luvtoread

Synopsis: In modern day Chicago, Todd and Jodi are a seemingly happy couple. But Todd has been seeing someone on the side, and Jodi will do anything to keep the illusion alive.

Review: When I picked this book up, I was looking for a quick, basic read that I wouldn’t have to put much effort into. I wanted something thriller-ish, but not a murder mystery. I wanted something not too terribly long, but not fantasy or young adult or chick lit. And so I picked up The Silent Wife, and it was definitely not what I was looking to read. I read the book quickly, but it was not a story that you can turn your brain off to read. The book requires, demands, more focus than that. And it deserves that focus.

This is an exceptionally well-written book. The words are beautiful, I underlined many quotes, and the scene is set very well. You’ve got cold, silent Jodi, and the womanizing Todd. They have been together for twenty years – are they married? Are they not married? Neither of them is very likeable, but Jodi was the more interesting of the pair for me. With her quiet determination to have everything appear normal, she seemed to be superwoman – able to do it all and to not have any obvious reaction to Todd’s failings. But of course, there is always more to the story than outward appearances. The chapters are told from alternating points of view, “Her” and “Him”, and I liked having both viewpoints, even if Todd was completely despicable.

Did I like this book? No, not really. The characters are just not likeable enough to truly care one way or the other what happens. Did I stay up late into the night reading? Yes, for the writing was wonderful. The book did stray into predictability in the last third of the book, but I still appreciated the words on the page. This is a very weighty book with unreliable narrators, and upon finishing it I just felt dull and empty. So I can’t really recommend it, unless you are looking for a heavy psychological story, with a bit of predictability. And I must admit to being weary of the cheating husband and the wife seeking revenge plotline.

Bottom Line: Heavy tale with unlikeable characters and a bit of predictability.

You might like to read:

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins – read my review here.

Have you read The Silent Wife? Did you like it?