BOOK REVIEW: LIZZIE BY DAWN IUS

Lizzie by Dawn Ius

Published April 10th 2018

Hardcover, 320 pages

MY GOODREADS RATING 4/5 STARS

(Thank to Edelweiss & Simon Pulse I received an eARC of this book)

 

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Seventeen-year-old Lizzie Borden has never been kissed. Polite but painfully shy, Lizzie prefers to stay in the kitchen, where she can dream of becoming a chef and escape her reality. With tyrannical parents who force her to work at the family’s B&B and her blackout episodes—a medical condition that has plagued her since her first menstrual cycle—Lizzie longs for a life of freedom, the time and space to just figure out who she is and what she wants.

Enter the effervescent, unpredictable Bridget Sullivan. Bridget has joined the B&B’s staff as the new maid, and Lizzie is instantly drawn to her artistic style and free spirit—even her Star Wars obsession is kind of cute. The two of them forge bonds that quickly turn into something that’s maybe more than friendship.

But when her parents try to restrain Lizzie from living the life she wants, it sparks something in her that she can’t quite figure out. Her blackout episodes start getting worse, her instincts less and less reliable. Lizzie is angry, certainly, but she also feels like she’s going mad…

 

MY THOUGHTS:

I’ve always been intrigued with the story of Lizzie Borden, so of course I jumped at the chance to read and review this retelling. I love the way it is set in modern day, and that Lizzie is gay, it added so much to the story. I must say the story grasped me right at the beginning. I noticed that the writing style reminded me a lot of Ellen Hopkins (one of my favorite authors). The writing flowed beautifully while telling a tough story.

One thing that made Lizzie so likable to me was her inner dialogue. Lizzie has a lot of anxiety and is almost constantly questioning every choice she makes. It made me feel a type of bond with her, since I constantly have thoughts and doubts running through my head.

I highly recommend this book to all lovers of retellings of stories set in modern day. I know this isn’t a fairytale but I feel like people who enjoy these types of retellings would enjoy this one as well. The twist was absolutely perfect!!