Dead Letters: A Novel
by Caite Dolan-Leach
On This Page
Description
A missing woman leads her twin sister on a twisted scavenger hunt in this clever debut novel with eccentric, dysfunctional characters who will keep you guessing until the end—for readers of Luckiest Girl Alive and The Wife Between Us.Ava has her reasons for running away to Paris. But when she receives the shocking news that her twin sister, Zelda, is dead, she is forced to return home to her family’s failing vineyard in upstate New York. Knowing Zelda’s penchant for tricks and show more deception, Ava is not surprised when she receives her twin’s cryptic message from beyond the grave. Following her sister’s trail of clues, Ava immerses herself in Zelda’s drama and her outlandish circle of friends and lovers, and soon finds herself confronted with dark family legacies and twisted relationships. Is Zelda trying to punish Ava for leaving? Or is she simply trying to write her own ending? Caite Dolan-Leach’s debut thriller is a literary scavenger hunt for secrets hidden everywhere from wine country to social media, and buried at the dysfunctional heart of one utterly unforgettable family.
Praise for Dead Letters
“Dolan-Leach writes like Paula Hawkins by way of Curtis Sittenfeld.”—Amy Gentry, author of Good as Gone
“A sharp, wrenching tale of the true love only twins know . . . Dolan-Leach nimbly entwines the clever mystery of Agatha Christie, the wit of Dorothy Parker, and the inebriated Gothic of Eugene O’Neill.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A smart, dazzling mystery . . . Dolan-Leach revels in toying with both Ava and her audience . . . and the result is captivating.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Draws you in like you are part of the story itself, living and breathing alongside the compelling characters as they uncover the dark secrets of their complicated family.”—Wendy Walker, author of All Is Not Forgotten
“Push-pull tension . . . This book is wine-soaked yet lucid, comforting and frightening, asking the big questions about intimacy and loyalty.”—Caroline Kepnes, author of You. show less
Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Parents expecting identical twins often decide to get whimsical with their children’s names and Marlon and Nadine Antipova are no different. To paraphrase the pretentious Marlon—his daughters would be the beginning and the end, explaining how Ava and Zelda came to get their names. This family story is the only sentimental one found in Caite Dolan-Leach’s mesmerizing debut, Dead Letters. The novel opens with twenty-five-year-old Ava on a plane, heading home after two years away because she’s gotten an email from her mother that her sister is dead. Which sums up relationships in this family- an email telling you your twin sister is dead. Except, given what she knows of Zelda and “feels” about her twin, Ava doesn’t believe show more it. Zelda’s not dead.
To say the Antipova family is dysfunctional is putting it mildly. The only thing they all have in common is an overwhelming and abiding love of alcohol, which makes the choice of owning a winery understandable but dangerous. This is a fractured family—Dad decamped years ago to a new wife and life in California and Ava lives in Paris pursuing a PhD in literature. Only Zelda and Nadine still live on the family’s vineyard in upstate New York, with Nadine sinking deeper into early onset dementia and Zelda trying to hold the failing family business and her mother together. Zelda and Ava haven’t seen each other or spoken since Zelda slept with Ava’s boyfriend. Now, Ava is back in the home she wants no part of, with a mother who thinks she’s her twin and a father who is his usual charming, but ineffectual self. As she surveys the ashes of the winery’s barn—from which unidentifiable human remains have been pulled—her sense that she is being played by her sister is confirmed when an email arrives…from Zelda.
And so the hunt begins. Zelda has felt abandoned by Ava and now wants her sister to play with her again—in the form of clues as to what she’s done. In this macabre treasure hunt the clues are the letters of the alphabet, in order. Zelda has gone from being ignored by Ava to being in control of her sister. While they wait for dental identification of the remains in the barn, the clues pile up and Ava uses looking like her sister to get private information from doctors and bankers about her life in the last two years. Not surprisingly, none of it is good. All of this, plus missing her twin, has led Zelda to take some extreme action, but what is her game?
Front loading a novel with the kind of drama found in Dead Letters is risky, but Dolan-Leach wins big with her portrayal of the Antipovas. Their love of alcohol is a novel in itself, which could become tiresome, but she uses it to great effect. Even Ava is not immune
But all I can think is that I need a bottle of something, and somewhere quiet to consume it. Loc1262
The fact that this is only one small component of a much larger whole is indicative of a writer with the confidence to go all in with deeply flawed characters and an intricate plot. At any one point, Dead Letters could have gone over the edge into an abyss of the unbelievable, but the guide wire of Dolan-Leach’s writing maintains perfect tension and credibility from start to finish.
Last week I wrote about a novel being like the best college bender you’ve ever been on. In that case, the author seemed as out of control as the reader was going to be reading her novel—but in a good way. Dolan-Leach is much more wicked. She is the person handing you the brew that is about to blow your mind, but she’s stone cold sober and writes a tale of suspense so perfectly balanced that you’ll follow wherever she leads and be happy to wake up with a book hangover. At 30% in I was certain I knew what the surprise was going be. Then again at 50%. And again. Every time I was wrong and that is as good as it gets in the world of book love—sharp, snarky, intelligent writing; a story that bends and twists like taffy and is just as chewy and delicious in its details. It’s only February but for readers Christmas is here because Dead Letters is a literary gift. show less
To say the Antipova family is dysfunctional is putting it mildly. The only thing they all have in common is an overwhelming and abiding love of alcohol, which makes the choice of owning a winery understandable but dangerous. This is a fractured family—Dad decamped years ago to a new wife and life in California and Ava lives in Paris pursuing a PhD in literature. Only Zelda and Nadine still live on the family’s vineyard in upstate New York, with Nadine sinking deeper into early onset dementia and Zelda trying to hold the failing family business and her mother together. Zelda and Ava haven’t seen each other or spoken since Zelda slept with Ava’s boyfriend. Now, Ava is back in the home she wants no part of, with a mother who thinks she’s her twin and a father who is his usual charming, but ineffectual self. As she surveys the ashes of the winery’s barn—from which unidentifiable human remains have been pulled—her sense that she is being played by her sister is confirmed when an email arrives…from Zelda.
And so the hunt begins. Zelda has felt abandoned by Ava and now wants her sister to play with her again—in the form of clues as to what she’s done. In this macabre treasure hunt the clues are the letters of the alphabet, in order. Zelda has gone from being ignored by Ava to being in control of her sister. While they wait for dental identification of the remains in the barn, the clues pile up and Ava uses looking like her sister to get private information from doctors and bankers about her life in the last two years. Not surprisingly, none of it is good. All of this, plus missing her twin, has led Zelda to take some extreme action, but what is her game?
Front loading a novel with the kind of drama found in Dead Letters is risky, but Dolan-Leach wins big with her portrayal of the Antipovas. Their love of alcohol is a novel in itself, which could become tiresome, but she uses it to great effect. Even Ava is not immune
But all I can think is that I need a bottle of something, and somewhere quiet to consume it. Loc1262
The fact that this is only one small component of a much larger whole is indicative of a writer with the confidence to go all in with deeply flawed characters and an intricate plot. At any one point, Dead Letters could have gone over the edge into an abyss of the unbelievable, but the guide wire of Dolan-Leach’s writing maintains perfect tension and credibility from start to finish.
Last week I wrote about a novel being like the best college bender you’ve ever been on. In that case, the author seemed as out of control as the reader was going to be reading her novel—but in a good way. Dolan-Leach is much more wicked. She is the person handing you the brew that is about to blow your mind, but she’s stone cold sober and writes a tale of suspense so perfectly balanced that you’ll follow wherever she leads and be happy to wake up with a book hangover. At 30% in I was certain I knew what the surprise was going be. Then again at 50%. And again. Every time I was wrong and that is as good as it gets in the world of book love—sharp, snarky, intelligent writing; a story that bends and twists like taffy and is just as chewy and delicious in its details. It’s only February but for readers Christmas is here because Dead Letters is a literary gift. show less
The Alphabet Kills the Author
At the outset of this puzzling journey of Ava Antipova to determine if her identical twin sister Zelda is really dead, victim of a murder or suicide, or running an elaborate gaslight to torment Ava and slip out from under a mountain of debt, debut author Caite Dolan-Leach provides insight into why she chose the alphabet as the structure of her novel. Seems Ava has been away, escaping the grasp of her dysfunctional family in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York to study, among other things, the OuLiPo movement in Paris. Simply, OuLiPo is a method of writing that places constraints upon the writer. These might be as challenging as writing a piece without, say, using a letter or series of letters (a show more lipogram). Or, as with this novel, writing a twenty-four chapter novel, starting each chapter with a letter of the alphabet, and having each chapter contain a clue. While a clever way to write a mystery novel, it can, and in this case does, force the author to come with a long series of clues from the supposedly dead Zelda that can leave readers sighing in exasperation. Perhaps if the payoff at the end had been a dramatic twist, persevering would have been worth it.
So, the story goes, Ava returns from Paris when she learns of her twin’s death in a barn fire on the property of their family’s winery. This event forces Ava to return to a family she has always wanted to escape from, particularly after her sister beds her boyfriend Wyatt Darling (yes, unbearably cute), who comes across as milquetoast left too long in warm milk. Ava again has to face this, as well as a father who walked out on the family, a mother in the last throes of deadly dementia, a tragic family history, a history of alcoholism and drug use, and a mediocre winery now weighted down with debt, stumbling like a drunk to its demise. Can’t blame her for putting an ocean between herself and constant aggravation.
Each of Zelda’s clues brings back memories and in dribs and drabs fill readers in on the dark family doings (here think another twin’s death, matricide, irresponsibility, and the like). Then there’s the currency of the clues giving the idea that Zelda’s watching and cackling over the helter-skelter of Ava, and readers, trying to figure out if Zelda is alive or truly dead. In short, it all gets to be just too much.
While an interesting effort, it’s not a particularly satisfying one. And if you need the alphabet prominent in your mystery, well, you might want to give Sue Grafton a look. She’s closing in Z, you know. show less
At the outset of this puzzling journey of Ava Antipova to determine if her identical twin sister Zelda is really dead, victim of a murder or suicide, or running an elaborate gaslight to torment Ava and slip out from under a mountain of debt, debut author Caite Dolan-Leach provides insight into why she chose the alphabet as the structure of her novel. Seems Ava has been away, escaping the grasp of her dysfunctional family in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York to study, among other things, the OuLiPo movement in Paris. Simply, OuLiPo is a method of writing that places constraints upon the writer. These might be as challenging as writing a piece without, say, using a letter or series of letters (a show more lipogram). Or, as with this novel, writing a twenty-four chapter novel, starting each chapter with a letter of the alphabet, and having each chapter contain a clue. While a clever way to write a mystery novel, it can, and in this case does, force the author to come with a long series of clues from the supposedly dead Zelda that can leave readers sighing in exasperation. Perhaps if the payoff at the end had been a dramatic twist, persevering would have been worth it.
So, the story goes, Ava returns from Paris when she learns of her twin’s death in a barn fire on the property of their family’s winery. This event forces Ava to return to a family she has always wanted to escape from, particularly after her sister beds her boyfriend Wyatt Darling (yes, unbearably cute), who comes across as milquetoast left too long in warm milk. Ava again has to face this, as well as a father who walked out on the family, a mother in the last throes of deadly dementia, a tragic family history, a history of alcoholism and drug use, and a mediocre winery now weighted down with debt, stumbling like a drunk to its demise. Can’t blame her for putting an ocean between herself and constant aggravation.
Each of Zelda’s clues brings back memories and in dribs and drabs fill readers in on the dark family doings (here think another twin’s death, matricide, irresponsibility, and the like). Then there’s the currency of the clues giving the idea that Zelda’s watching and cackling over the helter-skelter of Ava, and readers, trying to figure out if Zelda is alive or truly dead. In short, it all gets to be just too much.
While an interesting effort, it’s not a particularly satisfying one. And if you need the alphabet prominent in your mystery, well, you might want to give Sue Grafton a look. She’s closing in Z, you know. show less
The Alphabet Kills the Author
At the outset of this puzzling journey of Ava Antipova to determine if her identical twin sister Zelda is really dead, victim of a murder or suicide, or running an elaborate gaslight to torment Ava and slip out from under a mountain of debt, debut author Caite Dolan-Leach provides insight into why she chose the alphabet as the structure of her novel. Seems Ava has been away, escaping the grasp of her dysfunctional family in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York to study, among other things, the OuLiPo movement in Paris. Simply, OuLiPo is a method of writing that places constraints upon the writer. These might be as challenging as writing a piece without, say, using a letter or series of letters (a show more lipogram). Or, as with this novel, writing a twenty-four chapter novel, starting each chapter with a letter of the alphabet, and having each chapter contain a clue. While a clever way to write a mystery novel, it can, and in this case does, force the author to come with a long series of clues from the supposedly dead Zelda that can leave readers sighing in exasperation. Perhaps if the payoff at the end had been a dramatic twist, persevering would have been worth it.
So, the story goes, Ava returns from Paris when she learns of her twin’s death in a barn fire on the property of their family’s winery. This event forces Ava to return to a family she has always wanted to escape from, particularly after her sister beds her boyfriend Wyatt Darling (yes, unbearably cute), who comes across as milquetoast left too long in warm milk. Ava again has to face this, as well as a father who walked out on the family, a mother in the last throes of deadly dementia, a tragic family history, a history of alcoholism and drug use, and a mediocre winery now weighted down with debt, stumbling like a drunk to its demise. Can’t blame her for putting an ocean between herself and constant aggravation.
Each of Zelda’s clues brings back memories and in dribs and drabs fill readers in on the dark family doings (here think another twin’s death, matricide, irresponsibility, and the like). Then there’s the currency of the clues giving the idea that Zelda’s watching and cackling over the helter-skelter of Ava, and readers, trying to figure out if Zelda is alive or truly dead. In short, it all gets to be just too much.
While an interesting effort, it’s not a particularly satisfying one. And if you need the alphabet prominent in your mystery, well, you might want to give Sue Grafton a look. She’s closing in Z, you know. show less
At the outset of this puzzling journey of Ava Antipova to determine if her identical twin sister Zelda is really dead, victim of a murder or suicide, or running an elaborate gaslight to torment Ava and slip out from under a mountain of debt, debut author Caite Dolan-Leach provides insight into why she chose the alphabet as the structure of her novel. Seems Ava has been away, escaping the grasp of her dysfunctional family in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York to study, among other things, the OuLiPo movement in Paris. Simply, OuLiPo is a method of writing that places constraints upon the writer. These might be as challenging as writing a piece without, say, using a letter or series of letters (a show more lipogram). Or, as with this novel, writing a twenty-four chapter novel, starting each chapter with a letter of the alphabet, and having each chapter contain a clue. While a clever way to write a mystery novel, it can, and in this case does, force the author to come with a long series of clues from the supposedly dead Zelda that can leave readers sighing in exasperation. Perhaps if the payoff at the end had been a dramatic twist, persevering would have been worth it.
So, the story goes, Ava returns from Paris when she learns of her twin’s death in a barn fire on the property of their family’s winery. This event forces Ava to return to a family she has always wanted to escape from, particularly after her sister beds her boyfriend Wyatt Darling (yes, unbearably cute), who comes across as milquetoast left too long in warm milk. Ava again has to face this, as well as a father who walked out on the family, a mother in the last throes of deadly dementia, a tragic family history, a history of alcoholism and drug use, and a mediocre winery now weighted down with debt, stumbling like a drunk to its demise. Can’t blame her for putting an ocean between herself and constant aggravation.
Each of Zelda’s clues brings back memories and in dribs and drabs fill readers in on the dark family doings (here think another twin’s death, matricide, irresponsibility, and the like). Then there’s the currency of the clues giving the idea that Zelda’s watching and cackling over the helter-skelter of Ava, and readers, trying to figure out if Zelda is alive or truly dead. In short, it all gets to be just too much.
While an interesting effort, it’s not a particularly satisfying one. And if you need the alphabet prominent in your mystery, well, you might want to give Sue Grafton a look. She’s closing in Z, you know. show less
Before I get into the story, I’d like to talk about helping a book find its audience. When I read the publicity blurb & saw it listed under Mystery/Thriller I thought oh goody, this is for me. Sadly it was not but through no fault of the author. Instead, I think it’s the victim of a poor choice in marketing which may lead to it being passed over by readers who enjoy family sagas & disappointment for those looking for a good thriller.
The story centres around 25 year old twins Ava & Zelda. They grew up on a vineyard near Ithaca in one of the most dysfunctional families you’ll come across, fictional or otherwise. Ava escaped to Paris for grad school but now finds herself flying home to attend her sister’s funeral. She’s told show more Zelda died in a barn fire but from the time she receives the news, Ava has her doubts.
And with reason. She is soon on an alphabetical treasure hunt fed by clues Zelda left for her. It’s a clever device & ultimately, what saved the book for me. Without it, you’re left in the company of 4 alcoholics who never tire of sniping & wounding each other through booze soaked dialogue. Rest assured, none of them would be candidates for “Up with People”.
Each is fuelled by a bitter disappointment in how life has treated them, a situation not helped by having a wine store in their backyard. Only Ava has managed to secure a glimmer of something better but struggles to overcome the lingering affects of her childhood.
When a book has a large cast, having one or two unpleasant characters adds some spice & conflict to the story. If it’s set on a small stage & all are unlikable, you risk readers not caring enough about the characters to become invested in their outcome. This is not a thriller & there’s little mystery so I confess I grew tired of the constant back-biting & just found them sad.
Again, not the author’s fault. She possesses a formidable vocabulary & knows how to use it. There’s a definite Southern Gothic feel to the story & Ava’s hunt for clues is an original feature that adds interest to the plot. It’s more a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”. We’ve all come across books whose only issue is they don’t appeal to that ethereal thing called your personal preference.
So don’t take my word for it. There are many glowing reviews for this book & I think if they dropped the Mystery/Thriller label & marketed it under just General Fiction or Women’s Fiction, it would find the target audience it richly deserves. show less
The story centres around 25 year old twins Ava & Zelda. They grew up on a vineyard near Ithaca in one of the most dysfunctional families you’ll come across, fictional or otherwise. Ava escaped to Paris for grad school but now finds herself flying home to attend her sister’s funeral. She’s told show more Zelda died in a barn fire but from the time she receives the news, Ava has her doubts.
And with reason. She is soon on an alphabetical treasure hunt fed by clues Zelda left for her. It’s a clever device & ultimately, what saved the book for me. Without it, you’re left in the company of 4 alcoholics who never tire of sniping & wounding each other through booze soaked dialogue. Rest assured, none of them would be candidates for “Up with People”.
Each is fuelled by a bitter disappointment in how life has treated them, a situation not helped by having a wine store in their backyard. Only Ava has managed to secure a glimmer of something better but struggles to overcome the lingering affects of her childhood.
When a book has a large cast, having one or two unpleasant characters adds some spice & conflict to the story. If it’s set on a small stage & all are unlikable, you risk readers not caring enough about the characters to become invested in their outcome. This is not a thriller & there’s little mystery so I confess I grew tired of the constant back-biting & just found them sad.
Again, not the author’s fault. She possesses a formidable vocabulary & knows how to use it. There’s a definite Southern Gothic feel to the story & Ava’s hunt for clues is an original feature that adds interest to the plot. It’s more a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”. We’ve all come across books whose only issue is they don’t appeal to that ethereal thing called your personal preference.
So don’t take my word for it. There are many glowing reviews for this book & I think if they dropped the Mystery/Thriller label & marketed it under just General Fiction or Women’s Fiction, it would find the target audience it richly deserves. show less
I received this as a free ARC from the publisher through the Random House newsletter giveaway and was encouraged to share... so I'm sharing.
So after only a chapter, I already didn't like Ava, the main character. The way she speaks and, to an extent, the way the book is written so far, it feels like she's always talking down to the reader. The other vibe I get is that of a student over-using a thesaurus to try and make their essay sound more sophisticated. Luckily, this slowly receded through out the book. If it hadn't I'm really not sure I could have finished it. I don't like being spoken down to by flesh-and-blood people, let alone by fictitious ones. The way she strings poor Nico along also bothers me as well as how she treats just show more about everyone in the story. Poor Nico just wants to do his best to help and comfort her from across the ocean, since she wouldn't let him come state side with her. Anyway, Zelda and the girls' father were the next in the parade of horrible people, though their vernacular was not in question, just their actions and personalities.
Just under half way through the book, I realized that Wyatt is the only redeeming character, and by "redeeming", I mean he's the only one that's not a completely toxic, self-centered, alcoholic jerk and also plays any sort of big role. To be completely frank, he's adorable, protective and everything you'd want in a leading man/love interest. I wish he were a real person.
Ava did grow a lot as a person through out the story and sounded less snobby the more she hung around Wyatt, which was a welcome relief. Her hard shell also cracked, and by the end you could see her soft, nougaty center.
Well written, though parasitic characters aside, the story was very good. There's not much I can say about it without spoiling it, but It's definitely worth a read, although be prepared for a slightly anti-climactic end to the chaotic trail Zelda leads Ava and Wyatt down. A rational person can totally see it coming, but you get so absorbed in Ava and Zelda's little tête-à-tête that rational though totally goes out the window. You become entwined in the madness and you think "maybe, just maybe" this is going to go completely against a typical, rational outcome. Oh, and when I say chaotic trail, I mean it. She leads them all over their hometown, the surrounding areas, and even into Paris for brief flickers. show less
So after only a chapter, I already didn't like Ava, the main character. The way she speaks and, to an extent, the way the book is written so far, it feels like she's always talking down to the reader. The other vibe I get is that of a student over-using a thesaurus to try and make their essay sound more sophisticated. Luckily, this slowly receded through out the book. If it hadn't I'm really not sure I could have finished it. I don't like being spoken down to by flesh-and-blood people, let alone by fictitious ones. The way she strings poor Nico along also bothers me as well as how she treats just show more about everyone in the story. Poor Nico just wants to do his best to help and comfort her from across the ocean, since she wouldn't let him come state side with her. Anyway, Zelda and the girls' father were the next in the parade of horrible people, though their vernacular was not in question, just their actions and personalities.
Just under half way through the book, I realized that Wyatt is the only redeeming character, and by "redeeming", I mean he's the only one that's not a completely toxic, self-centered, alcoholic jerk and also plays any sort of big role. To be completely frank, he's adorable, protective and everything you'd want in a leading man/love interest. I wish he were a real person.
Ava did grow a lot as a person through out the story and sounded less snobby the more she hung around Wyatt, which was a welcome relief. Her hard shell also cracked, and by the end you could see her soft, nougaty center.
Well written, though parasitic characters aside, the story was very good. There's not much I can say about it without spoiling it, but It's definitely worth a read, although be prepared for a slightly anti-climactic end to the chaotic trail Zelda leads Ava and Wyatt down. A rational person can totally see it coming, but you get so absorbed in Ava and Zelda's little tête-à-tête that rational though totally goes out the window. You become entwined in the madness and you think "maybe, just maybe" this is going to go completely against a typical, rational outcome. Oh, and when I say chaotic trail, I mean it. She leads them all over their hometown, the surrounding areas, and even into Paris for brief flickers. show less
Library Journal Review:
Ava Antipova can't believe that her twin sister, Zelda, is dead. Twenty months after fleeing to Paris, Ava is stunned by news that Zelda died in a barn fire on the family's failing vineyard in Upstate New York; but ambitious Ava—Zelda was the messy and impulsive one—never felt the loss of her twin. So Ava returns to her family home and to her divorced mother, Nadine, whose alcoholism and dementia continually worsen. She also comes back to memories of betrayal involving her sister and her first love, Wyatt Darling, which was a factor in causing her to leave. Then an email from Zelda starts Ava on an alphabetical puzzle to discover not only Zelda's whereabouts but also truths about herself. VERDICT Dolan-Leach's show more fiction debut is a compelling mystery with only hints of murder (because the barn doors were chained shut from the outside) that centers on family and particularly on the power of genetics, sisterhood, and loss. A story as compassionate and insightful as it is riveting show less
Ava Antipova can't believe that her twin sister, Zelda, is dead. Twenty months after fleeing to Paris, Ava is stunned by news that Zelda died in a barn fire on the family's failing vineyard in Upstate New York; but ambitious Ava—Zelda was the messy and impulsive one—never felt the loss of her twin. So Ava returns to her family home and to her divorced mother, Nadine, whose alcoholism and dementia continually worsen. She also comes back to memories of betrayal involving her sister and her first love, Wyatt Darling, which was a factor in causing her to leave. Then an email from Zelda starts Ava on an alphabetical puzzle to discover not only Zelda's whereabouts but also truths about herself. VERDICT Dolan-Leach's show more fiction debut is a compelling mystery with only hints of murder (because the barn doors were chained shut from the outside) that centers on family and particularly on the power of genetics, sisterhood, and loss. A story as compassionate and insightful as it is riveting show less
Really having a difficult time, even after a few days of digesting it, of sharing my feelings about the writing, story and writer. As I started reading it the first thought that came to mind was pretentious. The writing was pretentious! WHAT!!! It was like talking to the Smith graduate I worked with in Philadelphia wanting show off her education and elitist upbringing. Very irritating. And from that point we get to meet Ava, her twin Zelda and their equally irritating and dysfunctional family. The nexus of the story is Ava's interpersonal and some what contentious relationship with Zelda and her search for her twin after her disappearance and presumed death in a barn fire. As Ava searches, Zelda via emails and planted clues, leads her, show more and the reader, through both Ava's and her lives and their strange and somewhat adversarial mutual support system. If nothing more this is a story of Ava facing realities about herself in which Zelda is the mirror giving her a reflective insight into who she really is and ultimately who she must accept. Candidly these are some of the most irritating dysfunctional and unlikable, and often cold, characters in any story. Zelda, interestingly enough, I found to be the most compelling and human but she is as much a piece of work as any in this novel.
After finishing the book and thinking about it I realized pretentiousness was a critical element in developing this story, especially Ava, as nothing can more adequately describe her persona through the initial chapters. Overall it is an interesting journey that Caite Dolan-Leach take us on especially considering this is her first novel. show less
After finishing the book and thinking about it I realized pretentiousness was a critical element in developing this story, especially Ava, as nothing can more adequately describe her persona through the initial chapters. Overall it is an interesting journey that Caite Dolan-Leach take us on especially considering this is her first novel. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
100 Best Thrillers of All Time
100 works; 6 members
Books Read in 2019
4,052 works; 109 members
Author Information
3 Works 753 Members
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2017
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 587
- Popularity
- 49,885
- Reviews
- 36
- Rating
- (3.63)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 15
- ASINs
- 3
