I went into this expecting formulaic and predictable. It was so good - wit, darkness, and heartbreaking moments, all with a fun cast of characters. 

 

Energy: Diverting. Defiant. Expressive. 

Scene: 🇺🇸 Fictional town of Plumpton, Texas.

Perspective: Our main character is in their late twenties, with a string of failed relationships and job losses. A new podcast exploring their role in the death of their best friend five years ago isn’t helping things. They return to the town where it all happened and where the podcast is taking place at their beloved grandmother’s urging.  

 

🐩 Tail Wags: The characters and their dynamics. How the podcast element is handled. The slightly unhinged romances. Fine-tuning the plot so it’s like a popcorn thriller, but then it hits in the feels.

 

The podcast felt like a real one – like a CBC investigation or Wondery style production

 

I love diverse settings in books, like a tiny house! I love when we just get normal middle class homes in books too.  

 

An amnesia trope that works! I don’t really like amnesia tropes, but I think because it doesn’t take itself so seriously (like, other characters are skeptical) while acknowledging what trauma-related amnesia really is and what it looks like. 

 

Short chapters and perfect pacing. 

 

You know how mysterious cold cases irl have those details that could mean absolutely nothing, or could be a major clue? This story captured that dynamic. Both from the investigative/podcast side and from our MC trying to recall what happened.

 

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🤓 Reader Role: Insider to Lucy’s thoughts, almost like she’s talking to us directly. Also the podcast audience. As we get snippets of the podcast investigation, we get ahead of or behind the other characters’ knowledge, depending on when they’ve listened to the episode. 

🗺️ World-Building: Immersive and set not just with detail but with dialogue that is witty and sarcastic but also real-sounding (including the podcast snippets and interviews).

🔥 Fuel: Did Lucy kill her friend, Savvy? If so, why? If not, who did? Can Lucy trust those who seem to support her? Is she unhinged, mentally ill, or overstressed? 

📖 Cred: Plausible realism. 

 

 

Content Heads-Up: Murder. Potential false accusation. Intrusive thoughts. Infidelity. Domestic abuse (mental, physical). Violence (brawl, rage). Sexual content (consenting, role-playing, intoxicated). Misogyny. Gaslighting. Traumatic memory loss, blackouts. Sexual assault. Alcohol use. Alcoholism.

 

Rep: Latina, White, and Black American. Dark, pale, and ambiguous skin tones. Cisgender. Heterosexual. Lesbian.

 

📚 Format: Library Digital