Description
There are three sides to every story...
2019: Julianne is preparing a family dinner when her son comes to her and says he’s found something on his iPad. Something so terrible, it will turn Julianne’s world into a nightmare and make her question everything about her marriage and what type of man her husband is or is pretending to be.
1990: Holly is a fresher student at Oxford University. Out of her depth and nervous about her surroundings, she falls into an uneasy friendship with a group of older students from the upper echelons of society and begins to develop feelings for one in particular. He’s confident, quiet, attractive and seems to like her too. But as the year progresses, her friends’ behaviour grows steadily more disconcerting and Holly begins to realise she might just be a disposable pawn in a very sinister game.
A devastating secret has simmered beneath the surface for over twenty-five years. Now it’s time to discover the truth. But what if you’re afraid of what you might find?
Review : 2.5 Stars
This books should come with a bunch of trigger warnings, gang rape, sexual violence, racism, homophobia to name some.
The book starts off interestingly enough and intrigues the reader. The presentation of the story moving between the 90s and 2019 is interesting and you try to figure out how the past and the present are connected. It becomes evident at about 25% in. Holly’s character is well defines and her behavior and approach to everything in an elite university, coming from a middle class background herself, is understandable. Julianne’s story in the 90s on the other hand isn’t as well developed and she only seems like one of the side characters. Julianne’s mother is a completely unnecessary character in the plot.
I was hooked enough throughout the book because the story was interesting. It was disturbing in many places but it still makes you want to read more. I would have rated this book a lot higher only if the ending was not so unsatisfying. Being based in 2019, I cannot believe how Ernest is unaffected and casual about everything being discussed. In light of the #MeToo movement it is impossible to believe that anyone would think they were untouchable by reality because of the money or position they held. This approach makes it seem like the whole #MeToo movement is being minimized or diminished. The author could have made the ending a lot more believable by using the #MeToo movement to the advantage of the women instead. I did not like how James was dealt with at all, just seemed more convenient than believable again. The epilogue too is wired. This was yet another missed opportunity to show that power MeToo movement.
So while the book was an interesting read, the way it wrapped up left a lot to be desired and hence I would not rate it more than I have. If the ending was dealt with differently this book had the potential to easily be a 4-5 star book.
Thank you Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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