Review: The Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno

Book Description:

Hardcover, 240 pages
Published July 8th 2014 by HarperTeen

You take it for granted. Waking up. Going to school, talking to your friends. Watching a show on television or reading a book or going out to lunch.

You take for granted going to sleep at night, getting up the next day, and remembering everything that happened to you before you closed your eyes.

You live and you remember.

Me, I live and I forget.

But now—now I am remembering.

For all of her seventeen years, Molly feels like she’s missed bits and pieces of her life. Now, she’s figuring out why. Now, she’s remembering her own secrets. And in doing so, Molly uncovers the separate life she seems to have led…and the love that she can’t let go.

The Half Life of Molly Pierce is a suspenseful, evocative psychological mystery about uncovering the secrets of our pasts, facing the unknowns of our futures, and accepting our whole selves.

Reviewer's Copy: ARC

Source: Harper Collins (Thanks!!)

My Thoughts:

Getting into Molly's head was definitely interesting. Clipped line of thought, gaping holes in between consciousness, hazy memory, and specks of recalls kept me thoroughly engrossed and intrigued. Molly as a whole was complex. There were buried secrets in her being that were slowly being unraveled with each flashback. The flashbacks fit into the "gaping holes of Molly's mental calendar."

The narration and the way the author presented the story so effective, in conveying the emotional and mental state of Molly. The interrupted line of thought, Molly's hesitant, indecisive way of thinking and the doubt that always lingered in her mind nailed it. The writing style was raw, evocative and deeply poetic. I could feel wave after wave of emotions. Molly's reflections on life, loss, pain, time, and memory were colorful and to an extent life-changing. These are eye-openers to reality. I really enjoyed reading about her thoughts.

There were minor characters that seemed so integral to the story, for me. The love interest, Sayer, just stood out for me. He exuded a strong sense of mystery. Although he was genuine, kind and thoughtful; really, just a perfect gentleman, he has a way of acting that made me know he had secrets up his sleeve. Nevertheless, I adored him.

In the process of unraveling her own past and history, Molly was undoing herself and rebuilding her life with block after block of memory and analysis. The journey with Molly was a roller coaster ride. I felt confused, intrigued, horrified, nervous, sad, hopeless, hopeful, grateful, overjoyed, hypnotized, tired and exhausted. But in the end, it was all worth it. Although some questions were left unanswered, some questions sprung to life at the end, in my mind, I was satisfied with Molly's discovery.

The Half Life of Molly Pierce is a a raw and evocative psychological novel that will keep readers flipping through the pages until the end. I remember how I got goosebumps while flipping through various suspenseful scenes. It's scary how I got scared when I know that it was a contemporary (and that no one was gonna die or was dying in the book but still...) In truth, I felt that the book was engrossing and hypnotic - not only with its words and the beautiful writing, but also with the twists and turns that the author spun and the charming double romance. I strongly recommend this to readers who enjoy books with a contemporary feel and psychological reads.


Rating:

4 Cupids = Strong book love.
I really enjoyed this. I recommend this!