A day after finishing this novel, I'm still unsure if I really liked it or not! It was a fascinating read, though. It took me awhile to get into it but ultimately was worth the time. My favorite aspect of the book was the au pair's relationship with her two young charges. They were very odd and morbid, but somehow more believable to me than many other under-12 characters in books I have read. I'm generally uninterested in children and found myself fascinated by George & Maisie (the kids) and really took a liking to their characters. I do not live in the Northeast but still found a lot of themes to be relevant in my own experiences with those around me, particularly upper middle class people and blended families. At times the novel felt a little forced (animal sacrifices?) but I suppose that's part of the err, charm. I am new to the work of Francine Prose but will examine more of it in the future, I'm sure!

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