It's been five years since Mia and Brynn murdered Summer Marks, their best friend, in the woods
Increasingly obsessed with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn and by their fan-fiction imagining of its sequel, the girls were drawn by an undertow of fantasy into the magical world they'd created. But eventually, their delusions turned sick, and the Shadow, Lovelorn's central evil, began to haunt them.
Or so the story goes. The only thing is: they didn't do it
Brynn and Mia have both found different ways to hide from their notoriety, seeking refuge from a world that hates them-a world that will never feel magical, or safe, ever again.
On the anniversary of Summer's death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as past and present, fiction and reality, begin again to intertwine, Brynn and Mia must confront painful truths they tried for so long to bury-and face the long shadow of memory that has, all this time, been waiting.
In this engrossing, twisty novel, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver weaves an unforgettable, mesmerizing tale of exquisite obsession, spoiled innocence, and impossible friendships.
***
PRAISE FOR LAUREN OLIVER
'A tense psychological thriller with a devastating denouement' Daily Mail on Vanishing Girls
'Hugely moving and gorgeously written . . . an extremely clever and well-written novel that is ultimately uplifting' Heat on Before I Fall
'Creepier and sweeter than GONE GIRL' MTV on Vanishing Girls
'This brilliant thriller has a killer twist' Fabulous on Vanishing Girls
'Lauren Oliver is the rising star of young adult fiction' The Sunday Times on Delirium
Five years ago, when they were thirteen, Brynn and Mia's best friend was murdered. Everyone thinks they did it, obsessed over a fictional world called Lovelorn. The thing is, they didn't. In this book, Mia and Brynn decide to "go back to Lovelorn", face their past, and try to discover what really happened.
This isn't the sort of book I normally read. I have a very vivid imagination which means that thrillers can easily get to be too much for me. However, this was done in such a way that I was able to handle it. Not only that, but I was hooked. It's much more than a who dunnit; it's a study of human nature, and an examination of the many different facets of a person that the world doesn't see.
I loved the way reality and a made-up world collided in the book as Mia, Brynn, and a few other characters tried to figure out the mystery. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering whether the author would actually choose to divulge the answer, or leave me forever wondering.
The writing was skillful, weaving a story that was more about the survivors and how their lives were affected than about the murder in and of itself. That being said, there were a few difficult parts that I had to rush through: mainly, brief mentions of self-harm in two separate places, and a vague allusion to harassment.
I liked that the main reason the girls were suspects (aside from being the best friends) was that the murder matched one that they had described in a fan fiction they'd written; a fan fiction that no one else had read. I also thought the final few sentences in the book were flat-out brilliant.
All in all, while this isn't a book I'll reread, I did find it engrossing. I suggest it, but with the caveat that it does deal with some sensitive material. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, this is right up your alley.
Reading updates
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30 December, 2018:
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30 December, 2018:
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