Skip to main content

Book Review: The Optician's Wife by Betsy Reavley




Book: The Optician's Wife

Author: Betsey Reavley 

Pages: 225 

Read on: Kindle via my Kindle Unlimited subscription 

Read in: 2 hours 

Plot Summary: Can you ever really know someone?

When Deborah, an unpopular seventeen-year-old, meets the charming and handsome Larry, he sweeps her off her feet. The trouble is Larry has a secret.

Then a series of grisly murders cast a shadow over everything.

As Deborah’s world starts to fall apart she begins to suspect the man she loves of a terrible betrayal. And to keep their marriage alive, sacrifices must be made.


Things I Liked: 

1. The premise was interesting. It hinted that secrets people kept, even within a relationship as intimate as marriage is. It also hinted at one of the two people- Deb or Larry- being a serial killer or being involved in some way with serial killings. So, I thought this book would be quite interesting.. perhaps some kind of a spin on how the serial killer's spouse knows about his killings but keeps a secret..?! But, pretty early on in the book, I was quite impressed with the direction in which the story was going. 

2. The misdirection in this book gets a C-. It was not very well done or successful. The author tried very hard to include a few red herrings but was really unsuccessful. But I am giving her points for trying! 


Things I Didn't Like: 

1. Poor character development. You, as a reader, can't make any sense of the motivations and drivers underlying any of the characters! Deborah seems like a mousy, timid woman and there is not much context provided about the events that make her who she is. So, it all seems a bit disjointed and weird. 
Larry- I couldn't even begin to understand what the author was trying to do with him! He starts off as someone oddly stalker-ish and I don't think "charming" comes close to his creepy, domineering behaviour with Deborah. 
Deborah's sister- for a while you think she is this breath of sanity in Deborah and Larry's crazy life.. but then she does something bizarre! 

2. The killer was SO OBVIOUS!!! It was obvious from the first kill. I don't know the author would make the killer so obvious, unless she is trolling us and it was totally on purpose. 

3. This is a very pointless book. It is like the story of a spineless, bored, vapid, moral-less woman. Deborah had no personality or spunk and it was really boring to read about such a character. You can't connect with someone like her and the writing is so soul-less that you can't even empathise with her. Really awful! 

Rating: 1/5

Avoid this book like the plague! 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Magic of the Lost Temple by Sudha Murthy.

Book: The Magic of the Lost Temple Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 163 Read On: Paperback How Long it took Me To Read: 1 day Plot Summary:   City girl Nooni is surprised at the pace of life in her grandparents' village in Karnataka. But she quickly gets used to the gentle routine there and involves herself in a flurry of activities, including papad making, organizing picnics and learning to ride a cycle, with her new-found friends. Things get exciting when Nooni stumbles upon an ancient fabled stepwell right in the middle of a forest.Join the intrepid Nooni on an adventure of a lifetime in this much-awaited book by Sudha Murty that is heart-warming, charming and absolutely unputdownable. General Thoughts: Ah! A happy little Children's Book! I wanted it the minute I spotted it in the bookshop. And I started reading it pretty much immediately. :)  I read it after reading a beyond dull and boring and soulless book. This book just cured my bookish blues. I l

Book Review: The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond.

Some snippets of the stunning art inside the book!  Book: The Room on the Roof Author: Ruskin Bond Illustrator: Ahlawat Gunjan Pages: 171 Read On: Hardback How Long It Took Me To Read: 3 days or so. Plot Summary:   Rusty, a sixteen-year-old Anglo-Indian boy, is orphaned and has to live with his English guardian in the claustrophobic European part in Dehra Dun. Unhappy with the strict ways of his guardian, Rusty runs away from home to live with his Indian friends. Plunging for the first time into the dream-bright world of the bazaar, Hindu festivals and other aspects of Indian life, Rusty is enchanted … and is lost forever to the prim proprieties of the European community.  General Thoughts: This book is super special. Not only this 60th anniversary edition an absolute beauty. This is also a signed copy I picked up from Mussoorie when I was in Landour earlier in the year. This is perhaps one of Ruskin Bond's most well kn

Review: Grandma's Bag of Stories by Sudha Murthy.

Book: Grandma's Bag of Stories Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 176 Read On: Paperback How Long It Took Me Read: 2 hours Plot Summary:   When Grandma opens her bag of stories, everyone gathers Around. Who can resist a good story, especially when it’s being told by Grandma? From her bag emerges tales of kings and cheats, monkeys and mice, bears and gods. Here comes the bear who ate some really bad dessert and got very angry; a lazy man who would not put out a fire till it reached his beard; a princess who got turned into an onion; a queen who discovered silk, and many more weird and wonderful people and animals. Grandma tells the stories over long summer days and nights, as seven children enjoy life in her little town. The stories entertain, educate and provide hours of enjoyment to them. So come, why don’t you too join in the fun? General Thoughts: I've read quite a few Sudha Murthy books this year and really enjoyed them. I find them soothing, simple a