After a heart-wrenching breakup with her girlfriend and a shocking incident at her job, Cassie flees her life as an overworked assistant in New York for her hometown in New Jersey, along the Delaware. There she reconnects with her high school best friend Eli, now a widowed father of two. Their bond reignites, and within a few short months, Cassie is married to Eli, living in his house in the woods, homeschooling the kids, and getting to know her reserved neighbor Joan. But Cassie's fresh start is less idyllic than she'd hoped. She grapples with harm OCD, her mind haunted by gory, graphic images. And she's afraid that she'll never measure up to Eli's late spouse, who was a committed homemaker and traditional wife. No matter what Cassie does, Beth's shadow still permeates every corner of their home.
While the premise of Cullen’s novel is promising, some readers might find that it is hindered by uneven pacing and that the narrative is frequently bogged down by lengthy introspective passages, which detract from the tension and flow of the plot. The resolution feels rushed and fails to deliver the emotional payoff that the intriguing build-up suggests ... An optional purchase for larger libraries that melds literary fiction with domestic suspense.
Cullen’s debut is a mix of horror, literary fiction, and gothic fiction that grapples with what identity means and what happens when identity is spurned. Cassie’s struggles are heartbreaking, as, at its core, this is a book about a woman who is simply fighting to find herself—and love herself no matter how she turns out.
Modern gothic meets psychological suspense in this wholly original work ... This novel is far grittier and more surprising than that basic storyline implies ... Touching.
