How to Be a Good Wife

by Emma Chapman

[meowstina]

I received this advanced reader’s copy for free as part of Goodreads’s First Reads program.

From the very first page you become fully entrenched in Marta’s world. The tone of the novel is set immediately, and never wavers. This is my favourite part of reading this book, because that’s really what a good book should do: create and draw you into a completely new and all-encompassing world. Chapman does a great job setting atmosphere and creating a unique voice in Marta.

The story unfolds from Marta’s first person perspective, so for the entire duration you are in her mind. This is a really interesting (and I think successful) choice, as you never know what is real and what is just perceived. The whole premise of the novel revolves around the strange circumstances Marta encounters and is about her trying to figure out if they are real or if it’s all in her mind. You begin to wonder these things for yourself, and it definitely affected me. The story explores the boundaries of the mind, but I can’t go into much detail without giving away any spoilers.

The prose can get a little monotonous, but that’s just Marta, so it’s kind of understandable. Also, ambiguity can frustrate me, but I completely see the point of it for this novel. It really works, so I’m (more) fine with it. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending, but overall this is a really interesting concept and novel.