3.5 stars
Idaho is a hauntingly beautiful novel that’s almost a cross between literary fiction and a thriller, but one of those cases where the synopsis on the back does it a disservice by making it seem more fast-paced thriller than it really is. The driving force of the book is more an in-depth exploration of grief and love, why people do the things they do and the effects of their actions.
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It’s a difficult story to sum up so I won’t, but it involves a horrific incident within a family that leads to the mother being imprisoned. The aftermath of the incident is then explored via the perspectives of several outsiders: Ann, the father’s new wife, Elliot, the oldest daughter’s old crush, and Elizabeth, the mother’s cellmate. I found it startling how Ruskovitch manages to create such a feeling of intimacy around the family by describing them through the lens of outsiders... if that makes sense!
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Also interesting was the style. I found myself having to concentrate quite hard on taking everything in, and sometimes I found it a little too overwritten, but when I mentioned this to @stephaniereads, she said she thought it was beautifully under-written. Just goes to show how differently we can all read books!
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I wouldn’t recommend this book if you like your stories wrapped up with all questions answered: you’ll only be frustrated. I like ambiguous endings, but even I felt a little bit let down by the ending, I felt like I’d been titillated and tantalised (what fun words) too much to then not be given something more concrete!
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But, I enjoyed the read overall and there were some truly beautiful, poignant passages and excellent characterisation!