Review: The Girl Across the Street

The Girl Across the Street by Vikki Patis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very well written book, about two women who run into each other accidentally and find themselves drawn to each other. The build up to the suspense though is too long – and large portions of the book are devoted to developing the characters in a lot of depth.

The book is alternately told from the perspectives of Isla and Beth. They meet while trying to help an accident victim. They find they have something in common – abusive partners. Isla is married to Jake, who abuses her almost since their marriage. Beth’s boyfriend Kyle lives off her income, and wastes his time with his friend Steve. It is a constant struggle for Beth to make ends meet, and her frustration mounts. Circumstances force Beth to move in with Isla temporarily, and there are secrets which unravel as the story progresses.

As the women get together, they see some hope. The story till almost the end centers around the abuse the women face, their constant state of stress and fear. This is extremely well written, and the mental agony of Isla & Beth, especially Isla, jumps out at you.

While as I mentioned, the book is well written and the events feel very real and natural, the build up to the unravelling of the suspense is too long, resulting in a slack pace for much of the book.

Overall, a book still well worth reading for its story and the quality of the writing.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for a free electronic copy of the book for providing an honest review.

My rating: 3.25 / 5.


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