So I know this book has like the absolute worst reviews (I'm currently reading the lowest rated books on my tbr and this was number 2 lol), but I actually really enjoyed it. This was so utterly fascinating.

Helen is a 49 year old woman who kills her elderly mother who is suffering from dementia. The book delves into her past and the 24 hours after the murder. It's basically just a character study of this women- how she got here and where she's going. And I adored that.

She is an unlikable person. That's the entire point of the book. She's petty and judgmental and too caught up in her own head to remember that she's affecting other people's lives too. But it makes sense for her character and the way she was raised. I loved hearing her story. I didn't like her, but I was so fascinated by her.

This book was also very uncomfortable. It's very graphic with her mother's body, how she bathes her and the general details of the body. She has sex a couple times and it's potentially the most cringey sex I've ever read. Sebold is trying to make you uncomfortable and she succeeded (at least for me). I love that.

I understand why this wouldn't be for a lot of people because it's an unpleasant book with an unlikable main character, but it was definitely for me. I thought it was kind of fantastic, actually, and I'll definitely be keeping it on my shelf. I could even see myself going back for a reread in a few years. If you're down for an uncomfortable time with a rather unpleasant woman, I'd give this a go. I thought it was well worth the read.