“It’s funny how undressed a smile can make you feel.”
― Elizabeth L. Silver, The Execution of Noa P. Singleton

I found this book to be outstanding and an easy five stars.

Noah P Singleton is on death row awaiting execution. Her crime? Murder.

Nobody knows why Noa murdered and people want answers..especially the mother of the female victim, Sarah. When the victim's mother comes to visit Noa in jail she offers her a deal. She will work to get the death penalty off the table if Noah tells her the truth about what happened and why she murdered her daughter.

I found this book impossible to put down. The story was so unique. It also raises questions and issues about the Death Penalty. But most of all I was drawn in so deeply to Noah's story.

For readers complaining about the way Noah speaks..one has to remember she has been in jail for years. She has somewhat of a flat affect and that comes through. Added to that, she is a death row inmate and alot of the book takes place with her speaking from a prison cell. I was able to get over that issue quickly but then again we all like different books. I found this to be an outstanding and heartbreaking read.

I look forward to reading more from this author. ( )

I received this book from netgalley.com

What a book. I found myself rooting for Noa the entire time and really despising the victim's mother. Even with the knowledge that Noa is a murderer, I still found myself really hoping that Oliver could help her get out of jail. I loved how the relationships developed and though I am usually one who roots for a happily ever after ending, I think the author did a great job with the plot and character development. I think the last time I hated a character as much as the victim's mother was when I read Gone Girl. Definitely some twists I wasn't expecting and then of course some others I figured out. Overall, a great book and a quick read. ( )

The book lacks a linear narrative, a single likable character, or even a cohesive theme. I presume it is intended as some sort of weighty exploration of the issues surrounding the death penalty, but the author dives into the murky waters surrounding executions without an ounce of panache. The plot twists are nonsensical and hard to follow. There are no clear cut answers at the end either and long self indulgent and mundane soliloquies by Noa and Marlene throughout. Skip it! ( )

We begin the novel almost at the end of the life of Noa P. Singleton.

Noa in six months will be executed for a murder she committed. We find out that Noa was found guilty ten years previously for the murder of a young woman. Noa is visited by an attorney, Oliver Stansted, who is working for Marlene Dixon, the mother of the young woman Noa murdered.

Oliver's goal is to get Noa a commuted sentence so that she will not be executed for the murder. Ultimately, Marlene's goal is to get Noa to reveal what happened to lead to her daughter's death though Noa is reluctant to revisit that with the attorney or Marlene.

I ended up just rating this three stars because even though the storyline is an intriguing one I had a hard time finding anything commendable about the character of Noa or Marlene. You quickly find out through Noa's tale of her upbringing and what led her to murder another person that she is seriously not a sympathetic person at all. There definitely seems at the end that the author wanted to show that Noa wasn't all bad but I just didn't get there. When we come upon the character of Marlene and what actions she committed to lead to this tale you end up feeling appalled by her behavior as well.

I think it is very hard when an author writes a story told from the anti-hero point of view. You have to give the readers enough details to at least show them where the character is coming from so that the reader can at least root for that person or become invested in them in some way. However, in the end, I definitely did not root for Noa or excuse her for what she did.

Finally I really couldn't understand Marlene's thought process. We find out that Marlene at least guessed at what happened and why so why she needed Noa to tell her story so to speak was just a framing device that I thought really didn't work in this story the way that it should have.

Please note that I received this novel via the Amazon Vine Program. ( )

Over-written and under-plotted. ( )