Book Bites: 3 Sentence Intro About What This Story Is

When his famous author wife, Mina, ghosts him after a rough argument, Alex decides to look further into why she has gone radio silent for several days. Layla is a girl who ends up in a town with no recollection of where she came from or why she ended up there. As Alex continues to search for clues to figure out his wife’s disappearance, he realizes that his path and Layla’s path are more closely intertwined than at first glance…and may prove critical to his finding his wife.

**This book contains mature themes: trauma, etc.

*As usual, to see the official book teaser/summary of this, go to anywhere books are found and read up more about what this book is about.

Now on to My Commentary (**May Contain Spoilers: Read at Your Own Risk)

Selected Book as a Part of Big Library Read

I picked up this book because of the Big Library Read (through OverDrive) which allows readers to borrow and read the same selected e-book at the same time without waiting! The Quiet Girl by S. F. Kosa was available from June 28 to July 12, 2021. The Big Library Read is offered about three times a year. If this is your first introduction to this program, I highly recommend checking it out. It’s a cool remote “book club” type event.

There was also a discussion board along with a live interview with the author where readers can ask questions and gain insight from the author about their book. I had the opportunity to tune into the live interview event on July 7, 2021 – which was amazing! I loved S. F. Kosa and would be interested in reading some more of her works. You can follow the link here for the recorded interview of The Quiet Girl by S. F. Kosa.

I knew I had to read this book because when I read the author bio, everything clicked. She wrote books in the genres that I loved. Check! She is a clinical psychologist – a route I wanted to pursue long ago but never did. Check! She loves understanding the darker sides of humanity and the human psyche. Check! It was then I knew I was fated to stumble upon this book while perusing my library’s website for my next read.

Onto the Actual Review

The Structure of the Book

Okay, if you know me even a little from reading any and all of my previous posts, I rarely ever lean towards fiction novels set in a realistic setting. I love fantasy through and through. The more made up the world the better. So, this might not mean anything to others, but this was different for me. All the locations were real: Provincetown, Truro, Boston, etc.

Because of this aspect, I felt like I was reading a true crime type book rather than a fictional psychological thriller. This added to the suspense of the plot since all the places they traveled to were real settings on the American East Coast! I clearly envisioned Alex rushing back and forth from the busy city streets of Boston to the small pleasant vacation town of Provincetown where deeper secrets lied as he desperately searches for any clue that might lead him to Mina. To add to this, we are also reading the case unfold from the point of concerned, loving husband, Alex, looking for an explanation for what happened to his newlywed wife.

When you start reading the book, you might be wondering why it continues flip-flopping between third person point of view to first person point of view? I certainly did. To me, this was a novel no-no, right? Aren’t you supposed to keep your points of view consistent through the book your write?!? Initially finding it odd, I came to understand the intentions behind writing it this way as it is very important to the overall plot of the book. I’ll just say, don’t judge the book from the first few chapters. Try to keep reading it. You’ll understand what I mean when you finish the book.

Twists and Turns! And…More Twists and Turns!

Lots of twists. Even writing that feels like an understatement. As characters continue to get added on, I became more confused as to who the real crooked character was. Was someone involved in Mina’s disappearance? If so, who? Why? What was their involvement? Where was Mina now??? Alex was asking these same questions as I was screaming them at the book, trying to note details that could be potential clues, overanalyzing each word every character says, and hypothesizing potential outcomes in hopes that I beat the protagonist in solving the case. And that’s why we read these types of books, right? So we can put on our amateur sleuth hat and play detective.

I commend Alex for being a loving husband determined to find out where his wife has gone. Even though Alex has been suspected of his wife’s disappearance multiple occasions as he continues his personal investigation. Deep down, he knew something didn’t add up. That this town wasn’t telling him everything. That his wife might have not told him everything about herself. Which pushed him to keep seeking answers even if it made him look more suspicious. Or destroyed his relationships with people. Good husband! Also, this book gave me serious Lifetime movie vibes. But I like it!

As Alex learns more about his wife through her family, friends, and past acquaintances, she becomes more mysterious to him, challenging Alex’s trust and confidence in their relationship. Who was Mina really? And which stories told were fact…or lies? Because quiet girls have the most to say.

And my favorite part! Kosa does a wonderful job of creating realistic characters. AKA grey characters. Morally ambiguous characters. WHICH ARE MY FAVORITE. There was no one character who was wholly good or bad in The Quiet Girl. Yeah, including husband Alex. Everyone has secrets. It’s part of being human. And those long-held secrets get revealed as everyone investigates Mina’s disappearance.

I loved that everyone had secrets and nobody was entirely innocent. It made me question who the true victim in this story was.

Psychological Aspects

Kosa talked about this more in the author interview, but I wanted to include it in this review because mental health is a main theme in The Quiet Girl. Kosa mentioned being careful about addressing mental health and illness so not to romanticized or trivialize it. Considering she is a practicing psychologist, I expected nothing less. Still, I deeply respected her decision to be mindful of her portrayal of mental health in this book by conducting careful research on the topic and consulting with colleagues during the writing process.

Bringing me to my next point! (Warning: this paragraph is kinda ranty, ha ha.) I like that the therapist in the book doesn’t just serve as a prop but is integral to the plot and the character’s development. Honestly, I’m tired of books that have therapists (the many that there are) who are either only in the book to take advantage of the client/main character (violating so many ethical rules) and giving cliché and flimsy advice. When used in this manner, it could belittle mental health professionals and the work that they do, further supporting stereotypes of this profession. Not to mention, depicting professionals in a stereotypical manner may deter individuals from seeking help – a point Kosa discussed in her interview as well.

Final Thoughts

It’s difficult to write a review on a suspense, mystery type book without giving too much away. I hope others will check out this book, as it’s the first psychological thriller S. F. Kosa wrote. I think she did a wonderful job designing the complexity of the case in this story so that you got enough hints (if you’re keen enough to spot them) but that it heightened your curiosity keep reading for the ultimate conclusion.

Lovers of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and similar psychological thriller books will enjoy this.

Check out this book if it piques your interest. Hope you enjoy it as your next read or a re-read!

And remember, “Every story is worth the read. Someone (some poor, overworked, ink-stains-on-the-clothes lovely soul) took the time to write it.”