Review: One of Those Faces - Elle Grawl

Review: One of Those Faces - Elle Grawl - December 2022

Have you ever finished a book and sat there thinking "What on earth did I just read?" That's exactly how I felt after turning the final page of Elle Grawl's psychological thriller "One of Those Faces." This novel had all the ingredients for a gripping, edge-of-your-seat read - a traumatic childhood, a twin's death, mistaken identities, and a string of murders. Yet somehow, these elements never quite come together in a satisfying way.

The story follows Harper Mallen, a children's book illustrator living in Chicago who's haunted by her past. When Harper was ten, her twin sister Issie died, and her father forced her to assume Issie's identity - a psychological trauma that sent her running from home. Now, Harper exists in a perpetual state of sleep deprivation, plagued by nightmares of her sister.

The plot thickens when women start turning up dead across Chicago - women who all bear an uncanny resemblance to Harper. In fact, she's been mistaken for each victim at some point, dismissed as merely having "one of those faces." Is Harper the killer's ultimate target, or is something else at play?

It's a premise rich with potential, but Elle Grawl's execution left me feeling disoriented and frustrated. While some of this confusion appears intentional - we experience Harper's sleep-deprived, unreliable perspective - the narrative itself becomes as muddled as Harper's mind. 

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect is that the big reveals fail to deliver the emotional punch they should. After investing in Harper's journey through her trauma and terror, the resolution comes across as both convoluted and underwhelming.

For readers who enjoy unreliable narrators and don't mind feeling a bit lost in the narrative, "One of Those Faces" might still provide an intriguing escape. However, those looking for a tightly plotted thriller with satisfying resolutions might want to look elsewhere.

As I closed this book, I was left with that unmistakable "WTF did I just read?" feeling - and not in the good way that comes from an expertly crafted twist. Instead, I felt like I'd wandered through someone else's fever dream without a map.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4jc05MJ