Tellulah Darling

“Unraveling” is the perfect way to describe this story as we peel away the layers of various narrators with varying degrees of reliability, to get to the truth of who Oliver is and what he’s done. I think a big reason of why this book really appealed to me was timing. There is a lot of unrest in our world these days, and a lot of people behaving in ways I just don’t understand. So here was an opportunity to get inside the head of this one man and try to comprehend why he behaved the way he did. How he could act so callously.

The answers aren’t pretty, but then again, I didn’t expect them to be. And even having the answers, I wasn’t particularly satisfied, but I think that’s what also made this book work for me. Would I be satisfied in real life knowing why someone had committed X or done Y? Not really. The knowing doesn’t make it easier. And I appreciated that Nugent didn’t try to manipulate us into an acceptance of Oliver’s actions–or any real forgiveness.

If you’re looking for a chilling albeit interesting psychological portrait, then you’ll enjoy Unraveling Oliver.