Upsetting: Her

Her by Harriet Lane

 Nina is sophisticated and independent. Completely in control. Emma is a whisper from her past and when Nina sees Emma in the local store she can’t help but involve herself in Emma’s life. What does Nina want from Emma? Will Emma recognise Nina before it’s too late?

First Impressions: I enjoyed this story. It was very easy to get into and while many reviews comment on how it is told from two perspectives, only certain scenes are which means it is not as repetitive as I imagined it to be.

Highlights: This story made a real impression on me but not necessarily for all the right reasons. As I have a young son I found it really disturbing that Nina would get to Emma through so many small anyonmous cruelties to her three year old son. However I did find it compelling reading…

If I was an editor: Why did the story end at least one chapter too short? I had to check to ensure I had the fully copy of the novel – it can’t end now! I immediately thought that this is just laziness on the part of the author but I have thought about the ending much more than I wanted to since finishing the novel so perhaps in this instance it was incredibly successful… I also tell myself that the husband would have been a dominant presence in the actions of the last few paragraphs to make it feel alright…
On a more neutral note I would have liked to see Nina’s sociopathic nature revealed more throughout the novel. Sure, she was obsessed but that’s not the same as sociopathic. Also, while a lot of reviews comment on how Nina’s motivation to attack Emma was weak, I thought it was OK. Some people would hold a grudge and it did need to be an event that was not so defining that Emma wouldn’t recognise Nina.

Overall: Maybe not for those with young children… Definitely one of the better psychological thrillers out there at the moment. I would now like to read Alys, Always to see how it compares.

Her: 4 stars

Thank you to Orion for a copy of the ARC to review.