mother, except for the fact that her bratty kids and cheating husband are constantly accusing her of being one. There is also the fact that she is spectacularly stupid.
The story is flimsy. We're expected to believe that TWO kids from a middle class well to do family randomly and independently fall into serious drug use within months of each other. Both of them steal medical drugs from their doctor parents. Naomi steals Ketamine to sell, while her brother Ed becomes seriously addicted to intravenous drugs. Their parents (who, again, are DOCTORS) do not notice even though Ed's apparently got so far into drugs that he's developed an abscess on his arm.
Jenny repeatedly interprets things in an infuriatingly naive way. She reads "10 weeks" in her teenage daughter's diary and it doesn't occur to her (A DOCTOR) that this means 10 weeks pregnant. She frequently happens across blindingly obvious clues and assumes they are innocent things with all the intuition of a box of nails.
Near the end of the book, we discover that Naomi has been potentially found, but then it turns out that in fact, she died. Then, Jenny shows up to the gypsy campsite where she supposedly died, and finds Naomi calling after her own daughter, Carys. It seems her death was a lie. Then, astonishingly, the book ends with a shrug of the shoulders as Jenny apparently just decides to leave her daughter (who can only be 16 at most by this time) and her 6 month old granddaughter to live their gypsy lives.
She does look up the granddaughter's name, Carys, and tells us that it means love. Which is nice, but HELLO, your 16 year old daughter has run away with a man (who has now been shot by the police) and you are going to leave them there to live in a caravan in Wales?
I cannot fathom how Jane Shelmit authored this with a straight face.
The story is flimsy. We're expected to believe that TWO kids from a middle class well to do family randomly and independently fall into serious drug use within months of each other. Both of them steal medical drugs from their doctor parents. Naomi steals Ketamine to sell, while her brother Ed becomes seriously addicted to intravenous drugs. Their parents (who, again, are DOCTORS) do not notice even though Ed's apparently got so far into drugs that he's developed an abscess on his arm.
Jenny repeatedly interprets things in an infuriatingly naive way. She reads "10 weeks" in her teenage daughter's diary and it doesn't occur to her (A DOCTOR) that this means 10 weeks pregnant. She frequently happens across blindingly obvious clues and assumes they are innocent things with all the intuition of a box of nails.
Near the end of the book, we discover that Naomi has been potentially found, but then it turns out that in fact, she died. Then, Jenny shows up to the gypsy campsite where she supposedly died, and finds Naomi calling after her own daughter, Carys. It seems her death was a lie. Then, astonishingly, the book ends with a shrug of the shoulders as Jenny apparently just decides to leave her daughter (who can only be 16 at most by this time) and her 6 month old granddaughter to live their gypsy lives.
She does look up the granddaughter's name, Carys, and tells us that it means love. Which is nice, but HELLO, your 16 year old daughter has run away with a man (who has now been shot by the police) and you are going to leave them there to live in a caravan in Wales?
I cannot fathom how Jane Shelmit authored this with a straight face.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
While there were certainly parts of this book that captivated me, there were also segments that frustrated and perplexed me, ultimately diminishing my overall enjoyment. The ending, in particular, left me feeling a deep sense of anger.
One of the strengths of the narrative was its ability to gradually reveal answers to some of the lingering questions, leading me to anticipate a spectacular climax. However, when the conclusion finally arrived, it felt rushed, unrealistic, and rather clumsy. Instead of a satisfying resolution, I was presented with a flurry of answers that seemed more like ticking off items on a checklist rather than thoughtfully addressing the mysteries that had been built up throughout the story.
Initially, I was excited about the main character, drawn in by her struggles to juggle a demanding career as a general practitioner while striving to be a devoted mother. I saw fragments of myself in her determination to excel in every role, only to end up feeling overwhelmed and underwhelming in each aspect of her life. However, as the story progressed, my admiration for her began to wane. Her decisions became increasingly frustrating, and I found myself questioning whether she was simply naive or genuinely oblivious to the realities around her.
As the plot unfolded, revelations about her children came to light that left me baffled. It was difficult to comprehend how she seemed oblivious to their struggles or failed to connect the dots as the narrative developed.
Ultimately, despite being drawn into the mystery surrounding Naomi's disappearance and wanting to uncover the truth of that fateful night, I was left feeling dissatisfied. The glaring plot holes and the questionable actions of the so-called adults within the story overshadowed the intrigue, leaving me with a lingering frustration that marred the reading experience.
One of the strengths of the narrative was its ability to gradually reveal answers to some of the lingering questions, leading me to anticipate a spectacular climax. However, when the conclusion finally arrived, it felt rushed, unrealistic, and rather clumsy. Instead of a satisfying resolution, I was presented with a flurry of answers that seemed more like ticking off items on a checklist rather than thoughtfully addressing the mysteries that had been built up throughout the story.
Initially, I was excited about the main character, drawn in by her struggles to juggle a demanding career as a general practitioner while striving to be a devoted mother. I saw fragments of myself in her determination to excel in every role, only to end up feeling overwhelmed and underwhelming in each aspect of her life. However, as the story progressed, my admiration for her began to wane. Her decisions became increasingly frustrating, and I found myself questioning whether she was simply naive or genuinely oblivious to the realities around her.
As the plot unfolded, revelations about her children came to light that left me baffled. It was difficult to comprehend how she seemed oblivious to their struggles or failed to connect the dots as the narrative developed.
Ultimately, despite being drawn into the mystery surrounding Naomi's disappearance and wanting to uncover the truth of that fateful night, I was left feeling dissatisfied. The glaring plot holes and the questionable actions of the so-called adults within the story overshadowed the intrigue, leaving me with a lingering frustration that marred the reading experience.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it until the end. It left me feeling disappointed that I spent so much time on it. The ending didn’t make sense to me at all and I felt like I’d wasted my time reading it.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Às vezes era uma leitura um pouco monótona, o enredo era bom mas não gostei no final, ficou em aberto, não poderia acabar ali. Não sei se existe continuação, em português não há, vou ter que ver em outro idioma.
A very generous three stars. Thought it had promise in the beginning, but soon became quite slow and fizzled out to nothing.
An average missing-persons "thriller" nudged slightly out of mediocrity through excellent flawed characters with appropriately messy, illusioned, mis-communicated relationships.
I'm getting tired of this "how-well-do-you-really-know-your-kid" genre. Someone's missing, cue guilt-ridden professional mother who then marinates in extended angst of woulda, coulda, shoulda. The ending on this was so stupid as to be unbelievable. Would probably make for great discussion for a book club read though.
Did not finish. Disappointed. Quote on cover said "A thriller you won't be able to put down." - Tess Gerritsen
Six chapters in and it does not even feel close. Am bored and am not gelling with the main character.
Putting down.
Six chapters in and it does not even feel close. Am bored and am not gelling with the main character.
Putting down.