The Abortionist's DaughterElisabeth Hyde
The Abortionist's Daughter is, if nothing else, a fast-paced, engaging novel. That's not to say it's earth-shattering, or profound, or even particularly THAT GOOD (the end ruined it for me), but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this latest notch on my reading resolution belt.
Overall, I was pretty impressed by Hyde's handling of such a controversial topic: the plot was balanced, favoring neither side of the abortion debate and in so doing avoided feeling preachy or cliched. The novel opens as a prominent doctor is found murdered in her own home. As the Director of the Center for Reproductive Choice, Diana knows that more than a few people wouldn't mind seeing her dead. Unfortunately, solving the crime won't be that easy, as Diana has a few personal enemies as well. So whodunit? A stranger? Her husband? Daughter? The pro-lifers?
The Abortionist's Daughter follow the trajectories of several characters in the wake of the murder. Among them is Frank, Diana's husband, and Megan, Diana's troubled daughter. While Diana's character is full and developed, other characters (especially that of Megan) do not receive such treatment. Megan is especially problematic, and as the novel progresses it becomes increasingly difficult to find her actions credible.
This point is what ultimately "undoes" The Abortionist's Daughter, in my opinion. Things were motoring along perfectly until the final third of the book, when two characters begin to behave in utterly incomprehensible ways. Unfortunately this is also the exact point in the book in which all suspense is lost, as it has become pretty clear who's committed the crime. Didn't make for a compelling (or believable) ending to the novel.
In a nutshell: Fast, but forgettable...and wtf at that ending? Whatever, I'm over it.
Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars
Overall, I was pretty impressed by Hyde's handling of such a controversial topic: the plot was balanced, favoring neither side of the abortion debate and in so doing avoided feeling preachy or cliched. The novel opens as a prominent doctor is found murdered in her own home. As the Director of the Center for Reproductive Choice, Diana knows that more than a few people wouldn't mind seeing her dead. Unfortunately, solving the crime won't be that easy, as Diana has a few personal enemies as well. So whodunit? A stranger? Her husband? Daughter? The pro-lifers?
The Abortionist's Daughter follow the trajectories of several characters in the wake of the murder. Among them is Frank, Diana's husband, and Megan, Diana's troubled daughter. While Diana's character is full and developed, other characters (especially that of Megan) do not receive such treatment. Megan is especially problematic, and as the novel progresses it becomes increasingly difficult to find her actions credible.This point is what ultimately "undoes" The Abortionist's Daughter, in my opinion. Things were motoring along perfectly until the final third of the book, when two characters begin to behave in utterly incomprehensible ways. Unfortunately this is also the exact point in the book in which all suspense is lost, as it has become pretty clear who's committed the crime. Didn't make for a compelling (or believable) ending to the novel.
In a nutshell: Fast, but forgettable...and wtf at that ending? Whatever, I'm over it.
Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars
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