I love unhinged, unreliable narrators and obsession-driven thrillers, so I really enjoyed this. It starts off almost relatable—who hasn’t glanced into an open window at night? (😇)—and spirals from there. I admit it might not be for everyone, but if you like a complex portrayal of a mind in turmoil it could be a hit for you too.   

 

Energy: Effusive. Evasive. Impassioned. 

 

🐕 Howls The ending veers into a high-stakes, popcorn thriller style I didn’t love. The dark comedy moments and action went on a bit too long for my taste at the end, but if you like that style, it’s well done and keeps the tension high. The neighbourhood characters are referred to by both their nicknames (assigned by the MC earlier) and their real names (which we learn later) - by the end I had trouble keeping track.  

🐩 Tail Wags A main character that is fascinatingly off-kilter, yet totally unaware of that fact. Mysterious vibes. Being deep in the character’s head while also picking up on other people’s reactions and that something is ‘off’ about her interpretation of events. Despite predicting one big plot twist early on, I still wanted to see how everything would play out. Heavy on the inner monologue but didn’t feel repetitive or corny. 

 

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in a New York suburb with a mix of high- and lower-end homes.

Perspective: Our main character is dealing with the loss of friendships after the breakdown of their marriage. They spy on their old friends using walks with their baby as an excuse if they get caught.

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).☀️ August and September. 

🔥 Fuel: Unreliable narrator. Is our MC seeing reality clearly, or has she lost all sense of it? Mysteries, hints, and puzzling reactions. Is someone in danger or is she misinterpreting events? Who to trust. Did our main character do something terrible? Are the people in her life there to help or harm? 

📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief plausible-ish

 

Baby carriage. Suburban night walks. Humidity. Sour sweat. Pond fountain. Streetlights. Un-curtained windows. Orange nail. 

 

Stalking, voyeurism, obsession. Mental illness, psychosis, memory loss. Mentally ill parent (bipolar). Loss of parent (as child). Divorce, break up (one sided). Loss of a child. Postpartum depression. Toxic relationship (marriage). Drug use (prescription but misused; anti-anxiety, miscellaneous psychiatric medications). Infidelity. Nicotine (cigarettes). Alcohol (addiction; self-medicating). Car crash (brief mention off page). Dismissive authorities (police). Loss of spouse (very brief recall). Murder. Drowning. Forced institutionalization (attempt). Drugging (of child). Ableism (prejudice and persecution of mentally ill). Narcissism, gaslighting. False accusation. Body fluids. Kidnapping, confinement. Physical attack. Financial crime (embezzlement). Suicide (very brief recall; off page).

 

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Tawny, dark, dusky, pale, and ambiguous skin tones. 

 

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from CamCat Books and BookSirens.