Chelsea Humphrey's Reviews > Saint X

"That night, Claire is awakened by the sound of a key rattling in the lock. As she surfaces from dreams, she watches the door to the hotel room open. Her sister tiptoes across the room and slides into bed. In the morning Claire wakes at dawn to find her sister's bed empty. She is on the balcony, her eyes fixed on something in the distance. It seems her sister is hardly sleeping at all."

The problem with reading a book and putting off writing the review for weeks is that the small details begin to fade, but Saint X is the type of read that requires deep thought and pondering before discussing. I'm still not sure I can do a review of this book justice, as it is so many aspects put into one cohesive timeline. Part true crime style mystery, part delayed coming of age, Saint X provides a suspenseful investigation coupled with self discovery of the protagonist.

This was an eye-opening glance at how deep the ties between race and privilege run. The author did a fantastic job of creating a unique narrative while touching on themes as old as time, and bringing attention to just how far America, and us privileged folks in general, needs to progress. The pacing is very slow and detailed, which works well for this type of story, but is told in such a riveting voice. This isn't a thriller per se, but it does take on a few of the qualities that fans of psychological suspense find appealing. If you're interested in other recent literary fiction novels featuring social justice discussions, please consider giving your time to this worthy story as well.

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.