Sunday, April 27, 2014

The Orphan Choir

by Sophie Hannah


Started strong but progressed to just so-so.  The quirky protagonist loses her sense of humor and her grip on reality after her 7 year old son leaves home for boarding school whilst her next door neighbor plays sound wars through their thin, adjoining wall.  Granted, no one can stay arch and amusing while both mourning and not sleeping, but poor Louise devolves into an unconvincing, obsessive madness as I wonder with a yawn how much longer her tedious, journal entries will be the gimmick that moves the plot.


That said, other reviewers confirm what I suspect, namely that this particular work is a disappointment in light of Ms. Hannah's other, better books.  So, while my enjoyment of "The Orphan Choir" was most tepid, I look forward to more wit and better story lines in future Hannah thrillers.