REVIEW: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

OUR REVIEW:

I'm a huge fan of Tarryn Fisher. I love her fierceness and that she embraces the ugly and pretty, equally. I love that she's devoted to empowering women and that she pushes us all to empower ourselves and those around us. I love what she stands for and that it seeps into everything she does. I see her personality wink at us in various places in all of her novels and it's something I've come to look forward to when I read her work.

In The Wives I swear I saw little bits and pieces of the fierce author and the fierce author persona as her character, Thursday, contemplates what exactly is happening to her and how in the hell she ended up in the situation she finds herself in. Many times, though, I saw a character who seemed so opposite of what I think of when I think of Fisher's strong heroines--she sometimes seemed so lost, so unclear of her purpose, out of control. And it was this disarray of personality traits that I think were a little jarring. Thursday, the character, seemed so self contained and then so completely unraveled. She seemed to be at the mercy of those around her and less making those around her bow to her will. There were times I was so confounded by her narrative and other times I was completely absorbed.

To say that I was kept on my toes, would be an understatement but I'm not sure what to make of it.

I felt both disconnected and connected to Thursday and what was happening to her, with her, and around her. There were times I didn't understand her and how she got into the situation she was in...I still don't know if I understand that, to be honest. Then there were times when I truly felt her fear and her drive to find answers and felt attuned to her.

I don't know. I don't know what to do with this novel and my thoughts. Parts really worked for me--parts of the pacing and dialogue and meditations on life and people really worked. Then there were parts that felt flat, underdeveloped, and needing more time and space to let me know these characters more, better.

So I'm leaving you as I was left: conflicted.

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SYNOPSIS:

Thursday’s husband, Seth, has two other wives. She’s never met them, and she doesn’t know anything about them. She agreed to this unusual arrangement because she’s so crazy about him.

But one day, she finds something. Something that tells a very different—and horrifying—story about the man she married.

What follows is one of the most twisted, shocking thrillers you’ll ever read.

You’ll have to grab a copy to find out why.