Not only was I disappointed to receive an uncorrected proof copy of this book - I was also disappointed by the unconvincing plot.
I should declare that I hold Sophie Hannah in very high regard as an author. I have read all the books she has written previously over many years and had no hesitation in redeeming my hard earned points in order to get an advance copy of Haven’t They Grown.
The first few chapters were intriguing and held such promise - why had five year old Thomas and three year old Emily not aged in the 12 years since Beth had last seen them?
Unfortunately the plot didn’t really develop very much, just a series of outlandish hypotheses proposed and discounted by Beth and her family. I didn’t warm to any of the characters, apart perhaps from Beth’s daughter, Zannah, and found some elements of the story totally incredible such as when Beth reported her misgivings to the police.
The denouement was unexpected but not particularly clever and required the reader to suspend their sense of credibility. I had already lost all interest in the story by that time anyhow.
I really didn’t enjoy this book very much, even though Sophie Hannah’s actually writing is still superb.
I should declare that I hold Sophie Hannah in very high regard as an author. I have read all the books she has written previously over many years and had no hesitation in redeeming my hard earned points in order to get an advance copy of Haven’t They Grown.
The first few chapters were intriguing and held such promise - why had five year old Thomas and three year old Emily not aged in the 12 years since Beth had last seen them?
Unfortunately the plot didn’t really develop very much, just a series of outlandish hypotheses proposed and discounted by Beth and her family. I didn’t warm to any of the characters, apart perhaps from Beth’s daughter, Zannah, and found some elements of the story totally incredible such as when Beth reported her misgivings to the police.
The denouement was unexpected but not particularly clever and required the reader to suspend their sense of credibility. I had already lost all interest in the story by that time anyhow.
I really didn’t enjoy this book very much, even though Sophie Hannah’s actually writing is still superb.