Edan Lepucki | Woman No. 17

This weekend was jam-packed with so many plans, I could hardly put my head around it! Luckily, I was able to do a weekend buddy read with Chandra who runs one of my favorite blogs. Go check her out on instagram if you don't already....@wherethereadergrows

Now, onto my review for Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki.

Plot:

High in the Hollywood Hills, writer Lady Daniels has decided to take a break from her husband. Left alone with her children, she’s going to need a hand taking care of her young son if she’s ever going to finish her memoir. In response to a Craigslist ad, S arrives, a magnetic young artist who will live in the secluded guest house out back, care for Lady’s toddler, Devin, and keep a watchful eye on her older, teenage son, Seth. S performs her day job beautifully, quickly drawing the entire family into her orbit, and becoming a confidante for Lady.

But in the heat of the summer, S’s connection to Lady’s older son takes a disturbing, and possibly destructive, turn. And as Lady and S move closer to one another, the glossy veneer of Lady’s privileged life begins to crack, threatening to expose old secrets that she has been keeping from her family. Meanwhile, S is protecting secrets of her own, about her real motivation for taking the job. S and Lady are both playing a careful game, and every move they make endangers the things they hold most dear.

Review:

WOMAN NO. 17 is unlike anything I've ever read. Lepucki is remarkably gifted as a story-teller. This novel is a cinematic drama reminiscent of a new-age American Beauty. While this is not the type of thriller I am used to reading and this did move slower than most books I've read, I was surprised at how well Lepucki was able to draw up these larger than life characters and their abysmal decisions. The story with this one is a slow-burning, low suspenseful drama about two women coming to some major turning points in their lives. Of course, their storylines are going to crash together. 

In regards to writing, Lepucki is talented enough to make her readers smell the asphalt in a California heatwave and is a master at providing details that set up such a realistic imagery, you'll wonder if this novel was a dream you had or something you've imagined on your own. Her depictions of the past and present of these characters is very well planned out and brilliantly executed. While the story takes some time to get going, I was originally having a hard time getting into this until it was too late. Lepucki unapologetically takes her time building the characters first and going great lengths to ensure you feel like you've known them for years before diving into the drama. I at times would try to guess what they would say or do in different situations, even the toddler. 

Told in the alternate perspectives of Lady and S, both women were realistically built by an early depiction of their somewhat sordid pasts and how they were built to become the women they are today. While both were mildly already damaged by the time the story begins, I was left saddened and distraught by their often self-sabotaging choices. What worked for me with this was how the chapter lengths went from easily approaching twenty pages, to shorter chapters as the situations they put themselves in began to affect the other woman and characters that they came into contact with. In the beginning, this story wasn't really working for me and I was expecting more, but I was happily surprised with how things molded together and the emotional tension skyrocketed to a shockingly believable finale. While other reviews I've read declared the ending to be rushed, I found this to be sheer brilliance as this is life. Sometimes one sentence can end a marriage. One act can cause people who have been friends for decades to never speak again. Sometimes, your entire world can fall apart in one day, one hour, one minute. That's life and Lepucki knows it. 

As the novel progressed, I did find myself enjoying it more and was anxiously wondering what would happen next. While this isn't what I would consider a thriller by any means, I still found this to be enjoyable as it was an emotional drama that did leave you questioning what would happen next and wondering what repercussions await these wonderfully written women. As I approached the ending, I found myself feeling saddened knowing I would soon be saying goodbye to these characters. Nearing the final page, the emotional tension was high and the ending left me with the same bittersweet feeling of summer coming to a close or the sadness of the last day of a vacation. Overall, I would say I did enjoy this book and am glad I stepped out of my comfort level, reading wise. 

Rating: 3.5/5