So many things to say about this book. First, the story that you think you’re entering into isn’t even remotely what is actually happening. There are two distinct narrators, each viewing the same circumstances from very different perspectives. One is trapped in a dangerous web, and the other is perilously close to falling into the same trap, but cannot see it. I was initially invested in the story. Eden once had a solid marriage. She’s blindsided when her husband, Dave, abruptly asks for a divorce, soon after their daughter, Ava, leaves home for college. Eden is stunned and reeling from these sudden changes. She wanders around their large, empty house, bereft and at a loss as to what to do next. Dave was Eden’s best friend and her only real relationship. She derives most of her identity from being a wife and mother. Eden’s job as a realtor is lucrative, but she finds it unfulfilling now. Then, on the night of her 45th birthday, buoyed by wine and false bravado, Eden impulsively sends a friend request online to her college crush, Justin Ward. Predictably, he responds almost immediately, and they catch up on old times and flirt. Eden hasn’t seen or spoken to Justin in decades, but their “connection” quickly blossoms and escalates. At the point, red flags are waving like giant banners, but Eden is oblivious. She makes staggeringly stupid choices that are shallow, immature and genuinely cringeworthy. She’s supposed to be depicted as smart, educated and articulate, but acts like a clueless teen, embarking on a “relationship” with Justin, comprised primarily of suggestive texts, gaslighting and his mercurial moods.
This was a hard sell for me. Eden lurches into this flimsy involvement with someone from her past that she barely knows. Seems needy, misguided and ill-advised, at best. When odd, inexplicable events begin to occur, Eden briefly considers that maybe she’s being stalked, but then returns to her romantic fantasies, that are literally based on nothing more than some hazy
memories from years ago and some recent, brief exchanges. I was so frustrated by Eden’s lack of discernment. Rather than choosing strength, self-reflection and a chance to get to know what she truly wants, Eden grabs onto this man like he’s a proverbial life raft. She craves external validation from someone else so keenly, instead of exploring her own independence. If this sophomoric self-destructive spiral of Eden’s isn’t enough to deter you from the book, be aware that all is also not as it seems. Justin is still darkly and obsessively entangled with a wife (Olivia) that he claims to be estranged from, while Dave is clandestinely frequenting a club for the sexually adventurous. Not many heroes to root for.
Additionally, I was struck by some of the critics advanced praise for the book, listed in the preceding pages before the story begins. One reviewer in the book’s accolades refers to it as a “sexy thriller.” Because so much of the book took such a dark and disturbing turn, (when it wasn’t busy being implausible and absurd, as well), I just couldn’t see it as anything close to that description. Edgy doesn’t fit either. I just don’t find narcissism, sociopathy, domestic violence and abuse to be anything sexy. The book is a cautionary tale, intended to shock and surprise the reader.
I was disappointed with the purchase, but others may be undeterred by the darker themes.
John I
izzy9711
Keyz Conner