Harley McKenna is possibly the most powerful, original female character we’ve had in decades, a borderline anti-hero with a heart of gold and compassion. Masterfully constructed, Barbed Wire Heart is an evocative work of darkness and redemption, hinting at times of Flannery O’Connor and Cormac McCarthy. An amazing debut novel. An exciting new voice in the world of books.
In infusing noir tradition with feminist resolve, Barbed Wire Hear pulls off something rare. Harley may be ridden with guilt and overcome by the feeling that she's incapable of being loved, but in her pursuit of a life of her own, she has only begun to fight.
Sharpe has fashioned a pulse-pounding thriller with a strong moral underpinning and a wrenching love interest, in which Harley’s contemporary activities are interspersed with her bloody backstory. Strong, graphic violence may limit the appeal of this masterfully written and constructed novel, but Harley McKenna is a striking protagonist and, with her powerful debut, Sharpe is definitely a name to watch.
This is one of the best books I’ve read ... The pacing is extraordinary, and changing from past to present feels like only a slight turn on the radio dial: absolutely no static ... Each character in this riveting novel feels authentic and necessary ... Tess Sharpe rewrote the script. Harley-girl is a warrior, a Wonder Woman without super powers. Her strength comes from her fearlessness, her cunning, and her resolve ... it’s impossible not to root for a character whose mission is to protect abused women, and it’s impossible not to thank the author for introducing us to her.
Barbed Wire Heart is a gritty, bloody, in-your-face affair and definitely not for the faint of heart. Her heroine is fiercely independent, morally complex and desperate to forge her own path to freedom—no matter the cost.
Harley’s detailed characterization, especially compared to more role-bound descriptions of the supporting characters, makes her easy to root for as she outsmarts everyone. Even though her plan becomes clear to the reader fairly early, seeing her success in executing it is highly satisfying. This is a deeply affecting story about the complex family dynamics of growing up in the midst of a drug-trade blood feud.
Early on, the novel tends to go over the same ground too many times and takes too many narrative beats to reach a conclusion. But it has a welcome, powerful feminist sensibility—Harley is closely involved with a shelter for abused women and children—and with its relentless intensity, gritty atmosphere, and compelling father-daughter psychology ... Sharpe's first adult novel, following her gritty young-adult effort Far From You (2014), introduces a major talent to the crime fiction genre and, with a sequel all but promised, an exciting protagonist.
