A review by cj_mo_2222
When She Was Me by Marlee Bush

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Cassie and Lenora are identical twins who went through a traumatic event together and now live in a campground in Tennessee. Lenora is able to work as a ghostwriter, but barely steps outside their small cabin. Cassie does a true crime podcast, putting herself in the shoes of the victims whose deaths she covers. Cassie is always there to protect Lenora from others and from herself. Things begin to change for the twins when a teenage girl arrives with her parents for a short camping trip and goes missing. What happened to Tilly and what secrets are Cassie and Lenora keeping from each other?

This book is told from both Cassie and Lenora's present point-of-view as well as an unidentified person in the past. The story is intriguing, but at times confusing. Both sisters keep referring to an incident in their past, but the reader isn't given details on what it was. The "past" narration is also kept purposely vague to keep up the suspense, but for me the repetition sometimes slowed the pace of the story. I was able to figure out some of the plot twists before they were revealed. After some slow chapters in the middle, the ending picks up and I was surprised when all of the secrets finally came out. Better pacing would have made the book more suspenseful for me, but it's still an entertaining read.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sourcebooks. My review is voluntary and unbiased.