Official Review: The Girl in the Mural by Iris Findlay

[Guda Lydia]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Girl in the Mural" by Iris Findlay.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Girl in the Mural is a story that unfolds through Ava and Ivy’s lives, as they each perceive life through different angles. Ava is a kind, well-educated, highly intelligent, and resilient woman with a sad and unfortunate past. After years of struggling to outrun her past demons, as well as maintain her sanity, she finally finds some peace and stability in Logan, her boyfriend. His immense love for her grounds and keeps Ava calm, aiding her to rebuild and find purpose in life again. He is a navy officer based in Guam, and Ava excitedly moves to the island in hopes of establishing a new chapter full of love and support. Logan and his housemates, Gabriel and Caleb, help create the family and balance Ava always wanted, and things run smoothly and happily.

However, this soon changes when Ivy gets into the picture as Caleb’s girlfriend. Ivy is equally intelligent but also calculating and thrives on manipulating men and being the center of attention. She detests the stability Ava has and the love that surrounds her creating perceived enmity between them. Ava’s life suddenly starts to take an unfortunate turn when things start to go wrong and destabilizing her peace. Additionally, no one seems to notice but Ava, due to their subtle nature, further causing a rift between her and Logan and the housemates. The subtle events soon turn bold, bizarre, and dangerous and even revive her past that she worked so hard to overcome. She no longer feels safe and assured as she once did, and there is no one left to trust. This proves to be the last straw that threatens to end her life. The help and intervention she needed earlier finally arrives, but will it too late?

Iris Findlay explicitly describes the characters in the book, bringing out their distinct physical and personality attributes, making one relate with the characters and the story quite engaging. The descriptions of the settings and scenes are in vivid detail, allowing for visualization of the streets of Guam. Additionally, experience the sights and sounds of the island through the pages. The author also keeps the reader in a constant state of suspense as to both Ivy and Ava’s pasts, as one tries to figure out what happened and why. The book also weaves in views on race and discrimination, blaming of rape victims, as well as Guam’s war history and the legitimacy of profiting from the country’s resources.

My favorite aspect of the read is how Ava and Ivy’s stories run concurrently, each having alternating narrations and depictions of their lives, forming a profound storyline. As a reader, you get to see two worlds unfolding through the pages, and their secrets slowly revealed in contrasting fashions. I equally love the emotional nature of the book and how it directly speaks to the reader. Through the characters, you get to experience love, heartbreak, anger, and even feel exhausted, making the book more compelling and appealing to read. There is nothing to dislike about the read; it further has unique irony, as one gets to realize, it is in the military that Ava broke her will and spirit and later found relief and healing.

The book is professionally edited; I did not find any grammatical or spelling errors. The language employed is simple; however, it has several instances of profanities, brutality, and sexual abuse. This may not appeal to sensitive readers and is definitely unsuitable for younger readers. The Girl in the Mural is a thought-provoking and compelling story that highlights the various sides and consequences of trauma. The novel hooks the reader right from the introduction, and the tense conclusion leaves one hopeful and eager for the subsequent book in the sequel. I, therefore, give it a rating of 4 out of 4 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for a fast and thrilling read that will keep you on edge, with some insight into depression and PTSD.

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The Girl in the Mural
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[RHD]

This one seems like a captivating read. The fact that you learn a thing or two, but still keep entertainment is commendable. Thank you for your insightful review

[Unique Ego]

Ivy sounds every bit as evil as she is made out to be. It's surprising what envy can do. Does Ava pull through? I really hope so.

[AnnOgochukwu]

I read another review on this book some time ago, and both your review and the other one spoke well of this book. I guess this would be a worthwhile psychological thriller, plus I like the intriguing storyline.
You wrote a very nice review, I enjoyed reading it.

[NetMassimo]

This is certainly an interesting read with food for thought about important topics developed with great details. Thank you for your terrific review!

[Guda Lydia]

This one seems like a captivating read. The fact that you learn a thing or two, but still keep entertainment is commendable. Thank you for your insightful review

Thank you for your kind comments.

[Guda Lydia]

Ivy sounds every bit as evil as she is made out to be. It's surprising what envy can do. Does Ava pull through? I really hope so.

Ivy is very exhausting, but also suffers from her own delusions. Well, it is a captivating read.

[Guda Lydia]

I read another review on this book some time ago, and both your review and the other one spoke well of this book. I guess this would be a worthwhile psychological thriller, plus I like the intriguing storyline.
You wrote a very nice review, I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you for your kind comments!