A dark tale with intrigue and contemporary spice…
A woman reinvents herself after her deep-rooted hatred and need for revenge leads to unexpectedly dark consequences in Lippert’s intriguing debut. Being physically unattractive and her inability to make friends have done nothing but make little Gwen the target of bullies in school. But Gwen is not the one to take the beating and stay silent; her way to defend herself is merciless confrontation. But as she steps into adulthood, things stay the same. Her resentments grow with each real and perceived unfairness, resulting in increasingly violent retribution and culminating with an unbearable heartbreak. The tragedy throws her deeper into the dark abyss of hatred and revenge. But when fate puts her into the path of a desperate individual, she finds herself questioning the preconceived notions she has about people. Will the good in her win? Lippert offers the narrative in the third-person omniscient voice, so the reader slowly begins to learn more about Gwen’s life and her relationship with her parents and friendship with Claire: the bullying and trauma that she is forced to go through on daily basis in school; the bitterness that gradually takes over as she distances herself from others; her endearing bond with Claire and the heartbreak that follows as Claire moves away; her inability to form a meaningful bond even when she’s in her adult years; her complicated need for revenge; and loss of Leah. Gwen is oblivious to her own vulnerabilities, but as her deep-rooted bitterness repeatedly throws her into impossible situations, she understands that she must try hard and get rid of all her negativity. Lippert weaves together all these strands into an engrossing work of tension and intrigue. Lippert adroitly explores Gwen’s inner psychology—her needs, motivations, rage, her reactions to the bullying and hatred around her, and, ultimately to her adult life. Lippert gives Gwen multiple dimensions; she is deeply flawed but also strong and determined. The prose is smooth and fluid throughout, and if the story occasionally gets bogged down in Gwen’s over-the-top bitterness and hatred, that complaint is a minor one. Overall, the narrative gallops at a fast speed, and the twist toward the end is a surprise. The reader won’t want to stop reading until they find out what’s happened. A fast-paced dark tale that plumbs the heights and depths of hatred, bitterness, and darkness within.
Gwen
E.D. Lippert
Fulton Books
Pub date July 28, 2020
ISBN 978-1646545995
Price $17.37 (USD) Paperback, $7.98 Kindle edition
