Good evening, bibliophiles! I’m so excited it’s book review Tuesday, because I’m pretty sure I found my favorite read of 2017 this past weekend and I’m so ready to share it with you. I will be following this post up with a separate, smaller post of updates because I feel like I’m juggling a handful of things that I want to discuss, so, stay tuned after the review!
Anyway, I am so stoked about tonight’s review that I can’t seem to properly think of where to begin. If you read this blog regularly, you know that neither you nor I is a stranger to the wonder and powerhouse who is Alessandra Torre. At this point, I’ve read almost everything she has ever published, and I can honestly put her in my top five for favorite contemporary authors. She’s also one of very few authors I can look to and be utterly amazed by her stories while simultaneously feeling severe envy because she’s living my dream writer’s life. The book I’ll be discussing tonight is one of the reasons I really kicked my butt into gear with my own writing. Let’s jump in and discuss The Ghost Writer.
The strange thing about this book is that while the title alone is obvious, I don’t think I can actually divulge much about the plot without giving away major spoilers. Even though the bomb drops pretty early on, I want to leave you to discover that on your own instead of me ruining it for you.
Helena Ross is one of the top-selling and most popular romance authors around. She’s built a phenomenal career, and was living the fairytale life with her husband, Simon, and their daughter, Bethany. It’s just that… things aren’t always what they seem. Behind closed doors is where another world lies. One even Helena herself does her best to ignore.
Now, she’s ready to write her story, to tell the best one she’s ever told, to tell her truths, and she’s pressed for time to get it done. Three months, that’s all she has. It’s a brutal schedule, and when she’s honest with herself, she knows she needs to reach out to her agent, Kate, for suggestions. That’s when she recruits her ghost writer for assistance. What stems from the unlikely pairing is an eye-opening, gut-wrenching, and heartbreaking journey. Helena has been hiding the truth for over four years, and it’s time to address the skeletons in the closet before it’s too late.
I can count the amount of stories that have changed my life in recent years on one hand, and The Ghost Writer is there. I can also count the books that have made me openly cry on one hand, and, surprise surprise, The Ghost Writer is there.
The funny thing is, I didn’t always find myself on Helena’s side. She was reserved, curt, formal, and cold. She also had type-A tendencies that bordered on driving me batty. However, she was going through something very real, life-changing, relatable, and hard-hitting. Torre doesn’t beat around the bush and wax poetic about any of it either. Her lines are rigid, to the point, and honest. Her style really added to the mood of the story, and when it meshed together with the unfolding complications of the plot, I was met with a beautifully tragic and emotional ride.
What I absolutely adore about Torre is the variety you get with her stories. She wears so many different hats and can jump into numerous moods for the worlds she wants to create and that’s commendable. When so many stick to one genre (which is also fine), she dares to branch out and I find myself getting something different every single time I pick up one of her books. The Ghost Writer is contemporary fiction and filled with suspense. The Innocence series is pure drama and erotic romance. The Deanna Madden series falls under thriller. I could go on and on. I never read the same scenario twice when it comes to her work.
Needless to say, I haven’t picked up another book since I finished this one a few days ago because I’m still reeling. Like I said, the best book I’ve read in 2017 and I can’t rave about it enough. However, I’m going to quit while I’m ahead because if you haven’t read this one already, you need to go get a copy asap because it’s utterly brilliant and moving. Please read this one and thank me later!
My Final Rating: five out of five stars
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