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A review by booksbytheglass
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
a few days later & I’m still sitting with my thoughts on this one!! I enjoyed it way more than sarah’s last solo thriller, but there was something about this that didn’t execute well for me 🥲🤔
the first half of the book focused mostly on stella, a child advocate lawyer for parents going through a divorce, and her client rose, who suffers from traumatic mutism after witnessing her nanny die in front of her. the mystery behind the nanny’s death and how rose was involved was a key component of the plot, and while I figured out the plot twist quite early on, it was a very entertaining ride!
the second half of the book did a 180 for me, focusing more on stella’s backstory and her own experience with traumatic mutism after her mother’s death. I thought that “mystery” of sorts was pretty obvious and didn’t need to be as fleshed out as it was - especially since it ultimately didn’t connect to the present day mystery at all.
and can we talk about that random side romance? it came completely out of the blue and felt very trauma bonding rather than an actual relationship. also, what was the point? 🤔
TDLR: an entertaining fast-paced bingeable thriller but ultimately not my favorite. thank you to netgalley and st martins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! you can get this one early through BOTM 🫡
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay
the first half of the book focused mostly on stella, a child advocate lawyer for parents going through a divorce, and her client rose, who suffers from traumatic mutism after witnessing her nanny die in front of her. the mystery behind the nanny’s death and how rose was involved was a key component of the plot, and while I figured out the plot twist quite early on, it was a very entertaining ride!
the second half of the book did a 180 for me, focusing more on stella’s backstory and her own experience with traumatic mutism after her mother’s death. I thought that “mystery” of sorts was pretty obvious and didn’t need to be as fleshed out as it was - especially since it ultimately didn’t connect to the present day mystery at all.
and can we talk about that random side romance? it came completely out of the blue and felt very trauma bonding rather than an actual relationship. also, what was the point? 🤔
TDLR: an entertaining fast-paced bingeable thriller but ultimately not my favorite. thank you to netgalley and st martins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! you can get this one early through BOTM 🫡
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Death of parent