Holy smokes. This novel is a slow drip of adrenaline. I was completely entranced by every line, even when nothing "exciting" happened for pages. Every word is loaded with intention, and the build ups lead to a full-force body slam every time the author decides to finally insert a reveal. It's haunting and poetic and somehow beautiful despite the difficult and dark subject matter.

Most domestic thrillers I've read in my time (of which there haven't been a whole lot) have been some mixture of creepy, exciting, scary, and/or suspenseful, but I can't think of one that has been those things and meaningful. This book is meaningful. This book makes you think about the meaning of motherhood, about the concept of nature versus nurture, and about family dynamics in a dark but ultimately truthful way. It's powerful and intelligent and I simply couldn't put it down.