Format: ebook borrowed from Libby
Published: April 23, 2024 by St. Martins Press
Soundtrack: logical – Olivia Rodrigo
This domestic thriller follows sisters haunted by their shared childhood trauma who forced to return to their childhood home to aide in a police investigation. Through a well-executed dual timeline, we learn about their haunting childhood and how that trauma continues to impact their adulthood.
I am surprised I didn’t like this more as there was a bit of woman’s fiction woven into it with a side of character growth, interwoven sister relationships, a drop of romance and plenty of childhood memories to humanize the sisters. However, I neither connected with nor despised any particular character, contributing to my average reading experience. I was driven to know the outcome, so I read quickly, but I feel I was trying to get through reading rather than being wrapped up in the plot
While well structured, I felt like nothing happened for much of the book, and the pacing felt pretty slow for a thriller. I find my enjoyment of thrillers to be fickle at best (maybe it is just my selections) so that may be contributing to my lackluster feelings. I actually removed them from my bio because I feel I read so few of them recently. Additionally, this is the third or fourth book I have read about foster children that highlighted the abusive nature of the system, and I cannot help but be saddened by that reality.
I did enjoy the multiple POVs, which allowed us insight into each sister’s past, and the memories complemented each other rather than rehashing the same thing (as I feel some multiple POVs do). The structure was great, and I felt that most of my questions were answered in the end. I found the twists well-spaced, and while not hugely shocking, I still predicted the ending wrong (per usual). I was entertained but not blown away and finished with mixed thoughts.
⭐️3.5/really liked
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