Summery:
Twenty-year-old twins Valentina and Julia Poole have no recollection of having been to London. Nor do they remember ever meeting their mothers' (Edie) twin sister (Elspeth). Needless to say, they are surprised when they receive a notice in the mail that their estranged aunt has died and they are the recipients of her exceptional flat and all of her financial holdings. They are to become of possession of these items at the age of twenty-one, on the condition that their mother and father are never to enter said flat. Looking forward to their new-found independence, the twins accept the offer and head off to London. The flat itself is beautiful. The residents, however, are a bit strange. Above them resides a middle-aged man crippled with OCD, unable to walk past his own threshold. Below them lives the man who was once madly in love with their aunt. Also, the twins are suspicious that they are not the only ones living in their flat. Their dear Aunt Elspeth seems to have some difficulty leaving her estate, possessions, and old secrets in the twins care...
Review:
I greedily picked up Her Fearful Symmetry after reading Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife. Family secrets, forbidden lovers, ghosts, what else does one need to be lured into a story?! Admittedly, the story was a bit slow to begin with, which was the same for TTTW. Once the story picked up, I had great difficulty setting down the book. Until the story took a turn. I wont ruin it for future readers, but I couldn't help but wonder what the author was thinking. Needless to say, the aforementioned "turn" really does impact all of the characters in the book. The story ends on a sad and tragic note, which can be favorable at times. However, I found it unsuitable for the story line. To be fair, I went into the book not expecting a repeat of TTTW. I do think Niffenegger did a good job or writing a completely different book. However, I wonder if she overcompensated in her efforts in creating a different story. Please don't be swayed by my review. There are several favorable reviews out there as well. I, however, was a bit disappointed by the twist and the ending, which effected my overall rating for this book.
Cover Art Commentary:
I really do love the cover. I like the teal background color, of course! :P I also like the contrast of the teal and black. It's simple and clean, leaving much to the imagination.
Overall Review:
