Review: Unraveling Oliver

Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an advance copy of this book from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unraveling Oliver is the story of a man found guilty of beating his wife into a coma. Oliver's childhood was made difficult due to his father's rejection and trying to fit in a world where he has no roots. As a young adult, he travels to France to work on a vineyard where he befriends the owner's son and his grandfather. For once he feels part of a family, but disaster strikes and he loses both in a horrible incident. He returns to Ireland broken. He eventually finds success by publishing children's books. This is when he meets Alice, an illustrator, who works with him on his books. They eventually marry, but it is not a good marriage. Oliver has many secrets, deep pains and a distorted sense of reality. When Alice confronts him with his deepest secrets; he is enraged and beats her relentlessly.

The book is written in the voices of many people who knew Oliver and Alice. Each chapter sheds light on what made Oliver who he is and why he attacked his wife. The plot is intelligent and well structured. The characters are unique and each brings value to the book. The story builds from one chapter to the other and the conclusion is well delivered. Great book!

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