In The Body, Mavis is a worrier who has low self esteem. She is married to Jerrod who is, according to her, perfect. Until he isn’t. Mavis is worried her husband is having an affair and will soon leave her. In the meantime, multiple bad things happen to Mavis, which she blames on the congregation of her old church, that is possibly a cult. Mavis is the ultimate example of “just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.”
The elevator pitch for The Body sounds great. The first third of the book is compelling reading despite my inherent dislike of Mavis’ personality and her constant internal worrying and whining. However, the pacing dragged a bit in the middle and didn’t pick up again until the last 15% of the book. Part of the problem is only Mavis is explored thoroughly. The other characters, even her husband who is in almost every scene, are one-note whose motivations remain unexplored. For these reasons, I hesitate to recommend this book to others. 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advanced review copy.