Firstly this book should not be compared to One Split Second - it is written with a totally different premise. It is a slow burn, character driven, multi-layered story. It is not action packed, nor should it be. This story is of more slowly developing, complex characters, all dealing with grief and their own situations in one quite intense weekend. There are some strange decisions made by Jonathan, the deceased father, to keep the reader intrigued and keen to understand his actions. Constant underlying questions played around in my mind.
I don’t feel the characters were written to be likeable, more to engender characteristics that may be magnified, due to different ways of dealing with loss. The three children, all totally wrapped up in their own lives, all with strong feelings about their father’s young mistress and also about their mother Eloise/ her position in their family. As siblings do, they battle and argue, snipe and are selfishly tunnel-visioned.
The characters were portrayed effectively and I enjoyed seeing how Caroline Bond made us dislike them and their selfishness. Whilst running alongside the grief-stricken Megan, the mistress, wandering ghost like around the house and being inconsequential to the proceedings. An uncomfortable read at times, but provoking feelings in the reader is a skill well-used here.
The end of the book neatly wraps up the individual stories and I took great satisfaction from that.
I don’t feel the characters were written to be likeable, more to engender characteristics that may be magnified, due to different ways of dealing with loss. The three children, all totally wrapped up in their own lives, all with strong feelings about their father’s young mistress and also about their mother Eloise/ her position in their family. As siblings do, they battle and argue, snipe and are selfishly tunnel-visioned.
The characters were portrayed effectively and I enjoyed seeing how Caroline Bond made us dislike them and their selfishness. Whilst running alongside the grief-stricken Megan, the mistress, wandering ghost like around the house and being inconsequential to the proceedings. An uncomfortable read at times, but provoking feelings in the reader is a skill well-used here.
The end of the book neatly wraps up the individual stories and I took great satisfaction from that.