The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth Silver

My first read of 2015 was a bit of a dud. It kept me interested enough to read while I was awake in the middle of the night dealing with symptoms of a parasite I picked up in Costa Rica. But it’s one of those books where you can’t root for any of the characters. They’re all horrible.

In some ways, that’s kind of the point. Noa P. Singleton is an inmate on death row for murder. The book is written from Noa’s perspective and tells her life story, leading up to the point where she killed her father’s girlfriend.

Noa has a troubled childhood, but nothing about her makes you feel sympathy or root for her. And all the other characters in the book are just as unlikeable. The book ends when she is put to death for her crime, but leaves the reader with little hope or any other depth.

Finished: January 7, 2015
Rating: 2 out of 3