Member Reviews

I’m not sure what it is about this one but I just couldn’t get into it. It was very slow and it just did not interest me.

Was this review helpful?

I have to say I am a bit confused myself on where this went wrong. I was initially really into this and really enjoyed the characters but very quickly started to lose interest and got bored with it. I didn't think the ending saved it at all either. I can't really pinpoint exactly why I didn't enjoy this, but just found that it didn't have the level of suspense or drama needed to keep my attention. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars.

Twin sisters Cassie and Lenora are inseparable. As the sole permanent residents of Cabin Two, the twins manage to stay away from prying eyes. Until a teenage girl camping at the neighboring cabin goes missing. As the crime becomes ever more recognizable, each sister suspects the other knows more than she’s letting on.

I was in the mood for another popcorn thriller, and this was a great, gripping one! I don’t know what it is about twins in thrillers, but it always adds a certain vibe to the suspense.

I really liked the execution of this, and the mystery of ‘Then’ chapters. Yes, I managed to guess how the ‘Then’ chapters fit into the story, but it didn’t bother me overall. Cassie and Lenora had an interesting dynamic for sure, where one was a more dominant twin than the others. This was a great thriller overall!

Was this review helpful?

This book took me a bit to get into. It was a good thriller with the dual POVs but overall not my favorite. I did not guess the ending which does make me enjoy a thriller even more. I hate predictable plots and this wasn't that.

Was this review helpful?

The ending kind of saved it somewhat for me but I had some issues with the plot. I will say it’s well written for a debut but I guessed the twist at least halfway through.

When you've read a lot of thrillers you do kind of get the gist of many and I feel like that was the case with this one. Entertaining and enough that I could recommend it to those looking for something to read, but maybe not my favorite take on the genre.

However, it was well written and I love the cover!

My rating: 3.3*

——
Thanks to NetGalley and the punisher for this gifted audio copy. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

When She Was Me by Marlee Bush is a brilliant psychological thriller debut centered around twin sisters and their past traumas. This story was eerie and dark, with rich writing that pulled me into the dark woods. I loved getting to know the sisters as the mystery unfolded and was shocked by what I learned. The plot was engaging and held my attention from start to finish. It was completely binge worthy. The audiobook narration was easy to listen to.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was fun! The simultaneous past and present storyline did a great job not giving anything away that would hint at the ending. Shockingly, I did not guess the twist until it started happening. Loved the cabin in the woods setting!

Was this review helpful?

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t stop listening. I was hooked from the first minute! The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, Marlee Bush & Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

I was drawn in by the eerie “cabin in the woods” cover & intrigued by the concept. Sadly, this one felt like trudging through mud. Even at the increased speed that I listen to audiobooks, this one just DRAGGED & my focus refused to stay on it.

Cassie & Lenora’s situation is just weird. The sisters are weird. Sarah is weird. The other guests are weird. Not in a good way like you’d want. I hated every single character & wished a slasher would come through & just kill them all so it would be over. Nothing about this book was suspenseful or thrilling and I didn’t care at all about the mystery, which was predictable from lightyears away.

I know this was a debut & I’m sorry, Marlee. It just wasn’t for me. Happy to try future books, though!

Was this review helpful?

Definitely a slow burn atmospheric read. It kept me on my toes not knowing who to trust and if all of it was real or in part imagined. I had so many theories and none of them panned out.

While identical twins were front and center, they couldn't have been more different. One didn't leave home while the other was a true crime blogger that went everywhere without shoes in the cold. I had a hard time connecting with the twins and I'm not sure if it was the characters or the repetitiveness of the story, but that detracted from the book when the story is so heavily character driven.

Imani Jade Powers does a good job narrating this one. She nails the atmosphere and tension and while the main characters are identical twins, this one could have benefitted from a second narrator. At times I went back to make sure I knew who was narrating that chapter.

If you are a fan of slow burn mysteries with dual timelines, you should check this one out.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this audiobook and the narrator. It took me awhile to read it because I can only listen to audiobooks at certain times but never had trouble picking up the story where I left off. It’s a book that kept me guessing and wondering who to trust.

Was this review helpful?

It’s giving Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver…

I find twins so fascinating honestly, like is twin telepathy really a thing?! So this one had me hooked right away. These twins were wild, like they were so wildly different from one another, but they were each so unwaveringly loyal to one another.

This one has all the things you want in a psychological thriller and read really well, especially considering this was a debut novel! The story was interesting and kept me intrigued the entire time, despite it really giving me the feels for another book I read a while ago!

Was this review helpful?

Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this one. I’m an avid thriller reader and found myself getting wary of the writing and didn’t find myself invested in the story. I acknowledge that this may just not be a book for me, and that’s okay!

Was this review helpful?

This book follows Cassie and Lenora, identical twins who share a unique bond and traumatic upbringing. They now live alone in a remote/deserted campground, aside from the occasional visitor. On one occasion, a family with a teenaged girl comes to visit. The girl goes missing, and it brings back a LOT of unwanted memories.

There was a lot I loved about this book and a lot that wasn't my favorite, but overall I think this was a very solid debut novel! The beginning starts off with a bang, but the middle was a little long-winded and confusing? But honestly confusing might have been the point because the ENDING!! Was insane in the best way!! I never saw the twist coming!

I give it a 3.5 stars, rounded down on here!

Was this review helpful?

This was a good debut of a well-paced thriller. I enjoyed the twists and turns the author created here. Having the two sister's narrate helped create intirgue and the desire to keep turning pages. I did find some of the time jumps to be a bit confusing. However, the twists were placed in the perfect spots to keep me wanting to listen. I thought the one narrator did a great job of creating distinction between the two sisters. Her voices and tone changes made it easy for me to keep track of whose POV I was in while listening.

Was this review helpful?

This is a dark thriller about twin sisters with contrasting personalities who share a strong bond and are willing to go to great lengths for each other. Both were dealing with dark secrets from their past. The story slowly reveals information about that fateful night.

Although I enjoyed the story, I felt that it dragged in some parts. The plot was solid, but the length of the novel did become tedious at times. I generally prefer fast-paced thrillers. Overall, it was a slow read, but the ending was great and revealed a surprising twist that made the novel worth reading, although it wasn't what I had expected when I started.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley for providing a complimentary advanced copy of the novel.

Was this review helpful?

This was an intriguing debut. My interest in the characters was piqued, which enabled me to finish reading. Even though I had no idea what was going on, the twists didn't completely surprise me. The narrative of the novel alternates between the current and past tenses, as seen through the eyes of sisters Cassie and Lenora. Living in a secluded cottage next to two neighboring cabins—one owned by the owner and the other rented—are Leona and Cassie. Despite their shared trauma, Leona finds it difficult to leave the lodge. Everything is good when a family with a teenage daughter stays in the third cabin; that is, until the girl disappears and is found dead. Although not a thrilling thriller, this was undoubtedly interesting. It seemed monotonous at times, and I believe it might have been condensed a bit. Also, I thought the author occasionally purposefully used confusion as a tool to heighten the twisted factor.

The narrator does an admirable job of bringing the characters to life, providing distinct voices and emotive readings that enhance the overall experience. The pacing is generally well-done, maintaining a good balance between slower, introspective moments and the faster, more intense scenes.

Was this review helpful?

Twins, twins that one should not have survived. But they both did.

Cassie and Lenora went out and started to live in the middle of no where to run away from their past. But one night things just started to go wrong. The owner of the camp ground they were living at died and the new owner opened the camp ground out again. The first visitors daughter went missing then found dead. Cassie and Lenora’s cabin fought on fire and all because the new camp ground owner is keeping a secret of her own.

Was this review helpful?

I listened to the audio for this one, and it worked well for the story, with narrator, Imani Jade Powers, doing a great job of conveying the sisters, Lenora and Cassie, in an engaging way.

I’m not usually a fan of twin stories, because they can be a bit cliche, and they are usually good twin/evil twin but I genuinely enjoyed the way the two sisters cared about each other, and their sistership.

This was a slower burn, building to a twist that wasn’t completely surprising, but still satisfying when the big twist was revealed.

I found I drifted a little at some of the detail sometimes, but I definitely enjoyed this one and would read more from this author!

⚠The story touched on some themes that might be a trigger for some readers, so just adding a warning to check if you need before reading.

Was this review helpful?

This was a really interesting listen. While I liked the two main characters and the setting, I got very frustrated with the POV switching. We jump between the two main character’s and a third past POV that seems to be one of the main characters, though the specific one is not identified. This, at least in the audio version, was confusing. I didn’t realize I didn’t know which twin it was until much later. That is probably mean to add to the twist at the end but it was more annoying than it was worth. That being said I still think the story had a lot of merit and good writing: I would give the author another shot.

Was this review helpful?