What a wild ride --
Emily Donovan and Kristen Czarnecki have been best friends forever. They love to travel together, especially since Kristen moved to Australia and left Emily behind in Milwaukee. Let's just say their trips have been memorable, but in a way that isn't so favorable. There was that time Phnom Penh that didn't end quite like they'd hoped...but now they've met up in Chile and things have been going really well. They've enjoyed their time catching up and everything has been great between them up until the very last night. What is it with these two and the handsome backpackers they meet on their journeys?
Emily returns home, shaken up by what has happened, and is trying to get into her new relationship with Aaron Meuleman. Then, suddenly, Kristen shows up on Emily's doorstep as if conjured there by Emily's obsessive worries about whether or not Kristen will keep their secrets. Kristen will not let up and Emily feels herself being drawn even further into the lies that threaten to ruin everything and destroy any future she may have planned. NO SPOILERS.
The narrative, told from Emily's point of view examines the themes of gaslighting, manipulation, emotional blackmail, and friendship. I found the book hard to put down, wondering how this was all going to end, but must say I wasn't really thrilled with the conclusion as it had me second guessing several of my assessments about the two women. I think this story would be a great one for discussion with a book club, especially with how it challenges you to imagine what is going to happen next with the last sentence.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. This was my first book by this author, but I will make a note to look for new titles in the future.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - psychological fiction, friendship drama, suspense
No comments:
Post a Comment