A "GREY" review...
I read this novel in one sitting in a matter of about three hours, and actually spent more time trying to figure out if I loved it or hated it- that's how polarizing it felt upon finishing it. However, since nothing in life is clearly "black" nor "white," I have somewhat of a grey review and will settle on giving it three stars.
On the one hand, I respect and admire the author for forcing her readers to deal with uncomfortable subject matter, while raising the question of whether provocative/nude photographs of a young child by her famous photographer mother were art or abuse. I thought the story, told in a series of flashbacks, was very well-written; it felt very real and relevant for modern readers.
On the other hand, I was so uncomfortable reading it at times that I felt myself literally squirming. For me, this was so clearly a situation of power and abuse, as opposed to art, that I had a hard time with the subject matter. So, while I commend the author for putting these topics and feelings out there for readers in general, for me personally, it was a little too hard to read about.
While some readers may perhaps feel that the mother redeemed herself at the end of the novel (I won't give anything away), for this reader there was no redemption because even though it seems like Clara had a choice at the end, there was never any choice and her childhood- life's most precious and formative experience- was taken away from her.
So, despite this mixed review and my continued "grey" feelings towards it, would I recommend this book? Yes and No. Yes, I would recommend it to those who, knowing what the book it about, still want to read it. You will find a well-written, intellectual, thought-provking novel. However, I would not recommend it to anyone who has a hard time with this type of subject matter, because it would be too upsetting.
