Review: What My Body Remembers by Agnete Friis
What My Body Remembers by Agnete Friis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publishing 5/2/17
Soho Crime
A beautiful #CJSReads May pick. Stay tuned for our group posting. Until then, see below for what I thought about this thriller from Agnete Friis. Sometimes the only way to start working on your future is to reconcile the past.
The night her father kills her mother, Ella is only seven years old and becomes part of the system. She acts out and becomes unexpectedly pregnant at a young age. Her post traumatic amnesia leads to severe panic attacks, leaving her in question with the state regarding her ability to take care of not only herself, but her son as well. When it becomes apparent that the state wants to take her son away, she takes matters into her own hands and runs away with him. Heading back to her grandmother's abandoned house, she's forced to confront the past she can't remember.
This book is shown mostly through Ella's eyes with flashbacks through her parents (father, Helgi and mother, Anna) leading up to Anna's death. The author builds the story in an atmospherically beautiful and poignant way. We see the human struggle in all three characters - the marriage that falls apart, psychological damages that incur, a child's memory confused by her own immature mind. An absolutely gorgeous read. I guessed correctly at the ending and what was coming as it was happening, but it didn't take away from me loving the book any less. If you're looking for something fast paced and a twist that punches you in the face, this probably isn't quite the read you're looking for. However, if you're looking for a beautiful, atmospheric thriller that hits your emotional center, this is it. While the ending is not surprising, the author builds the entire story in a way that leaves you satisfied. Be warned that this story is bleak with an extremely flawed and unlikeable lead character. In fact, none of the characters are likeable - but they are real and raw and that's something I can absolutely appreciate in a well written book.
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