Thriller

I have never in my life so badly wanted to give a book negative stars. I lost brain cells reading this. To be fair, I borrowed it from the library because it looked ridiculous, but it was somehow 100x worse than I imagined. I honestly don't even know how to about explaining how absolutely terrible this was. Like okay, here is the book summarized:


Kelly 1:
Goodness, I miss my son. He is in college. He is totally not dead.
I kidnapped a baby once.
I'm not crazy.
Am I?
--
Kelly 2:
Sullivan is my baby. I want to murder.
--
Kelly 1:
I know you're real. You have to be real.
My imaginary friend was real, too.
Let me go do some yoga with my 2D BFF Christine and then drink wine.
My husband is abusive. I will now casually mention having been sexually assaulted and then never bring it up again.
--
Rafael:
Oh well, my son is dead. What can you do?
Kelly must be losing it again.
Now I will suddenly care but then I will stop again.
--
Christine:
I knew something was up when you said TTYL, but I was completely unconcerned before when I thought you were hallucinating again.
Yoga, am I right?
--
Both Kellys:
I'm batshit stab stab stab
( )

Kelly Medina is trying to keep her life on an even keel but life has thrown her so many curveballs that it's hard to do. Her friends and husband think she is crazy. She thinks she is fine. Who is truly correct? I started this book and wondered why there were so many hints of hazy reality. Boy, was I in for a roller coaster ride. The story is unique and I dare anyone who reads it to see the end coming. Awesome writing, Ms. Garza! ( )

I spent the day listening to this. For the most part, I liked the narrator. I’m usually not happy with female narrators doing male voices and that was the case here. I think it’s because I imagine the characters and they never get close to the voice I imagine. It happens with male narrators who do female voices, too. Therefore I recommend you listen to the sample and decide if you like the narrator.
Now the story. What a tangled tale indeed! It was broken up into three parts. The first part was long and I kept questioning whether or not main character, Kelly #1, was imagining things and if she was trying to steal a strangers baby. Then came part two and things really rocketed. I thought I had it figured out but boom! Part three exploded. I’m not really one of those readers who tries to see where the story is heading. I like to be surprised by plot twist and turns. I didn’t see things coming because I wasn’t looking for them. If you are a reader who enjoys figuring it out on your own, you may see the way it unfolds ahead of time. I hope you still enjoy it. I wouldn’t say the characters are all likable. It’s kind of complicated but by the end I did like Kelly #1. I would say only trust the baby. Haha.
I enjoyed listening to it. I was on bed rest because of pain and this was a good diversion. The day flew by. ( )

I was looking for some escape reading and When I Was You ended up being a great choice. It is a messy ride and doesn't tie up neatly at the end but it definitely kept my head spinning and was totally engrossing. It's a tough story that is quite dark and twisty and does touch upon mental health issues and abuse if those are triggering for you as a reader.

None of the characters are particularly likable, which I think was the author's intent. If you struggle with an unreliable narrator, this may not work for you...The plus of this is that she really keeps you on your toes about who's story you really should believe...and you will be guessing until the very end.

For a thriller, which I often struggle with, this one kept my attention throughout and definitely got my mind off of real-life so I would call it a win. I really enjoyed Garza's writing style and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for a gifted copy. ( )