Finally getting around to reviewing Idaho by Emily Ruskovich! This book caught my eye a long time ago (when it was brand new) because of the gorgeous color, but I hadn’t heard ANYTHING (bad or good) about it, so I put off buying it for awhile. Eventually I caved and bought it anyway, and when I first posted it on Instagram, lots of people told me they loved it!

Idaho is about Anne and her husband Wade, and so much more than that. Wade has dementia. Ann is living with Wade in the homestead he built with his ex-wife Jenny, where they lived with their two daughters until (as the description says) something unimaginably shocking happens. Just a little bit of a warning, you find out what happens early on. This definitely isn’t a thriller. As Wade’s health and memory gets worse, Ann pieces together the story of his family. This book is told from multiple perspectives, including Anne’s and someone in prison with Jenny.

This book is a slow burn of feelings and I loved it. I felt like Ann was curious and relatable. The only thing I didn’t like is that to me, there was some confusion about what went down exactly or why something happened with Jenny. But, I think this was intentional.

The writing in this book is gorgeous and I will pick up anything Emily Ruskovich writes from here on out. I was totally emotionally invested... but this book is quiet. I don’t think I cried, but I did still feel like I was there with Ann. This book is definitely tense too... in a nuanced way.

I really loved this book, but I can see why some people weren’t entirely sold. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys books that are more of a slow opening into a character, instead of entirely plot driven. This was a 4-star read for me.