~3.5~
Blame is not a mystery or novel of suspense. I shelved it under "psych-thriller," but that label doesn't quite fit either.
This is a book about friendship and motherhood; a book that speaks to guilt, addiction, loss, and shame.
Anna's daughter Maya is severely autistic, not "quirky and socially awkward" kind of autistic like my son, but full-on nonverbal, hitting, screaming, resisting everything and everyone.
One day, Anna, desperate and alone, calls her best friend, Caro, who has struggles of her own, asking for help.
What happens next changes both their lives.
The story begins with Anna and Caro being interviewed, separately, by the police about the accident that killed Maya.
Initially slow and pedantic, with numerous unnecessary details about the police officers and their lives (why did we need to know about the their looks, relationships, kids?), the story picked up eventually and ended on a poignant, thought-provoking note.
Neither woman was easy to like, particularly Anna (ESPECIALLY Anna), but that's what made them interesting.
Who's to blame? You be the judge.