The Wife by Shalini Boland
Publication
Date: 9th Sep 2020
Genre:
Psychological Thriller/ Mystery
I’d like to
start by saying that this is my first book written by the author. While I have
mixed feelings about the story, I am intrigued by her writing and have added
her to my TBR.
The Wife is the
story of Zoe, a 37 yo woman with a loving family and a happy life. She’s
planning her 10th wedding anniversary celebration to make up for her
fainting incident that marred the beauty of her wedding day. As the date comes
closer, Zoe realizes that things are not what they seem. She is surrounded by
lies and treachery. The blank space in her memory needs to be filled. Her
questions need to be answered. But at what cost?
The story goes
back and forth between the present and different sections of the past. We see
the events through Zoe’s eyes, think her thoughts, and feel her overwrought
emotions.
That’s where
I’ve started feeling detached. I wasn’t able to think like Zoe nor feel like
her. Her instincts were right (which I love). But she didn’t seem to be the
kind to take a stand unless forced. The 2-3 times she does it, I kept cheering
for her.
What made me
wonder and wonder (until the climax) was her obsession with her younger sister,
Dina. Somehow, that character was never real. The references to the differences
between them, the causes for it, and the hints about what went wrong got
repetitive over time. I just wanted to know and be done with it.
And when the
reveal finally happens, it’s doesn’t seem strong enough. I was disappointed.
More so because that’s the only place we get some sort of direct connection
with Dina, and she is as surreal as always.
A few characters
add little or nothing to the story, and others could have been developed in
detail. The extra scenes emphasize Zoe’s insecurity and vulnerability, which
was evident quite early in the book. I wanted to know more about the ones who
play a major role in the story rather than the ones who come and go without
much reason.
The pacing
during the first half is quite slow compared to the second half, where
everything happens in quick succession. That led to information dump in
immediate scenes. Couple it with predictable twists, the book dips as it fails
to sustain the balance.
However, there
is tension, suspense, and a sense of fear about what would happen. That makes
up for this misbalance to a good extent. The ending, though expected, was nice
to read. Zoe seemed to be taking better control over things.
Then we have a
final shot- the epilogue. I’ve always been a fan of epilogues. But this one
leaves me with mixed feelings. It shows the true colors of a character (which I
liked) but takes the story away from the lead character. Someone else manages
to trump over the heroine, and not for the first time. With Zoe being the narrator
throughout the book, to have an epilogue by a much stronger character dimmed
the new-found strength of Zoe we get to see a page ago.
Overall, the
narration is engaging and the shifting timelines were interesting. The book is
a page-turner, despite a few misses.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and Bookouture.
#TheWife #NetGalley
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