Review: Take Me Apart by Sara Sligar @mcdbooks @saraxsligar
Take Me Apart
by Sara Sligar
Thank you MCD Books for this amazing copy.
Publisher: MCD Books
Publish Date: April 28, 2020
Hardcover
368 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Thriller
A young archivist's obsession with her subject's mysterious death threatens to destroy her fragile grasp on sanity, in a riveting debut novel of psychological suspense.
When the famed photographer Miranda Brand died mysteriously at the height of her career, it sent shock waves through Callinas, California. Decades later, old wounds are reopened when her son, Theo, hires ex-journalist Kate Aitken to create an archive of his mother's work.
From Miranda's vast maze of personal effects, Kate pieces together a portrait of a vibrant artist buckling under the pressures of ambition, motherhood, and marriage. As the summer progresses, Kate navigates vicious local rumors and her growing attraction to the enigmatic Theo, all while unearthing the shocking details of Miranda's private life. But Kate has secrets of her own, and when she stumbles across a diary that may finally resolve the mystery of Miranda's death, her curiosity starts to spiral into a dangerous obsession.
With breathtaking and haunting imagery, Take Me Apart paints a vivid picture of two magnetic young women, separated by years, but bonded by shared struggles. Sara Sligar draws readers into a web of secrets and lies, alternating between the present and the past and revealing the truth about Miranda's death through the objects she left behind.
When the famed photographer Miranda Brand died mysteriously at the height of her career, it sent shock waves through Callinas, California. Decades later, old wounds are reopened when her son, Theo, hires ex-journalist Kate Aitken to create an archive of his mother's work.
From Miranda's vast maze of personal effects, Kate pieces together a portrait of a vibrant artist buckling under the pressures of ambition, motherhood, and marriage. As the summer progresses, Kate navigates vicious local rumors and her growing attraction to the enigmatic Theo, all while unearthing the shocking details of Miranda's private life. But Kate has secrets of her own, and when she stumbles across a diary that may finally resolve the mystery of Miranda's death, her curiosity starts to spiral into a dangerous obsession.
With breathtaking and haunting imagery, Take Me Apart paints a vivid picture of two magnetic young women, separated by years, but bonded by shared struggles. Sara Sligar draws readers into a web of secrets and lies, alternating between the present and the past and revealing the truth about Miranda's death through the objects she left behind.
My Review:
Well this was not the ride I was expecting but what do I really expect when I typically go in blind anyways? Ha.
This book definitely touches on a mound of subjects... particularly obsessiveness and the flip side to motherhood. Not all mothers react the same... and even some go in a rather different avenue altogether. Let me tell you - this part of the book thoroughly fascinated me. Miranda's chapters had me glued to each of the pages. I was obsessed with her obsession. I was riding the roller coaster she was and obscenely gripped to see how her thought process continued to move forward. This author truly brings you a new and disturbing view. I also am a fan of different ways the story was told - diary entries, letters, etc.
I wasn't particularly as intrigued with Kate's chapters but also did find her dive into her finds interesting at times. I don't know what it was that didn't really pull me to her character as much. Maybe it was because of how involved I was with Miranda... and Theo? Maybe her arc felt a bit contrived and unnecessary compared to the rest? While an important subject, of course, I just didn't feel I needed that compared to Miranda's story.
I will say that there were parts of this novel that talks of the creative process of artists and these types of reads typically don't do it a whole lot for me as art isn't a big thing of interest for me. But in this particular case, it certainly brings a bit more light into the story and characters.
Basically, I was fascinated with this story and how it was told. Outside of not really feeling Kate, I devoured the rest of it and can't wait to see what Sligar comes up with next.
This book definitely touches on a mound of subjects... particularly obsessiveness and the flip side to motherhood. Not all mothers react the same... and even some go in a rather different avenue altogether. Let me tell you - this part of the book thoroughly fascinated me. Miranda's chapters had me glued to each of the pages. I was obsessed with her obsession. I was riding the roller coaster she was and obscenely gripped to see how her thought process continued to move forward. This author truly brings you a new and disturbing view. I also am a fan of different ways the story was told - diary entries, letters, etc.
I wasn't particularly as intrigued with Kate's chapters but also did find her dive into her finds interesting at times. I don't know what it was that didn't really pull me to her character as much. Maybe it was because of how involved I was with Miranda... and Theo? Maybe her arc felt a bit contrived and unnecessary compared to the rest? While an important subject, of course, I just didn't feel I needed that compared to Miranda's story.
I will say that there were parts of this novel that talks of the creative process of artists and these types of reads typically don't do it a whole lot for me as art isn't a big thing of interest for me. But in this particular case, it certainly brings a bit more light into the story and characters.
Basically, I was fascinated with this story and how it was told. Outside of not really feeling Kate, I devoured the rest of it and can't wait to see what Sligar comes up with next.
★★★★
No comments
Leave a Comment