A shocking event that traumatized twin sisters Alexa and Beth led them to spend time at a psychiatric facility as children. While Alexa has been able to heal and acclimate to everyday life now as a young woman in her 20’s, Beth has had more difficulty adjusting. Just as Beth finishes another stint at the psychiatric center and reunites with her sister, Alexa–in contrast–has flourished and gained more independence through a new job and apartment in the city. The sister’s bond grows strained and secrets come to light about the terrible night that has haunted them since they were nine years old.
Holy moly what a tale. I started listening to the audiobook without checking the synopsis to help kill time while doing chores, and I ended up really enjoying this story. My gripe with a lot of thrillers recently is that they can take too long to progress the plot and reveal interesting twists, but I thought this one was the perfect length. The pacing moved at a brisk speed and every passage had a purpose in moving the storyline along.
In terms of characterization, Alexa and Beth had distinct personalities that set them apart. Beth is direct, quick to anger, and has no problem speaking her mind, whereas Alexa is reserved and the more level-headed half of the duo. There is an influencer-type boyfriend who comes into the picture early on and serves as a buffer between the two sisters’ sometimes clashing personalities. There’s also a few chapters involving the doctor assigned to care for the sisters at the psychiatric facility. I found him particularly interesting and well-written because he had his moments of being sympathetic to Alexa and Beth’s situation but also his moments of pure focus on the medical aspect of their case as a scientific professional. But truthfully I was definitely a lot more invested in the interactions between Alexa and Beth.
The twist in the story obviously is what caused the sisters to end up at a psychiatric center at nine years old. It’s quite interesting so I won’t mention anymore and save any potential spoilers. What I do wanna mention is how the story goes beyond that night. I’m so used to thrillers unveiling a final twist to shock readers, and then fading to black, that it caught me off guard when I was reunited with the main characters and the story continued. Because this book leans on the shorter side, it didn’t feel like the author was dragging the story out. It rather felt like the full story had yet to be unveiled and there were more pieces of the puzzle to be discovered, which definitely excited me and kept me reading.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and was satisfied where it ended. I haven’t read a lot of thrillers so I can’t say if the curveballs were predictable, but I personally enjoyed where the plot went and how each character reacted as the story went on. I thought the narrator of the audiobook did a wonderful job with highlighting the mounting tension between the sisters, and giving Alexa and Beth distinct voices. It’s a short read so if you’re looking for something quick to occupy some time definitely consider giving this one a try!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Holy moly what a tale. I started listening to the audiobook without checking the synopsis to help kill time while doing chores, and I ended up really enjoying this story. My gripe with a lot of thrillers recently is that they can take too long to progress the plot and reveal interesting twists, but I thought this one was the perfect length. The pacing moved at a brisk speed and every passage had a purpose in moving the storyline along.
In terms of characterization, Alexa and Beth had distinct personalities that set them apart. Beth is direct, quick to anger, and has no problem speaking her mind, whereas Alexa is reserved and the more level-headed half of the duo. There is an influencer-type boyfriend who comes into the picture early on and serves as a buffer between the two sisters’ sometimes clashing personalities. There’s also a few chapters involving the doctor assigned to care for the sisters at the psychiatric facility. I found him particularly interesting and well-written because he had his moments of being sympathetic to Alexa and Beth’s situation but also his moments of pure focus on the medical aspect of their case as a scientific professional. But truthfully I was definitely a lot more invested in the interactions between Alexa and Beth.
The twist in the story obviously is what caused the sisters to end up at a psychiatric center at nine years old. It’s quite interesting so I won’t mention anymore and save any potential spoilers. What I do wanna mention is how the story goes beyond that night. I’m so used to thrillers unveiling a final twist to shock readers, and then fading to black, that it caught me off guard when I was reunited with the main characters and the story continued. Because this book leans on the shorter side, it didn’t feel like the author was dragging the story out. It rather felt like the full story had yet to be unveiled and there were more pieces of the puzzle to be discovered, which definitely excited me and kept me reading.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and was satisfied where it ended. I haven’t read a lot of thrillers so I can’t say if the curveballs were predictable, but I personally enjoyed where the plot went and how each character reacted as the story went on. I thought the narrator of the audiobook did a wonderful job with highlighting the mounting tension between the sisters, and giving Alexa and Beth distinct voices. It’s a short read so if you’re looking for something quick to occupy some time definitely consider giving this one a try!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.