When I Was You

by Amber Garza

'Garza has upped the game . . . You won't want to put this one down' SAMANTHA DOWNING, author of MY LOVELY WIFE

'A compulsive read . . . with a twist you won't want to miss' KAREN CLEVELAND, author of NEED TO KNOW

____________________

Two women. One life. They can't both have it.

Kelly Medina's son left for college a year ago and now she feels totally alone. So when she discovers that a single mother also called Kelly Medina has moved to her town, it's an unexpected reminder of the life she used to live.

For days, Kelly can't stop thinking about the woman who shares her name, who has a baby son she can still hold and her whole life ahead of her. She can't help looking for her: at the grocery store, at the gym, on social media. When they happen to bump into each other outside a pediatrician's office, simple curiosity gets the better of them both.

Their unlikely friendship brings Kelly a renewed sense of purpose. But the relationship quickly turns to obsession, and when one Kelly disappears the other one may know why . . .

____________________

An additive psychological thriller, perfect for fans of You by Caroline Kepnes, The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn and The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekkanen & Greer Hendricks.

• ISBN10: 0778361047
• ISBN13: 9780778361046
• Publish Date: 25 August 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Mira Books
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.I went into this book with little expectations as it was my first time experiencing the author’s work. However, the moment I started reading I knew that this would be a book I would not be able to put down. When you have a story where you question the sanity of the main character you know you are in for a twisted read.

When I was You introduced the reader to Kelly Medina who is trying to cope with being an empty nester as her son Aaron left home for college. Her husband a professor works for University far from their home, so he only comes home on weekends. She tries to fill her lonely days with yoga and volunteering. One day she receives a call from the town’s paediatrician reminding her of her son’s appointment. Hmmm, but her son is an adult, which would mean there are two Kelly Medinas living in Folsom. How is that even possible? Well, Kelly number one was determined to find out about the second Kelly, even if it meant stalking her.

To be honest, I started out not being a big fan of the original Kelly. I found her to be whiny, frustrating, obsessive and one screw short of the Looney bin. She was one of the most unreliable characters I have ever encountered. However, as the story progressed, I learnt that all is not as it appears to be.

When I was You is one of those stories that readers need to go into as blindly as they possibly can. I thought I knew the direction the story would take, but boy oh boy I was so wrong.
I had so many theories, some of which proved right, but my theory regarding the principal part of the story didn’t even come close. Talk about twists. This book had it in spades and do not get me started on the ending, which left me utterly speechless. I thought to myself, what the hell just happened? I am not in agreement with how the end played out, but I understood why it happened. This story will definitely mess with your head.

The author made use of the second person narrative while switching between the POVs of the two Kellys. I found the method fascinating as it added to the mystery. It had me questioning what was real and what were delusions.

Conclusion/Recommendation
I found this to be an interesting and suspenseful read. I recommend this to readers of psychological thrillers.

This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading