Official Review: The Weight of Rope by Mickey Ann

[micoleon13]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Weight of Rope" by Mickey Ann.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Weight of Rope is a psychological thriller by Mickey Ann which follows the lives of two women, Gertrude and Evie, who have been best friends for years. Gertrude, or Gee as Evie calls her, is immaculately beautiful and appears to live a charmed life, while Evie, who hides behind baggy unflattering clothes, seems to be the complete opposite. They have each become increasingly dependent on their friendship for support as they deal with the ups and downs of both depression and alcoholism.

While Evie has never seen eye to eye with Gee’s husband Adnan or his family, believing them to be over domineering, things come to a head when Adnan forces Gee to choose between her family and Evie. Evie separates herself from the situation, as painful as it might be, and moves on with her life. It is only when Gee mysteriously disappears that Evie is drawn back to try and discover what has happened to her friend. She enlists the help of Detective Sullivan who soon finds himself becoming entangled in the history of the women’s friendship, as he tries to separate fact from fiction within an intricate web of lies. Will he be able to come out of this investigation unscathed or will it destroy him completely?

The author takes an interesting look at relationships in this book. Whether they are between friends, a husband and wife or with family, these relationships are not always healthy. While looking at Gee and Evie’s friendship, they seem to want the best for each other but there are underlying issues. Evie thrives off Gee’s problems and neediness, while Gee gains validation and reassurances from Evie. I admired how the author was able to portray the different aspects and flaws in all the characters, not just with the two women.

Another theme that was touched on here was people's need to fit in with society. In these times, when there’s so much value placed on social media, it’s becoming an addiction to always look perfect, to be the most beautiful, to have the ideal family and to above all look like your life is better than it is. Often hiding behind all these images is someone who’s miserable or losing their way, such as Gee.

One aspect which I enjoyed was that none of the main characters were white. It made me realise how many of the books which I read have predominantly white characters. In this book, except for Detective Sullivan, all the characters are of African American or Syrian descent. For me at least this was an eye opening element of this book and has prompted an urge to seek out other similar books.

Written in third person, the style is a little slow at first and I found it dragging and also at times a bit disjointed which made it a bit difficult to get caught up in the story. However this book has one huge plot twist at the end. It caught me completely off guard and made me have to rethink everything that I had just read. I went from thinking this was just an average book to one that has many hidden layers and that I will most likely read again, to try and better understand all the little details.


In spite of the slow beginning and writing style, this book did make me unexpectedly contemplate a lot of elements such as the different levels of friendship, how much influence our families hold over us, as well as the various issues involved with mental health. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars and would recommend it to any that are looking for a different type of read. Yes, it has mystery, but it also has a lot more to make you think and ponder on.

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The Weight of Rope
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Like micoleon13's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

Wow! I love it that the author is exploring relationships. This sounds like a pretty good book. I'm only wondering if I would be able to keep reading with the slowness in the beginning. Thanks for the review.

[Amagine]

I like the diversity of characters. It's about time that people realize there needs to be diverse books. I also like how it addresses relationships and The fact that a lot of relationships aren't always healthy.

Great Review! ?

[kimmyschemy06]

It sounds like a great book. I think I can get past the slow pacing . Good job on the review.

[Lest92]

This sounds like something I'd enjoy - many layered, diverse, and the exploration of the relationships between people sounds fascinating especially regarding the genre. Thank you for a clear review:)

[Kitkat3]

I saw this book on Amazon a while back and couldn't decide if it was something I wanted to read. It's in my to read now! I like that it's so much more than just a mystery. Thanks for the review!

[micoleon13]

Thanks! let me know what you think of it, I'd be interested to know other people's opinions

[Chrys Brobbey]

This appears to be the kind of book that lingers in your mind, and makes you think well beyond it's pages. It seems to portray a mixed up of characters with different personality traits - the right blend for a good story. Thanks for a good review.