scijessreads

Seriously, the small, quiet books are the ones that hit the hardest. And this is no different. A quiet, aching character study in the evolution of friendships and the lengths we can go to either avoid or confront our own choices. 

Roisin and her friends, including her boyfriend Joe, have seemingly perfect lives. Although all of them know at least one thing about the others that makes this very much not true if you dig a little deeper. At the forefront of a weekend away is Roisin's growing realization that she and Joe are likely over, that Joe has changed with his writing and TV fame. And when she watches his new show, she sees on-screen evidence that what she had thought were private moments and discussions just between them, the relationship frays even more. And in this dissolution of Roisin and Joe, we see Matt and Roisin's mother play roles that Roisin didn't even realize she needed to have in her life. There are secrets and lies and a fair amount of gaslighting flying around among the group. And things definitely get worse before they have a chance to get better. 

I loved the delicate balance of friendships here, on all sides. How each pairing or grouping talked to one another, how they all knew different things, and how they all tried to be supportive in their own ways. This group could be any group of friends. And the lies they told themselves and each other were lies that many of us tell to hide the parts of us that we don't want anyone to ask questions about. A smile can hide a lot of pain. 

What made this story was the fact that it didn't seem farfetched or fantastical, it felt as if it could happen - or was currently happening - anywhere in the world. This is what makes it both devastating and hopeful.

*I received a free ARC from Netgalley and the publisher (Harper Collins, Avon) to read and review. All opinions are my own.