????????????

I really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I don't think I can continue with the series right now.

The outlook is so bleak, and reinforces my daily concern that people are growing increasingly less cruel, and that you can't count on your neighbor. I think it is a luxury to read that, better suited to a time where we're not all sitting quarantined in our homes, worried about what the people next door are thinking. In short, the characters in the book are hateful in a too familiar way.

I don't agree with the common criticism I see that Gwen would have had to have known what her husband was doing. This argument was also made IN the book, and dealt with. We make assumptions about our spouse, and we make compromises. Gwen hadn't been in her garage for years, and I have not been in mine. True story. I don't need the garage, and I don't want to fight with my husband over his need to throw “stuff” away. I don't think he's killing women there, because there's no chance there's room for that.

I also envy the people who thinks the portrayal of the online mob mentality is inaccurate. If there is a way to go after a woman, there will be a whole bunch of angry people – mostly men – who will gather up whatever excuse there is to do so, even if the excuse lacks logic. Lindy West will let you know all about that.

So, while I buy that a woman can be unaware of who her husband really is, and that men will hunt a woman down to torture her mentally or physically, while acting like they're serving up justice, I think I needed the odds to be a little better for Gwen. It's one thing to wonder who to trust, and it's another to really, truly be unable to trust 98% of the people. I think I just needed this woman and her kids to have a little more peace or hope.