what can i say about this book... the plot alone captivated my curiosity and had me imagining all kinds of scenarios. its been a while since i've read anything this original. when i read the blurb, i just 
 i thought the format of the story was perfect. we would move to the present and traumatic past in a way that didn't feel like we were just jumping all over the place and switching back and forth. the organization of the story was thorough and excellent in its precision and pacing, never rushing to answer all our questions in one go but allowing them to unfold at their own time and pace that we would gradually piece the puzzle ourselves. now thats how you build suspense and suck us into a story. helene was a serious yet sweet woman whos character was expressed in a way that related us to the core of her fears and insecurities. finn explored all angles and surpised me with perspectives i had never considered before. it all just gets deeper and deeper. finn is certainly a woman who knows her dark psychology. her writing is at its peak here. 
 and kane... 
 i can't help but think that kane's character was developed far better than helene's, who could fall flat just a teeny bit. kane was, after all, the self-destructive one. helene was supposedly self-destructive too in her own way. we are told she hides behind her accomplishments and profession, but i didn't really get that perfectionistic workaholic vibe with her. if anything, she seemed at her most confident in this one area of her life. her struggles lied more in her intimacy issues and delicate relationship with kane. its too bad finn missed the opportunity to thoroughly write a character who was quietly suffering on the inside. from helene's lonely childhood, to her trauma, to her alienation and now lonely adulthood, to her stressful, demanding job - these should all have been more clearly factored into helene's current insecurities. regardless, both helene and kane were such beautiful, unforgettable characters that i know i'll come back to again and again. 
 there are memorable and moving lines and scenes throughout the book that make me want to re-read the story already. elizabeth finn is a born storyteller. she is officially one of my new go-to authors. got her webpage bookmarked and all. i hope there are more similar stories to come from elizabeth finn, and that we don't have to wait too long for them.