The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
I received a copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Saskia Kries is the latest heir to her family’s estate, the Elf House. It’s the one place she’s always called home, which is why she’s blindsided when she discovers that not only did her mother not tell her she was dying, but she also left the house to Saskia’s former teacher. After finding out that her father also had no idea about the change to her mother’s will, Saskia is on a mission to find out why her mother would just give the house away. The deeper she digs, the more secrets become illuminated, including her own.
I read and loved Rachel’s debut novel, so I was extremely excited when I saw they had another book coming out. I can honestly say that this novel does not disappoint! It should be noted that this book deals with the following tough subjects: death, death of a parent, grooming, and sexual abuse. If any of these subjects are triggering for you, this is a book that you should pass on because Saskia is dealing with each of these subjects all book long.
We follow Saskia, a pianist and prodigy, as we bounce back and forth between the past and present. In the present, we’re picking up right after Saskia’s mom died, leaving her raw and hurt, especially when she had no idea her mother was sick. The longer that Saskia is home, the more she’s confronted with the past that she’s been running away from. Much of the book is watching Saskia deal with her past traumas as well as her very fresh present trauma. All the tough subjects that can be triggering are right there, raw and in the open as Saskia grapples with what happened to her and tries to regain control. It’s such a heart wrenching novel that is very well-written and packs a punch. I look forward to seeing what else the author publishes in the future. They’re a very talented writer and really knows how to pull readers in on the very first page.
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