The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers

Once my exams ended, my friends and I rushed into Malaysia to have a good time. The next day, the girls decided not to swim (for various reasons), and needless to say, we all decided to read by the pool. I've been itching to read a proper book, and I got my hands on my friend's book: The Murderer's Daughters (in exchange for a loan of the iPad).

The plot of this book is really unique, tracing what happens after a violent crime, specifically, what happens to the children of criminals? I thought that this book, in particular, had the weakness of descending into melodrama, but managed to successfully steer away from that, and overall, is a book that I can recommend wholeheartedly.

One thing about the book was it's very strong writing. I could empathise with both characters: Lulu (Louise) and Merry. Lulu, having watched her mother killed (sorta) and blaming herself for freezing up in shock, is bitter and refuses to see her father. Merry, who got stabbed by her dad, goes the opposite way and visits him every week. To add to the emotional complications, the girls are abandoned by their maternal family (her dad's family died off fairly early in the book) and Lulu is forced to scheme a way out of the terrible orphanage and into a decent foster home.

What I really loved about the book was how life-like the characters were. There were many sides to each character, and the switch between the two first person narratives makes it easy to understand their motivations. (I shall not go into this further, since it's scarily close to one of my Literature questions)

The other thing I enjoyed was the ending. Normally, I don't like messy endings, (I'm the girl that grew up on Disney movies and enjoys a good happily-ever-after), but somehow, the ending (which is not perfect), felt right somehow.

I do wonder, however, which girl I'm more like. Honestly, both girls have their emotional hang-ups and aren't exactly the best of sisters at times, but it's a pretty honest/real portrayal of a reaction to a terrible event. I think, though, given my nature, I'll probably be more like Lulu (if you already read the book, you can tell me if you agree). I'd want to be way better than them, but it's really hard. But on the other hand, I do have God on my side, so I'll probably get over it somehow.

So yes, if you're looking for something good to read at the poolside (assuming you have the same tastes as me), this book is a pretty good choice.