Dark, unsettling yet poignant… A compelling read.
Noah’s evocative writing weaves a dark tale of love, choices, justice, and redemption in their engrossing debut. After a long history of severe physical and psychological abuse, Ann died at the hands of her own mother, a mentally ill fanatic. Ann was only seventeen at the time, and her murder changed lives of many. As Arthur, Richard, and Marie delve deeper into the young girl’s murder case, they find themselves on a rocky path toward realizing their life purposes and making impossible decisions. Will they survive, succumb, or lose themselves to their own meaning of justice? Balancing darkness and hope, Noah beautifully tackles relevant themes of physical violence, psychological abuse, mental illness, mistakes, regret, redemption, duty, self-realization, and courage to face the outcome of one’s own choices. The character development is excellent; all the characters, including major and minor get rich storylines, and the protagonists’ inner turmoil is beautifully woven into the story. The first-person narration that alternates between various characters’ voices reveals their internal monologue, allowing readers to learn what’s going on in their heads as they face difficult choices. While dealing with complex subjects like trauma, murder, and childhood and adolescent abuse, the novel balances the darkness with emotive introspections and insights, and Noah’s examination of love and relationships are also well executed. Maddie and Marie’s romantic arc adds another layer of nuance to the affecting narrative. At its heart, this is a dark tale about light and darkness of the human heart. A treat for lovers of dark psychological fiction, the novel makes for a page-turner.
Bluebird At My Window
By H. Noah
Pub date February 15, 2022
ISBN 978-0578998596
Price $14.99 (USD) Paperback, $5.00Kindle edition