Into the Darkest Corner (Elizabeth Haynes)

This is not a novel for everyone.

Was this novel suspenseful, difficult to put down, and overflowing with intrigue? Yes. Definitely.
Was it entirely too realistic regarding stalking, abuse, rape, abject terror causing crippling OCD? Yes, in my limited experience, I would say so.

A little social commentary: I held off on writing a review for a few weeks after reading Into the Darkest Corner. The violence was raw and I didn’t want to revisit it so soon. While the review was on hold however, I forgot the protagonist, the victim.. I barely remember her face, and during conversation I could eventually remember her name though I have lost it right now. I can however tell you pretty much anything about Lee, the antagonist, the rapist, the violent and obsessive boyfriend. Even in fiction the victim is mainly forgotten and the aggressor is spotlighted as noteworthy. Just a thought.

In short review, Into the darkest corner details a woman both on the decline and during recovery. Both threads occur simultaneously via journal style chapters in varying years. The pendulum ticks from 2003 where she meets a bouncer and falls in love. It tocks back to 2007 where she is frightened to the point of paralysis spending hours in ritualistic process to help keep her false sense of safety intact.

I found the thriller aspect of the novel intense, and was anxious to get past the rough storyline, which was bound to be uncomfortable.

Overall an enjoyable read. Though enjoyable, the ending did leave me a bit wanting. This was a shared opinion with others I know who read it. With so much build up, it felt rushed and rang a little untrue. This should not deter folks from reading it, but could leave you with a bit more of a ‘ho-hum’ feeling than you might prefer.

Not sure if this mediocre ending is an artifact of being a nanowrimo novel.

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