Thriller

My Best Friends Good Taste

While I love a good mystery, this is not something I would have found on my own. My best friend just bought a kindle oasis so she has been reading lots more. This is one of the ones she was reading and since I trust her judgement, I figured this would be one to try since she was loving on it so much. Good choice for us both I loved it as well.

This book is told between the alternating viewpoints of the two lead characters. Elle is troubled teen, close to flunking out her senior year of high school. She has a terrible home life, living in a filth-infested apartment with a drunk foster parent who gambles away her assistance checks. Elle’s father, a man with a history of domestic abuse, is in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit.

Charlotte has a beautiful home in a gated community. Her workaholic husband is often absent, and her own dark past has left her wary of others. During a horrible storm, Elle knocks on Charlotte’s door for shelter. She knows all about Charlotte’s past, convinced that it contributed to ruining her life. Once Charlotte allows Elle into her house and her life, the reader is treated to both sides of the coin, and no one is who they seem. I loved that this book had a spooky feeling all the way through and I devoured it all in a matter of a two day period.

Charlotte and Elle dance around each other, never fully trusting, while maintaining all the earmarks of a growing friendship. Soon Elle is left questing everything she thought she knew. In addition, she finds herself in an unexpected situation that leaves her vulnerable, her future uncertain. Again, Charlotte is there to help, solicitous, while still maintaining an underlying edge of distrust.

Occasionally, the behaviors of both characters require a stretch of the imagination, but the plot is twisty and engaging. There are HUGE surprises in store at the end. My only issue is that I feel like the end felt a bit rushed. However, this is definitely worth the time and energy to read. ( )

When Elle shows up on Charlotte's doorstep one rainy night, her plan is set into motion...leading to a chain of events neither predicted, and long-buried secrets.

Neither Elle nor Charlotte are particularly likeable, but both have their secrets and motives...and so does everyone else around them. Who can be trusted? Elle is a girl with a mission, and Charlotte comes off as meek and an easy target, but neither woman is as they first seem.

It was a quick read and I did want to keep knowing what happened next. Very easy to read and it keeps you turning the pages. I didn't find the story super engaging and nothing happened that shocked me, which I love in psychological thrillers.

Its told from first person in Elle and Charlotte's POV. Overall, well written and a story well told. ( )

So many twists and turns!

This book was such a great read! There were so many twists and turns, I found it impossible to buy down! Every time I thought I had a character figured out, the author would drop in another twist! I read this over the course of 2 evenings- it was THAT good! ( )

This book was confusing and frustrating. All the characters kept changing their personas until I couldn't keep up with any of their roles. Charlotte, a victim of abuse, starts out guarded and paranoid to the point of locking herself in her own house. She doesn't interact with strangers, answer the door or phone, yet she randomly decides to take a teenager, Elle/Elizabeth, under her wing without even questioning who she is. Elle's motives are easier to understand. She's after justice for her father, who has a history with Charlotte and is currently serving time in prison, but even she goes from vengeful to remorseful and back again at the drop of a hat. The plot was very unrealistic, and yet I had to keep reading to see how everything would untangle. Unfortunately, the ending was anti-climatic after all the plot twists. ( )