The Stopped Heart

A complete let-down. “I don't know” and “what do you mean?” are two phrases without which dialogue in this book would not exist. No one in this book knows anything about how they feel or what they're doing or what others are doing, or anything else, it's just a frustrating mess of smart idiots blundering about being detached and sad and confused. Other than that, overarching themes are Stockholm's syndrome experienced by a 13 year old girl in a detached and angry (?) sort of way (seriously), child molestation, trauma-induced apathy, and a marriage that's falling apart. The description sounded so eerie and interesting, but it just ended up being cringey, frustrating, and meh. I was listening to the audiobook on a long drive and have stopped at about 80%. I just wanted to know what the connection was between the two timelines, but I no longer care enough to finish the last couple hours. I don't believe it's salvageable.

I am quite bitterly disappointed. I expected so much more. Instead I got a bunch of annoying characters, Graham, Ruby, Eddie, James....and other characters I couldn't connect with. Mary wasn't terrible and I felt her grief thoroughly. I expect that I would probably be the same if something that horrific were to happen to my daughters.

But the story was sold as if these was something in these two timelines that would connect them. And there are moments when they cross over. How Lottie knows things.....but in the end, it's never brought to any sort of conclusion. I suppose it could have been worse. There could have been no jumping from present to 100 years ago and we would never have found out what was in the apple shed.....