A Trick of the Light by Louise PennyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a mystery, and a clever one at that, with distractions and clues hidden in details. But what I found outstanding about this book was that it's perfect for bibliotherapy. Bibliotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses novels as a way to work out psychological issues. It aims to use literature to improve your life. You can do it under the guidance of a therapist or, I think, on your own.
A Trick of the Light dives deep into characters' thoughts, emotions, actions; their relationships, lies, and truths. The obvious bibliotherapy vein is how it reveals alcoholism and different kinds of addictions. Yes, it talks about AA; but its strength is in how it shows addiction and obsessive thinking.
Penny explores jealousy, resentment, harboured rage, anxiety, low self-esteem -- the gamut it feels like. You turn a page, and there's another pondering moment, another ah-ha. And she does it so well, it doesn't feel fake or heavy. It feels natural, like real life, but real life in a community of struggling people.
There are some minor mysteries that are obscure for far too long so that you can't really benefit from pondering them. I suppose one of them was to expose our assumptions about age and personality. I just found it confusing.
Overall, an absorbing, challenging, and healing read. My write-in-5-minutes review.
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