Author: Mindy McGinnis
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller
Source: Katherine Tegen via Edelweiss
Goodreads
Sasha Stone knows her place—first-chair clarinet, top of her class, and at the side of her oxford-wearing boyfriend. She’s worked her entire life to ensure that her path to Oberlin Conservatory as a star musician is perfectly paved.Review by Nara
But suddenly there’s a fork in the road, in the shape of Isaac Harver. Her body shifts toward him when he walks by, her skin misses his touch even though she’s never known it, and she relishes the smell of him—smoke, beer, and trouble—all the things she’s avoided to get where she is. Even worse, every time he’s near Sasha, her heart stops, literally. Why does he know her so well—too well—and she doesn’t know him at all?
Sasha discovers that her by-the-book life began by ending another’s: the twin sister she absorbed in the womb. But that doesn’t explain the gaps of missing time in her practice schedule or the memories she has of things she certainly never did with Isaac. As Sasha loses her much-cherished control, her life—and heart—become more entangled with Isaac. Armed with the knowledge that her heart might not be hers alone, Sasha must decide what she’s willing to do—and who she’s willing to hurt—to take it back.
Edgar Award–winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a dark and gripping psychological thriller about a girl at war with herself, and what it really means to be good or bad.
What the actual fuck is this book?
It was so weird, and to be honest with you, I couldn't even really finish it. I skimmed through and read to the end, and things just became weirder and weirder. Every time something happened, my reaction would just be WTF IS HAPPENING.
So quick summary of the premise: main character Sasha discovers that she used to be a twin- she had a twin sister that she absorbed in the womb. This sister (apparently) lay dormant in her for some time but at the start of this book, began to take over her heart/body. Therefore Sasha has these gaps in her memory and becomes attracted to someone who isn't her boyfriend etc etc...
I don't even really know if it was going for a mental illness/delusional disorder take on things, or whether the whole thing was supposed to be paranormal fantasy/magical realism. The narrator is unreliable (and extremely unlikeable) and I honestly can't tell whether some of the things that happen in the book are "real" or not.
I liked The Female of the Species, which was written in a similar vein to this novel, but way less bizarre/unreliable. I'm not sure I'll be trying out any more of Mindy McGinnis' mystery/thriller contemporaries, because I felt that this one was a waste of my time.
Didn't like it
RatingsOverall: 2/10
Plot: 1/5
Writing: 2/5
Characters: 1/5
WTF: 5/5
Cover: 2/5
