"The Perfect Son"

“The Perfect Son”

Written by Lauren North

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

Lauren North’s debut thriller “The Perfect Son” follows our main character, Tess, who wakes up in a hospital. She remembers that she has been stabbed, her son is missing, her husband has died three months prior, and that she thinks her brother-in-law, Ian, is conspiring with her grief counselor, Shelley. This thriller fits into many categories but best described; it is an amalgamation of nearly every psychological thriller trope you can find. The plot is very slow, is full of red herrings, has a dramatic, plot twist that changes everything ala “The Sixth Sense” and “The Silent Patient”.

As far as the plot goes, I was entertained and curious about the seemingly suspicious Shelley and Ian, knowing from the get-go that I should not trust them. We learn a large amount of exposition very quickly, as Tess catches up, slowly unraveling her memories. Her perspective is told in the second person imperative, speaking to her dead husband directly, telling him the story. Her memories flash in with startling details. However, when they are announced, it feels like every event must one up the previous in its horror. This tires the plot out.

I personally was not a big fan of the plot twist, because it felt very generic. I was not able to predict the ending, but I didn’t think we needed it. I felt that the first 80 percent of the book played out like “Lullaby” by Leila Slimani, in which we know the villains and what they have done, in reverse suspense order. In this as well, we have that same element with a countdown to even provide further intrigue.

Another element that I did not enjoy was a concurrent transcript between Elliot Sadler, who we assume to be a detective, and Tess at the hospital in which she was admitted. These transcript entries do not provide enough detail or plot intrigue to feel needed for the story.

I recommend this book to those who enjoyed “Lullaby”, “Sometimes I Lie” by Alice Feeney, “Her” by Harriet Lane”, and “The Girl in the Rearview Mirror” by Kelsey Rae Dimberg. I personally was not a big fan of this story, and in trying to reread some of the passages, I felt confused by the plot twist again. Buyer beware.

I received an advance review copy in exchange for reviewing purposes.