Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester, is a novel about being female in a man’s world. Caroline has a fiancé who is jealous and threatened by her artistic talent. Her shrink is patronizing and uncaring. As she tries to raise her teenage daughter alone, her sanity is jeopardized by the return of a serial killer who kidnaps young girls.
I was enjoying this book, in the beginning. The main characters, Caroline and her daughter Lila, were interesting and complex.
I felt it touched on mental illness in a compassionate, understanding way. And then, in the end, it ruined everything by claiming, in a very rushed, deus ex machina way, “oh this was never about mental illness, it’s always been something supernatural that we are shoving in here with little explanation and look it’s all tied up with a bow, the end.”
If you don’t think that will bother you, then this is highly recommended. Otherwise, skip it!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.