Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger (Kindle)

As usual, I am one of the last people I know that has yet to read The Time Traveler's Wife (which is on the top 10 list of half the book blogging population). Therefore, I had no expectations when I ordered Niffenegger's new novel, Her Fearful Symmetry. People were all over the place with the reviews. Some loved it, some said it was just plain weird, some didn't like it much at all. EW gave it a C+!!! Still, I am nothing if not a lover of weird literature, so I went for it.

I hesitate to summarize, as it has been done ad nauseum. But for those who haven't heard, I will try to lay it out briefly. Twenty-year-old twins, Julia and Valentina, living in Chicago, are informed that they have inherited the London flat of their mother's (Edie) recently deceased twin Elspeth. Apparently, things have been dicey between Edie and Elspeth for years, so this all come as quite a shock to the girls. Against the better judgement of their parents, Julia and Valentina fly off to London on a new adventure, to take possession of their newly acquired real estate. They become acquainted with Robert, Elspeth's lover, and their upstairs neighbor, Martin, who is severely OCD and can't leave his flat. They also meet the ghost of Elspeth, who just happens to be hanging around the flat, watching the girls. The famous Highgate Cemetery is outside their back door, adding a bit more atmosphere to the tale as well.

Things start to get a little interesting when Elspeth begins to develop a close friendship with Valentina at the same time Robert starts to date her. In Elspeth's experimentation as a ghost, she comes across a revelation of sorts. One that is terrifyingly creepy and possibly deadly.

I'll just lay this out on the table up front. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed its uniqueness, its weirdness and its unpredictability.

Let's start with Julia and Valentina's relationship. They are inseparable, but almost to the point of it being inappropriate. They dress alike, they sleep together, and always hold hands. At the age of twenty, this is a tad bit strange. (Does anyone know twins like this? Most twins I know are pretty normal!) However, this does not bother me a bit. One of my first horror novels was a book called Whispers by Dean Koontz, where one twin keeps his dead twin brother with him, and makes out with his disintegrating body. Now THAT is weird.

I was filled with fascination at the character development of Martin, the upstairs neighbor with OCD. I guess I knew what OCD was, but have never really understood its implications. Now I do. I was also fascinated at Niffenegger's portrayal of Elspeth's ghost, how she developed into a spirit that can influence her surroundings, her thoughts, frustrations, and regrets. The events that unfold as a result of Elspeth's ghost completely freaked me out. My heart pounded for the last quarter of the book. The night after I finished the book, I had dreams about dead kittens. I kid you not.

I will admit, there were some faults with the book. You don't become all that invested in the characters. The twins are immature and slightly indulgent. Robert is strung out. I never quite trust Elspeth. And there is tremendous amount of detail about The Highgate Cemetery...all you ever wanted to know and more. Those quibbles aside, the book is the furthest thing from predictable. I pride myself in figuring out plots in advance, but Niffenegger had me with this one. My advice? Give it a shot...you might be surprised!

4.5 out of 5 stars