Published by Inkubator Books on April 10, 2022
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Pages: 286
Amazon UK, Amazon US
Goodreads
Also by this author: The Other Couple, The Favorite Child
Two friends.
One road trip.
A journey to hell.Recently divorced, Abbey is hungry for new experiences, determined to live life to the full.
So when her old college friend, Raven, suggests a road trip, she leaps at the chance. But they haven’t gone far when they realize a stranger is following them.
As his behavior becomes more and more threatening, it begins to dawn on Abbey that this is no random psychopath. He is pursuing them because he is connected to a terrible event in her past.
What she doesn’t know is that Raven hasn’t been completely honest about this trip - she too has been keeping a dark secret.And now they are running for their lives from a man who knows that one of them deserves to die…
This was an intriguing crazy story. I love that you were never quite sure who the “bad” character was even at the end. Because despite everything that unfolded you found you could justify actions that had been taken! It is crazy and the reason I found I could justify what happened is because of the writing!
Cathryn’s writing had me questioning the intent of Raven. You see when Raven spoke of her friendship with Abbey, its written in a needy and slightly OTT, intense and stalkerish way. Yet, you have Abbey who basically mirrors what Raven says and you think, yeah that is actually normal and ok. It is what you want to believe. Many times I would roll my eyes at Raven and then agree with Abbey. Yet…..and yet!!! Abbey is just as bad if not worse in present day as we have a lot of gaslighting going on.
I did like that the questions I had, and the characters have on their road trip. I mean you haven’t seen each other for how ever many years, and you expect it to go back to how it was at college and then some. All the while both questioning each other motives.
While the chapters are alternating between Abbey and Raven as we join them on a road trip, we had diary entries from Lily. Lily tells us her trials and bullying at college and my heart went to her. Sharing a room with roach one and roach two, and the bullying/gaslighting and torture she endured by these aptly named Roaches. Slowly we watch everything unravel and the mental wellbeing of one of the characters.
When we got to the end, there is no twist by then but it was shocking! And cold, so cold, which I did not expect. It was a pleasant surprise, although the character(s) are completely messed up and deluded.
I was obsessed with this story. From the opening introductions to the cold end, I did not foresee, but I really should have, the ending. It was an interesting journey where you begin to question your own mind. An elaborate plan to get the truth which had me hooked. What a journey!
Until next time xxx
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