A dark and twisted but utterly compelling thriller

What a bleak and depressing but compelling read this was and I loved every page of it. I can't remember how long it's been since a 'psychological thriller' had such an impact on me.

The story is told from the point of view of the daughter and the mother, which in this book isn't just a gimmick, but an essential part of how the story unfolds, because mother and daughter experience their own reality in a very different way. The story also shifts between the present and events that happened in the past, but this is also crucial for the way the author slowly reveals what events have led to the current situation where the daughter keeps her mother captive in her bedroom. Although the book starts quite slowly, I gradually got sucked into their world and as the truth starts to emerge, like so many pieces of a puzzle, it felt like a punch to the gut each time a new hidden secret came to light.

Apart from the dynamic way in which the author tells his story, the psychological depth of both main characters was one of the main attractions for me: I still don't know whether to feel sorry for them or be horrified by what they did and I still don't know how far you can go to protect your loved ones.

I generally don't recommend books, because I also don't like people recommending me books (they are generally not very good ), but for this one I'd like to make an exception for all the pessimists among us.