Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Behind Her Eyes
by Sarah Pinborough
⭐

This is honestly a difficult review for me to write, mainly because I almost never rate a book this low or dislike a novel entirely. I always try to find something redeemable or something I enjoyed but this one was a struggle for me. There was not one thing I found positive about this novel. I know I am in the minority for this one.

From beginning to end, there was not a single character that I liked or rooted for. Every character was toxic and annoying in their own way. I found myself exhausted by the main character (Louise) making the same mistakes repeatedly. Another thing - nobody communicated. David and Louise, David and Adele, Adele and Louise, Louise and Sophie, etc. There is definitely dialogue in this book - lots of it, actually - but nobody COMMUNICATES with one another. 

The twist at the end wasn't a twist for me. I saw it coming from around the halfway point of the story. I didn't predict every detail or anything, but it was obvious enough to me that I didn't enjoy the ending at all. Overall, it felt like it was a badly made psychological thriller that took the cheapest route to a decent twist. 

I have read another novel by Sarah Pinborough in the past and I find myself just as underwhelmed with her writing style as I was back then. There is no character to her writing. Not every author has to be lyrical, poetic, or even have a distinct style to be a writer, but there should be some kind of "voice" that comes through. For me, this style of writing was like reading a newspaper. No emotion, voice, or character. This isn't a slight toward Pinborough - it's more of a personal preference. 

One star still seems rough to me because I rarely rate that low, but to give it any higher would be lying. I really wish I would have enjoyed this book more, but it just wasn't for me.