Thank you to NetGalley and Agora book for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Synopsis
You can call me Ella. You generally assign me a whole host of other preposterous monikers. I think the least imaginative name I’ve heard is “the devil”, but I’ll answer to it if I must. After making the courageous decision to leave her abusive husband, Perdie and her three young children start over and finally find the safety and love they deserve. But years later, when tragedy strikes, Perdie is left wondering if the choice she made to leave has led them to this moment. If she were given the opportunity to take it all back and stay, would she? In a frantic bid to protect her family, Perdie makes a deal to do just that. But in a world where the devil pulls the strings, can Perdie really change the past?
Review
Before I start I want to say that this book contains a lot of trigger warnings from abuse (physical and emotional), death and grief.
This book was told in a format I didn’t truly expect but I found myself absolutely captivated by the multiple points of view it was told from. Perdie is such an amazing character and I instantly connected with her and rooted for her throughout the book!
The idea that you have paths in life and wondering if you had chosen the other path would life had been different is something I think about all the time. In this book Perdie is struck by the thought that if she had stayed would things have been different? Would her children be happier?
I also liked the role the devil played in this book and found their sections really interesting to read, however at times they felt like they were too long and I just wanted to know more about Perdie and the children.
Idle Hands is a beautifully written but incredibly emotional read that had me in tears. This book is heart-wrenching and its portrayal of abuse was heart-breaking. It’s a hard hitting book that if it hadn’t been an e-arc I think I would have put down because of my current state of mind. However, I’m glad I powered through!
Review: 4/5 stars