While the setting could almost be called historical now, The Left-Over Daughters is the first full contemporary novel I've read by a Bahamian author. The setting takes the reader back to a pre-independent Bahamas and covers up to the 80s (and early 90s?). As far as writing style goes Sheppard is not super flowery and fluffy but the storyline kept me entertained. The ending (as to who was going to die) was a bit predictable but sad nevertheless. Sheppard is not afraid to go far with some of the events that happen to characters; it gets very graphic and can be very triggering for some people.

The family saga line of The Left-Over Daughters is what really drew me into the story, being able to see everyone's perspective at some point of the book helped add dimension to the characters. Being able to see all the daughters' perspectives and some of the horrifying things that happened to them, was core-shaking and gives The Left-Over Daughters a very depressing feel. I would have liked the outside daughters of Annie to get a POV as well; just to see how that mess affected them mentally and emotionally. I cannot tell you how much I despise infidelity so I didn't feel bad for anything that happened to Julius. He got his just deserts in the end.

The obeah element of The Left-Over Daughters was fascinating to read. Basically the entire book was built on the premise of obeah and its effect on the Johnsons lives. Annie uses her skill to torture the family and seek revenge and retribution. I've never read a book where the central thread was obeah. Reading about obeah in The Left-Over Daughters continually made me think about the modern-day practice of it in The Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean. The mixing of obeah and Christianity is shown too. The characters belief in both and their fear of both was protrayed throughout the book. S.L. Sheppard transports readers back to a rural Bahamas. Bahamian life and culture are shown throughout this book; while there is no dialect in the character's conversations and thoughts the rhythm and tonnage of the conversation and thoughts made up for it. "Sweethearting" is another major thread through the book and Lord knows how much I hate that too.

The Johnson's family history is rather tragic and albeit depressing. The ending of the book doesn't inspire much hope and love but it made me quite satisfied as to the main source of the characters' anguish and suffering (at least in my mind) get what they deserve. I enjoy complex and complicated family relationships and The Left-Over Daughters gives the reader exactly that. The Johnson sisters love each other while also sometimes hating each other. Family secrets run deep and so much of each of their behaviour could have been explained if the family was open with each other. The denial some of the characters were in was so so frustrating. Petra was, on one hand, a strong woman and on the other hand the dumbest woman I've ever seen. I had mixed feelings about her for much of the book and I still do not know how I feel about her even now. The mother-daughter theme in The Left-Over Daughters "told through the lens of postpartum depression" was lacking. I wish Sheppard had gone deeper into the hurt of daughters and the mixed emotions of Petra.

While the storyline kept me entertained the entire time because there was a spread focus on so many characters I did not feel well connected to them. In my mind that was the major downfall of this book, the narration was spread too thin. However the plot pulls the reader along. Whether you're a reader who enjoys a throughout plot or a reader who enjoys complicated characters The Left-Over Daughters has something for you.