Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest offering by Joyce Carol Oates - 4 stars!
Marguerite (M), a sculptor, has disappeared from the Upstate NY home she shares with her father and younger sister, Georgene (G). Police investigate but can find no clues, so only guesses and inferences remain.
Told in a unique, choppy, stream of consciousness of G's thoughts, we slowly learn of the sisters' relationship and G's feelings of inadequacy when compared to M's beauty and worth. This writing style takes some getting used to, but as typical from Joyce Carol Oates, is subtly tense and effective. If you want a novel that's tied up in a bow at the end, this isn't it, but it's eery and thought-provoking.
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