Lynn
Written on Aug 24, 2016
As the old saying goes "You can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes." Definitely, something to conform to when you read about 'Tori' because it's so easy to form a judgemental opinion over the choices she made. I can understand how she got sucked into the mess, but hope I'd have more willpower and self-esteem to stop myself from making the same self-destructive mistakes as Tori.
It's shocking, yet Tori's experience could have happened to any woman in a long-term relationship where the drudgery of everyday life makes you forget the very things that brought you and the loved one together. It's disturbing how quickly she fell onto the slippery road of personal destruction; how the lies flow without a bat of an eyelid. How can many small personal niggles build significantly over time to weaken your resolve into making incredibly poor choices?
From a reading perspective, it's like a car crash in slow motion, as Tori gets sucked into a double life, knowing she's making a huge mistake, yet unable to stop herself from potentially destroying what she has. It's both heartbreaking and captivating, as she tries unsuccessfully to make sense of the chaos she's causing not only to herself but everyone close to her. How her guilt isn't sufficient to trigger her conscience and bring her back to her senses?
The saddest part about this book? Tori still has the impulse which pulled her into the web of deceit. She doesn't appear to have learnt from her past mistakes, at least that's how I view the ending of this sensational narrative. Now this chapter of her life is preserved in words, I hope she can reflect on this time in her life, learn from it and finally be at peace.
It's a compelling and addictive account of a woman who craved attention. It's beautifully written by E.K, who does a sterling job re-telling this extraordinary confession. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
***arc received courtesy of E.K. Blair LLC***