The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This is an extremely straightforward novel with minimal twists, climactic moments or suspense. It begins with a woman on death row recalling events that led up to her execution, and it ends with her actual execution. I could end my review there and you'd be caught up.

There is very little in between - actually, there is a lot in between, about 300 pages to be exact - that explains her motives or paints a powerful story. There's no big apology or confession, no redemption, no "oh damn I didn't see that coming!" moments ....with the exception of one event, which despite being admittedly unexpected, was very random and underdeveloped and honestly felt like an afterthought. Even though in the grande scheme of the novel, it was really the main turning point.

It reads more like an exploration of nature vs. nurture and the psychological impact of parents on their children than a thriller /suspense novel. And maybe that's what it was supposed to be. In which case, okay, job well done. I learned that if your mother is a dramatic, selfish, narcissistic liar and your father is a violent career criminal with commitment issues, then you will turn our to be a lovely sociopathic murdereress with a charming sense of wit. It could be worse? Which is also a good way to sum up how I felt about this book.



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