“The narrative leads you skillfully along a path that is tense, violent, and full of deception”
THEY SAY:
They say every marriage has its secrets.
But no one sees what happens behind closed doors.
And sometimes those doors should never be opened…
Sal and Charlie are married. They love each other. But they aren’t happy. Sal cannot leave, no matter what Charlie does – no matter how much it hurts.
I SAY:
Well written and well researched, Between You and Me makes for uncomfortable reading and is a brilliant, honest portrayal of domestic abuse, that doesn’t sensationalize it in any way. It makes uncomfortable reading, not simply for the incidents that take place, but because of the way both abuser and victim twist it around in their heads so that it is always the victim’s fault. I loved the fact that as a reader I heard from both the victim, Sal, and the perpetrator, Charlie; although hearing the justification for the abuse was sometimes sickening.
The problem with the way this story is constructed, though, is that it often tells the exact same scene twice. Once from Sal’s point of view, and again from Charlie’s. Sometimes it’s fascinating, sometimes it is repetitive.
On the whole, the book works very well, though. The author, Lisa Hall, does a fabulous job of creating an air of tension that really got to me. I was on the edge of my seat, wanting to read more, but fearing what was coming with the next page.
Oh, so cleverly written and executed, the narrative leads you skillfully along a path that is tense, violent, and full of deception. I really enjoyed this, and whipped through the book faster than a serial killer on the run. 8/10