The End of Her | A Dissappointing Thriller with an Offensive Adoption Trope

1/5 Stars

Spoilers Ahead

I am really disappointed in this because I typically enjoy Shari Lapena’s thrillers. They have always been “easy” thrillers and a good weekend past time. Unfortunately, this missed the mark in several ways. 

When I reached the first mention of adoption in this book (pg. 26) I groaned. This was particularly cringe-worthy and bothersome to me, an actual adopted person. Instead of putting the book down immediately, I continued reading to see if the story would redeem itself or if there were any major red flags that members of the adoption community should know about. What I found was the typical narrative that adoptees should be grateful they were saved from their psychopathic biological parents and their adoption is not necessarily information they deserve to be told. I can’t even get into actual advocacy because the adoption trope in this story is extremely cliched and outlandish.

The actual story was predictable and shallow. I grew extremely frustrated with Stephanie and Patrick as they kept playing into Erica’s game. I had hoped the thriller aspect would get better, but there were no plot twists. Just characters living in continuous fear of Erica and eventually taking. matters into their own hands. A very large portion of the book was devoted to colicky twins and sleep deprivation. I guess this was an attempt to have Stephanie and Patrick become unreliable characters to follow. Instead, it was boring and filler content. There were so many couples to follow because Erica was blackmailing all of them. This could have been pared down and a more complex plot developed. 

I finished the book so that I could review the entire story as a reader both of the general public and in the adoption community. The adoption trope in the story was completely unnecessary and did not actually aid to the suspense or resolution. The thriller was predictable and even though the ending was a bit ambigious, it did not leave me wanting more. It felt too clean and an easy out for all of the characters. 

This is a pass for me on all aspects. If you aren’t in the adoption community, then maybe you will enjoy this domestic thriller. If you are in the adoption community, particularly if you are an adopted person or a birth parent, this is definitely not the story for you.