Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia reconstructs and explores the events that lead up to the main character's murder. The formatting of how the plot is told leads the reader to think through the story in a slightly different way.

In this genre, I find in the books that I read that it is becoming difficult to really set a book apart. The writing was great and the narrative was well done. The twists and turns were fairly predictable and not overly surprising. I enjoyed how the author told the story, but I probably would not read this novel a second time. It's a good novel if you don't have the time to be invested in a dense book.

Overall, the book entertained me, but it is not necessarily a memorable novel. If you are going to read it, it's a great sunny day on the beach or commute book. While I did not outright not like the novel, I really just could not get enthusiastic about it.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tricky one for me to review.

On its own, it's a solid thriller and whodunnit with a strong female protagonist. However, as an avid thriller reader, there seems to be an ongoing theme that goes a little something likes this: small town, strong, bad*ss girl who believes she is way better than her tiny town, can't wait to get out of dodge and ends up getting herself killed. These books also tend to have the word "Girl" in the title, this one doesn't, bonus point.

The strongest part of this book for me is he main character, Hattie. While she's not entirely likable, she is a total enigma and kind of a fascinating chick in the way she handles life (not going into detail here as I don't want to give away any spoilers).

The format of the book, told in the first person from three different perspectives, totally works for this story. It's great for character development and also a super interesting way to look at the story as it unfolds.

Also, triggers. As a parent, this one was excruciating to get through. It is disturbing and graphic in parts.

If you're looking for a twisty turny thriller - this one is for you!

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A book full of twists, turns, and unreliable narrators. This story keeps you guessing until the very end.

When a popular teenage girl is found murdered, a small town is ripped apart as blame, guilt, and secrets run rampant. While a few of the twists were fairly predictable, this novel also finds new ways to approach topics of family, desire, and identity. Also, if you're a fan of Macbeth, there's a fairly subtle subplot running throughout the novel, tying it to the play in a rather interesting way.

Everything You Want Me to Be is the first book of 2017 that I read, and I have to say, it started my year off on a good note. I wasn’t sure I was even in the mood for it at the time, but I was quickly hooked. It isn’t exactly spectacular or mind-blowing, but it’s still pretty good mystery that kept me intrigued. There’s definitely an addictive quality about it.

I like how this is told in a nonlinear way and with tree points-of-view. We get Hattie’s story about what transpired up until she was killed, all while we follow the sheriff investigating her murder. We also get the POV of Peter, the English teacher, who plays an important role in the story. In addition to figuring out who the murderer is and what exactly happened, a big question is: who is the real Hattie?

The characters can be a bit unreliable at times, leaving the reader wondering what’s true and who is really responsible for the murder up until the end. I mean, it’s kind of predictable, but it does have some nice little twists in there. The author does a good job weaving it all together.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Everything You Want Me to Be. This is my honest opinion of the book.

High school senior Hattie Hoffman is found stabbed to death on the opening night of her high school play. Sheriff Del Goodman, a family friend, vows to find her killer, but quickly discovers a convoluted web to untangle. Written from the perspectives of Hattie, Del, and Peter, the English teacher, Everything You Want Me to Be gives reader a look back at Hattie's last year.

Although the story was written in multiple points of view, it strangely was not disjointed. The plot unfolded, with the final reveal somewhat telegraphed, yet still interesting. Hattie Hoffman is a hard character to like, but the author does a good job of painting the picture of a teenager who does not think things through clearly and implodes her life as a result. Readers who like YA mystery/thrillers will enjoy how the story is spooled out, a little at a time, in order to build the suspense and mystery.

I had seen this book everywhere and was thrilled to be approved for a copy! The story is clever and full of twists and unexpected turns. Fast-paced and well-plotted. Definitely a satisfying read!

Hattie is a high school senior who thinks she has discovered the key to success in life--be a great actress, and play the roles each person wants from her. But then she is murdered, and secrets of her inner life, and the small town she lived in, are revealed.

Mejia uses three narrators to tell the story, and she uses them well. Each storyteller-Hattie herself, the town sheriff, and the new English teacher-bring something new and important to the tale. And each of the three are hiding things, big and small, that makes a reader wonder just how much they can be trusted.

The structure of the book works really well as well. While the book itself opens with Hattie's murder, Hattie tells her story from many months before. Readers know where her tragic tale is going to end, but Hattie does not, and this builds up a sense of foreboding and suspense.

The twists are well-plotted and the mystery is an intriguing one.


There really wasn't anything I didn't like in this book.

The only thing I would say is that, in my opinion, I didn't find it as good as works by Gillian Flynn, for example (an author Mejia is already being compared to). This was a good book, I just didn't love it as much as some of my absolute favorites. It's a book I really enjoyed reading, but don't see myself needing to own or re read.

I would definitely recommend fans of psychological thrillers pick this one up. It's a well-told, complex story with an excellent mystery woven in.

A student is brutally murdered, and the town’s sheriff vows to find the killer. The more he investigates the death, however, the more questions arise. He realizes that the girl, hailed as a great actress, may have kept the majority of her life off stage. Author Mindy Mejia takes readers into a small town and its scandals in the heart-wrenching novel Everything You Want Me to Be.

Hattie Hoffman knows she’s meant for something more than what her small town of Pine Valley, Minnesota, can offer. As a high school senior, she feels like she’s at a turning point in her life. Once she graduates, she’s leaving southern Minnesota behind and moving to New York City. It’s only in NYC, she knows, that she can find what she was meant to do.

She already has an inkling. She’s spent so much of her life playing a part: the obedient daughter; the gracious best friend; the model employee in the town’s drugstore. If she can play so many different roles every day, surely she can put that talent to good use on stage.

When the new English teacher, Peter Lund, comes to town, Hattie realizes she’s met a kindred spirit: someone who doesn’t belong in Pine Valley. Peter feels it too. He came back to Pine Valley as a kindness to his ailing mother-in-law. His wife, Mary Beth, is a townie and slips right back into life as a farmgirl, but Peter feels increasingly estranged from her and the girl she was back in Minneapolis.

Peter and Hattie inevitably get close, so when Hattie is found stabbed to death on the night of the big school play sheriff Del Goodman begins digging into the people around her. That includes Peter and also Hattie’s boyfriend, Tommy. The difficulty gets compounded by the fact that Del has known Hattie’s family since before she was born; he thinks of Hattie like a daughter.

It’s excruciating for Del to look her parents in the eye and share the details of her murder. He starts to pull apart the various facets of Hattie’s life and then must go back to her parents with her secrets. The adults who care so deeply about her realize they only knew the parts of Hattie that she chose to share, and if they want to find her killer they will need to understand all of her.

Author Mindy Mejia creates vivid characters. Hattie is definitely a young woman of this day and age but one who feels the trappings of small-town life. No matter how far the digital revolution carries the world, people in close proximity to one another will still take a scrutinizing interest in their neighbors. Mejia charts Hattie’s discomfort with the scrutiny in a delicate manner.

Peter’s anguish and inner conflict ring true to real life. While readers may not approve of his actions, they may sympathize with his plight. Mejia creates enough space around Peter to allow for that sympathy, not an easy task for an author.

Mejia has her hero in Del, the father figure who must keep fighting and doing his job to find justice for Hattie. Del balances his own grief with his job in an admirable manner that doesn’t come across as fake; again, Mejia sets up a complex character with success.

If the book can be faulted anywhere, it might be in the fact that Peter wishes to distance himself from small-town life and then lands right in the middle of a stereotypical small-town scandal. His conscience won’t leave him alone about it, however, and therein lies Mejia’s saving grace for Peter and the book. People from all walks of life, Mejia seems to say, are prone to stupid mistakes when they’re not thinking clearly.

Also, the big reveal of the killer’s identity comes across as a little clumsy, which is a shame given how cleanly the rest of the book is plotted. The murder itself and the way authorities find out both feel a touch serendipitous, and readers may feel cheated on that point but by then they may be happy just to know who actually did it.

The book alternates between Hattie, Peter, and Del’s points of view, teasing out the thriller aspect and leading and then misleading readers in the best ways possible before reaching the end. Everything You Want Me to Be Borders on Bookmarking it.

This book was very interesting and held a lot of intrigue for the reader. Hatty is a senior in high school and is involved in acting. She is a great actress but she has been acting for what seems like her entire life. She plays the role of good daughter to her parents, good friend to her peers and instead of being who she truly is, she plays out the roles that people would like to see. When a new teacher comes to her school, Hatty is infatuated with him. Her life changes as does his upon their meeting. When Hattie is found dead the small town is abuzz questioning who did this to Hattie. The book is filled with twists and turns and leaves the reader in suspense up to the end. I definitely recommend this book.

Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia is a 2017 Atria/ Emily Bestler Books publication.

Very suspenseful, atmospheric, and absorbing.

This is a cleverly written novel of suspense featuring not one, not two, but three first person perspectives.

Hattie has grown up in Pine Valley, and is bursting to break free. She has played a variety of roles in her life, and can easily transform herself into the person people want her to be. She’s a good daughter to her parents, a good friend, a sweet girlfriend, a good student…

But, when she is found brutally stabbed to death, the shocking facts about her secret life come bubbling to the surface and will shock the town and devastate lives for a long time to come.

Peter, who is Hattie’s high school English teacher, gives us his perspective, as he explains how he came to live in Pine Valley with his wife, Mary.

Mary’s mother is gravely ill, but she refuses to sell the farm, leaving Mary no choice but to stay and take care of her and the farm. Peter, however, feels like an outsider as Mary’s focus on her mother’s health becomes morosely obsessive, leaving little room for Peter.

Del is the head of Pine Valley law enforcement and walks us through the investigation into Hattie’s murder. His story is raw, and conflicting as he must maintain professionalism while delivering bad news to one of his best friends and grieve the loss of a girl he watched grow up.

But, the most haunting voice is Hattie’s, who tells us her story posthumously. She’s a chameleon in many ways, a teenager with a bright future, a little too advanced for her small-town classmates and friends, who needs more a challenge. She has big dreams and hopes and nothing is going to get in her way of what she wants...


For me, this story was deeply absorbing and hard to put down. The focus is firmly on the characterizations, but that doesn’t compromise the mystery and suspense elements. There is an understated quality to the story, as it moves toward what appears to be an inevitable outcome. I was so consumed by the characters’ emotions and actions, I never saw the twists coming. But, once they start, they just keep coming, with one shock wave after another.

This is the first book I’ve read by Mindy Mejia and I have to say I’m pretty impressed. I loved her writing style and her ability to pull me so deeply into the story, building suspense at just the right pace. I love it when a book is unpredictable and challenges me, really making me work for it, and just when I think I have it all worked out, pulls the rug out from under me.

Good stuff! I recommend it to all mystery, suspense and thriller fans!

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I was seeing some Twitter chatter about this book from trusted sources. I was intrigued by the cover. So, I hopped over to Netgalley and requested it. And then was quickly approved!

At first, I was kinda of meh about this book. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it.

About the time one of the secrets was revealed was when I started getting into the book. It wasn’t the secret exactly because it was a secret that could be assumed or somewhat easily guessed. But it was how Mindy Meija decided to let the reader and one of the characters know the secret- that was what intrigued me. Because it left open a whole bunch of possibilities about how Hattie’s life ended.

What I liked:

The cover. It’s not pretty. Not beachy. But it is intriguing.

Hattie. You know you ought to kinda not like her. She’s rarely revealing her true self- she’s playing a part. And yet, you can’t help but like someone that does all this- not for sinister motive, not to hide that she killed someone or is a true sociopath- but to just get through life, get through to the point that she can hug her mom and dad and say good-bye to small town life and go and drink up all the color of the world she wants!

Del. He could have been written many a different way. But the way Mindy Meija chose to write the character, how he handles his job and the way that he takes care of his friends- well, he’s the kind of guy you want in your corner.



Bottom line: Everything You Want Me To Be and I may have not gotten off to the most wonderful start, but it was worth sticking around for and seeing how the book played out. Recommended.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*



** Everything You Want Me To Be is a January 2017 #FuturisticFriday selection from Traveling With T.**



Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T

High School Senior Hattie Hoffman has spent her whole life playing different parts: good daughter, good student, good girlfriend. That changes the summer before Senior year, and by the end of the year, Hattie Hoffman is dead.

Del Goodman, detective and family friend of the Hoffman’s vows to find Hattie’s killer, but the more things he uncovers about her death, the more questions that arise as well. Who was the real Hattie Hoffman?

Everything You Want Me to Be is a suspenseful and powerful portrait of a young girl trying to figure out who she really is in the world while letting go of the person that everyone else wants her to be.

Told in alternating POV’s and shifting from past to present leading up to Hattie’s death, there are many twists and turns, some more surprising than others.

Mejia’s writing and character portrayal of Hattie makes her come to life and really connect with her.

Definitely a book to pick up. Solid 4.5 stars.

We all have secrets. Something we’ve done that’s shameful. Something we hide away from the world so people only see the person we want them to think we are, as opposed to the one who committed that awful act or gave into temptation of some kind. For most of us, it’s something personal and private. Shame isn’t something easily or willingly shared, after all. But sometimes, the ugly things we do affect other people and that’s when things get complicated. It’s that shared and collective understanding of committing a humiliating and/or immoral deed that makes Everything You Want Me to Be so gripping and powerful.

But beyond simple empathy for the circumstances, the other compelling ingredient in this novel is the beautifully honest characters and dialogue. The three primary characters Del, Hattie and Peter are each flawed to some degree but also self-aware enough to be conscious of when they fail in both their thoughts and actions. They all spend much of the novel hiding their true thoughts and motivations, even from the people they care about the most. At times, they question if they’re even being honest with themselves.

Although my overall experience with this novel was unquestionably positive, I do have a couple nitpicks to point out (because that’s just what I do):

Peter’s disillusionment with his wife and mother-in-law was a bit irritating. They’d been together for seven years. Did they never visit his wife’s parents? Did she never tell him about growing up on a farm, including the butchering of animals? I think the author wanted to portray him as someone who is fundamentally a decent guy who just made some poor decisions that ended up escalating out of his control because he felt alone and out of place. Unfortunately, most of his feelings of loneliness and abandonment are based on his own self-centered point of view. He clearly feels bad about his actions but never enough to stop himself.

Looking at the the opposite point of view, it seems a bit odd that Mary would withdraw from her husband so completely in such a short amount of time. The stress she felt at trying to deal with a difficult situation would account for some of it but her indignation that her intellectual husband wasn’t trying hard enough to adapt to a simple life on the farm seems a bit unreasonable. For a couple that had been together for seven years, it often seemed like they barely knew each other.

The final confrontational scene between Hattie and her boyfriend didn’t ring true for me. One of the fundamental aspects of the entire story was Hattie’s ability to understand who people wanted her to be and then play that role perfectly. Her complete failure to manipulate that critical situation seemed wildly inconsistent with her character.

Despite my minor quibbles, this was a wonderfully authentic and emotional story with a deliciously slow build of tension. As the drama unfolds and secrets are revealed across a fascinating time-jumping storyline, the three protagonists are slowly drawn together in a shocking and heartbreaking ending that will leave you feeling drained, shocked, frustrated and ultimately saddened.

3.5 stars.

I literally just read this entire book in a non-stop 7 hour reading sprint and I didn't even mean to. It was extremely addicting.
I honestly wish that it had ended differently, and I was expecting an even more sinister end to the story. However, with that said, the ending somehow still seemed a little predictable too.
Although I did have some issues with it, it was enjoyable and had me hooked from beginning to end.

Full of twists and turns this book is very addicting. Hattie Hoffman is a senior and a naturally talented actress. She molds herself according to who she is with and becomes what she thinks they want. Normally the circumstances before the murder would leave me a little freaked out. But I swear the author manages to make the characters sympathetic. The mystery is who kills Hattie and why.Just when you think you have it all figured out , you don"t. Page Turner.

I’m a bit confused as to how to review this title for because it was such a classic murder mystery. I enjoyed it and liked getting to see a story from a number of perspectives as each chapter is narrated by an alternating character. The changing viewpoint really helped what could have been a somewhat boring plot move along in a much more interesting way. I liked most of the characters in certain ways and missed having a villain though I appreciated getting a full sense of each persons back story. I stayed interested in the story all the way through with very few slow parts. I wouldn’t say it had me on the edge of my seat, and I was able to anticipate to some degree all of the twists in the story. I enjoyed speculating at all the ways it could have gone but was honestly slightly underwhelmed with the actual outcome.

The story has a very nice wrap up at the end which was nice. It left me with a few questions that I think would be wonderful for a book club. Overall, I think anyone who enjoys suspense, thrillers, and especially murder mysteries will enjoy this book. I do caution anyone who might be sensitive to the romantic relationship between Peter and Hattie, with her as a teenager and high school student. I’m usually put off by these types of plots but didn’t find that I minded this one as much as some others. That said, I do wish this had been included in the synopsis to some degree. I can’t help but think that it would only add to a wonderful book club discussion however.

Everything You Want Me to Be

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley. This does not prevent me from providing an honest review.

The residents of the small farming community of Pine Valley, Minnesota are shocked when an unrecognizable corpse found in an abandoned barn turns out to be high-school senior Henrietta "Hattie" Hoffman. With a successful opening night of the spring school play, MacBeth, featuring Hattie as Lady MacBeth, no one would have expected such a thing.

The book's narration moves back and forth in time, taking the reader through the events that lead to Hattie's demise as well as the investigation that follows. There are three narrators.

Hattie's acting talent appears to be linked to her instincts about fashioning herself into whichever version of herself suits her situation--hence the title. She's an actress in all parts of her life and a people pleaser. The problem is figuring out her genuine self.

Naturally, Hattie has certain secrets. She forges an online relationship with a man she never expects to meet in real life. And by chance she realizes she already knows him. Drama ensues.

I kept thinking of the Fine Young Cannibals song: "Ever fallen in love with someone, ever fallen in love, in love with someone, ever fallen in love, in love with someone you should'n'a fallen in love with?" That's the catalyst for what happens. Both parties shouldn't fall in love with one another, but they do, and it's tragic.

I read most of this over the course of two days, becoming completely immersed in the book's world. One small criticism I have is that two suspects are sent to the Mayo Clinic to leave sperm samples in order to establish a match with semen found on the crime scene. Okay, in every single episode of Law and Order SVU where a match like that needs to be made, a cheek swab for a DNA test is sufficient. What the heck with requiring a sperm sample?!?!? Nonetheless, recommended for people who enjoy a mystery with some star-crossed lovers in the mix.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Atria books for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book. I had seen so many good write-ups for it that I had to see for myself, and it really was as good as everyone said. This thriller was so layered and the characters so nuanced that I couldn't decide who to like or who to feel sorry for. And when the end came, the killer wasn't who I was expecting it to be, so bravo! I'll be recommending this to just about anyone who wants a good read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley although between work, home and the holidays I didn't get it finished before the release date. I was eager to read even if just a few pages each day. Immediately I was drawn into the mystery surrounding the murder of Hattie Hoffman. Who could hate her so much to do those things to her, and why? And a bigger question that most who knew her should have been asking was "Did I really know her?" See Hattie is an actress and it seemed that she acted throughout her life, not just in the theater, but also in everyday life. She performed and became the girl everyone wanted instead of just being herself.

I enjoyed the 3 person POV we get in this book. The back and forth in time from the moment Hattie is found to times over the last year of her life. It gives that extra build up you feel in a really good mystery that has you screaming "What happened?" I loved the twists and turns and while the ending wasn't as shocking since I had figured most of it, I still enjoyed how it all fell into place.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and Atria Books for this opportunity.