Review - The Heights by Louise Candlish
I received a free advanced copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Louise Candlish is not a new author for me. I read and enjoyed The Other Passenger last year (click here for my review). The Heights was a quick read for me. It kept me turning the pages!
The Heights is a story about obsession and revenge. It’s also a story about stories and the power the storyteller has to control the narrative. The novel is built around the premise that Ellen Saint is taking part in a memoir-writing class and the story we read is written by her. As the story progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that she is not the most reliable narrator. She is paranoid, obsessive, and over-protective.
Then we see things from Vic’s perspective. Vic is the father of Ellen’s teenage son, Lucas. Getting a new perspective helps the reader see Ellen differently, though it is unclear who the narrator is in this third-person POV. Vic is shown as a conflicted man. At this point in the book, it’s difficult to know who is trustworthy—if anyone. And I think this was intentionally done to throw the reader off balance.
Candlish does an excellent job of balancing characterization with the limitations of the POV she has chosen. Those limitations help increase the mystery as the reader is left wondering who to believe and whose side to take.
The Heights by Louise Candlish is available now.
