Review: Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall

Title: Our Kind of Cruelty
Author: Araminta Hall
Pages: 288
Genre: Thriller
Source: Free ARC from Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Rating: 3.5 stars

Note: As stated under the Source (above), I received this book for free from Farrar, Straus & Giroux via NetGalley. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.

Synopsis: Mike had a tragic childhood and isn’t much of a people person. The few people he does love, he is very loyal to and especially protective of. This is particularly true of his longtime love Verity. When she leaves him, seemingly over a mistake he made, he is beyond devastated, and becomes convinced that it is an elaborate play in a bizarre love game they created years ago. Ever loyal, he “plays along”, despite her protests, and in the end, neither of them knows which way is up.

Review: While I did find this book to be a bit slow-paced early on, once it got its hooks in me, I found myself rather lost in it. The thing I love most about this book is how well-crafted it was. Even now, I’m not sure what I believe. Maybe I was so invested in Mike that I’ve developed some bias, or maybe my distaste for Verity made me see something that wasn’t there. I. Don’t. Know. And it isn’t that it was confusing, it’s just…I liked Mike. I empathized with him. Things are not always black and white, and Mike is heavily in the gray area for me. It would not surprise me to hear that many others disagree. 😀

Ultimately, if you are ok with a slow start, this is a pretty decent read. In fact, I might put it in my reread pile just to get some clarification for myself.

 

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