These Women by Ivy Pochoda

 

I enjoyed listening to the unabridged audio version of These Women by Ivy Pochoda and narrated by Bahni Turpin and Frankie Corzo.

These Women is a contemporary work of fiction set in South Los Angeles with a focus on marginalized women. These Women is told from the perspective of five different women through five different sections featuring the unique voice of each of the five women in this novel. 

I liked the way These Women unfolds because the voice of each of the five women helps to propel the plot forward and identify the identity of the serial killer by the end of the novel. I liked These Women for the most part as it is different from most of the novels I normally read. However, I was able to figure out who the serial killer was before it was revealed, which was a little bit of a disappointment.

Feelia is definitely my favorite character in These Woman. She's sassy and her character really pops. Feelia is a former prostitute who had survived a brutal throat slashing from the man who would decades later be caught as the local serial killer. Feelia is the only known victim to survive her brutal attack. The sad part is that the police don't even try to search for, nor apprehend the man who had attacked Feelia... The police don't have much sympathy for prostitutes as they view Feelia's attack as just the hazard of being a prostitute.

The following is a book summary for These Women by Ivy Pochoda from Goodreads:

In West Adams, a rapidly changing part of South Los Angeles, they’re referred to as “these women.” These women on the corner … These women in the club … These women who won’t stop asking questions … These women who got what they deserved …

In her masterful new novel, Ivy Pochoda creates a kaleidoscope of loss, power, and hope featuring five very different women whose lives are steeped in danger and anguish. They’re connected by one man and his deadly obsession, though not all of them know that yet. There’s Dorian, still adrift after her daughter’s murder remains unsolved; Julianna, a young dancer nicknamed Jujubee, who lives hard and fast, resisting anyone trying to slow her down; Essie, a brilliant vice cop who sees a crime pattern emerging where no one else does; Marella, a daring performance artist whose work has long pushed boundaries but now puts her in peril; and Anneke, a quiet woman who has turned a willfully blind eye to those around her for far too long. The careful existence they have built for themselves starts to crumble when two murders rock their neighborhood.

I am giving These Women by Ivy Pochoda a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!