Review of Invisible Thread

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Invisible Thread" by Heather Koelle.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Heather Koelle’s debut novel, Invisible Thread, narrates the saga of two families. Suzanna met the love of her life, Weston, when she was twenty-three. Despite initial setbacks, their married life was long and fulfilling. Helen, on the other hand, faced endless ordeals. Dealing with a dysfunctional family and a treacherous husband, she felt little joy in her life. She eventually found her true love, although their union was short-lived. Yet, destiny worked in mysterious ways, bringing people closer unexpectedly. What awaited the two families as the cosmic links slowly began their work?

While narrating the story, Koelle chose to ‘tell’ her readers what was happening to the characters, with only a few instances of ‘showing.’ Since the book spanned a few decades and involved many time jumps, this strategy worked well to generate a smooth flow. While reading, I had the distinct impression that a movie was playing in front of my eyes. The characters got together and raised their families until the children grew up and started their own families. I was happy to assume the role of an observer without trying hard to figure out the conflicts. The novel boasted diverse characters, ranging from pure-hearted and compassionate to conniving and immoral. There was a sense of fairness in the plot as the evil characters always received their just deserts.

Primarily a romance novel, the book explored the multi-faceted nature of love. Some experienced love at first sight, while a few had to go through disastrous relationships before finding their soulmate. The relationships ranged from sweet high school romances to profound connections and featured romantic and platonic love. While traumatic incidents such as sexual assault or a toxic relationship could shatter our lives, Koelle showed how love could act as a healing salve.

However, my reading experience was not entirely without complaints. I could not feel the spark between Suzanna and Weston, even when Koelle overstated their mutual attraction on each page. Their initial exchanges made me cringe, although the chemistry developed considerably after the first few chapters. Secondly, I wished Koelle would go deeper into the conflicts that arose in the course of the story instead of resolving them on the next page. Finally, I felt disappointed when the much-anticipated invisible thread entwining the destinies appeared only in the last twenty pages of the book. I realized that narrating Suzanna and Helen’s stories parallelly instead of in two consecutive parts could improve the structuring.

Considering the negative points, I rate the novel 3 out of 4 stars. There were very few technical errors. I recommend the book to readers who appreciate character-driven stories with romantic undertones. There were a few explicit scenes and an instance of rape, requiring a mature audience.

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Invisible Thread
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[Onumere]

Two families can not have the same story at the same time. I will like to know how Helen's story plays out in the end. your review is very detailed, good work

[Kendal Low]

Such a nicely worded and clear review. I think this definitely sounds like a bok I could enjoy. Great review!

[Ben Madeley]

Not sure about this book, romance novels need to have really strong and likeable characters. Not sure if this is for me.

[Tamara Bengesai]

Nice detailed review. This story spans a long time, sound like for not one I would enjoy reading.

[King Nyebuchi]

Great review. Character driven stories are indeed really appreciated by many reader. Thanks for an elaborate review.