“A professor’s life is turned upside down when he takes in his charming, wildly dangerous nephew, whose wealthy parents have just died under mysterious circumstances, in this propulsive, edge-of-your-seat debut psychological thriller. Gil is living a quiet life as a creative writing professor in a bucolic Vermont town, when he receives some shocking news: His sister and her husband have been killed in a car accident, and their only son is coming to live with him and his family. Gil and his wife are apprehensive about taking in seventeen-year-old Matthew. Yes, he has just lost both his parents, but they haven’t seen him in seven years–and the last time the families were together, Matthew lured their young daughter into a terrifying, life-threatening situation. Since that incident, Gil has been estranged from his sister and her flashy, wealthy banker husband. Now Matthew is their charge, living under their roof. The boy seems charming, smart, and urbane, if strangely unaffected by his parents’ deaths. Gil hopes they can put the past behind them, though he’s surprised when Matthew signs up for his creative writing class. Then Matthew begins turning in chilling stories about the imagined deaths of Gil’s family and his own parents. Bewildered and panicked, Gil ultimately decides he must take matters into his own hands–before life imitates art.”
⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Publication Date: March 21st 2023
Told in limber, mesmerizing prose, A Flaw in the Design is a twisting novel of suspense that brilliantly explores the tensions surrounding class, family, and the drive to control one’s own story.
After the death of his parents, teenage Matthew is taken in by his Uncle Gil and his family, even though they are not partial to the idea of him living with them; Gil is adamant that Matthew is behind the death of his sister, and spends the entirety of the book trying to prove it to those around him.
Gil seems to be the only one to see through Matthew’s perfect facade, with Molly, his husband, claiming he is only making himself even more paranoid than he already seems to be. A lot of this book seems to be Gil trying to convince those around him that Matthew is hiding something, trying to prove it by invading his personal space, and even stalking him around town.
There are a handful things from Matthew’s past that could possibly make others believe Gil’s claims, one of which is the reason he feels so uneasy around him.
I love it when media, in any form, gets meta, so when it turns to this in the last chapter or two, it made me feel a bit uneasy, and made me feel as if the author was confessing to something.
With an ending which leaves room for speculation, I can possibly see a sequel from Oates in the future, depending on how well this, his debut, does.
Thank you to Serpent’s Tail for the ARC!
All the love,
Jade x
Tea Stains and Book Spines 