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A review by chipwich
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*starts incoherently screeching*
THIS. THIS WAS EVERYTHING WE WERE LIARS WANTED TO BE. "I Killed Zoe Spanos" is now probably my new all time favorite book. no, i am not lying, yes, this was INSANE.
this book follows our main character anna, who's new in the hamptons nannying for a fucking loaded family. she literally stays in their GUEST BEACH HOUSE, and sketches next to the INFINITY POOL at night. she comes from brooklyn, and is trying to recover from years of alcohol abuse and pretty toxic relationships. anna thinks that if she just ignores that her life in brooklyn was a thing, it just wouldn't exist anymore. the writing does such a good job of portraying anna's unreliable narration very early on with her odd decision making and clear confusion of who she actually is.
once she spends more time at this rich town, she realizes something is off. she keeps getting odd rushes of nostalgia, and people are consistently mistaking her for the girl that had gone missing on new years, zoe spanos. THE NOSTALIGIA RUSHES? THE WRITING ON THOSE SCENES WAS IMMACULATE. ESPCIALLY THE FIRST SCENE IN THE ICE CREAM SHOPPE?? I FELT JUST AS CONFUSED AS ANNA AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!
she meets a "mysterious boy next door" soon after, which was immediately where i was scared this book was going to immediately go downhill. the best part? anna has an unrequited/kinda-sorta-maybe requited crush on caleb, BUT IT HAS ALMOST NO IMPACT ON THE PLOT. ITS JUST TO ADD TO THE WHOLE FEELING THAT ANNA IS BEING TRICKED BY THE ENTIRE TIME/NOT REMEMBERING SOMETHING SHE'S SUPPOSED TO, AND REALLY MAKE HER BREAKDOWN SCENE SO MUCH BETTER.
i don't know how to get into this book without spoilers, but be warned- the twist is CRAZY. this isn't really a whodunnit mystery, because we literally get a confession (even if spotty) to the murder by anna in the beginning chapter. the whole book is really just about why anna feels such a connection to the hamptons without have ever been there before, why she confessed, and why everybody keeps mistaking her for zoe. WHICH BY THE WAY, WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER, IT'S SO SATISFYING AND JUST MAKES SO MUCH SENSE?!? GOD IT WAS SO GOOD I NEED EVERBODY TO READ THIS BOOK I'VE BEEN TRYING TO BE SERIOUS BUT HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.
THIS. THIS WAS EVERYTHING WE WERE LIARS WANTED TO BE. "I Killed Zoe Spanos" is now probably my new all time favorite book. no, i am not lying, yes, this was INSANE.
this book follows our main character anna, who's new in the hamptons nannying for a fucking loaded family. she literally stays in their GUEST BEACH HOUSE, and sketches next to the INFINITY POOL at night. she comes from brooklyn, and is trying to recover from years of alcohol abuse and pretty toxic relationships. anna thinks that if she just ignores that her life in brooklyn was a thing, it just wouldn't exist anymore. the writing does such a good job of portraying anna's unreliable narration very early on with her odd decision making and clear confusion of who she actually is.
once she spends more time at this rich town, she realizes something is off. she keeps getting odd rushes of nostalgia, and people are consistently mistaking her for the girl that had gone missing on new years, zoe spanos. THE NOSTALIGIA RUSHES? THE WRITING ON THOSE SCENES WAS IMMACULATE. ESPCIALLY THE FIRST SCENE IN THE ICE CREAM SHOPPE?? I FELT JUST AS CONFUSED AS ANNA AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!
she meets a "mysterious boy next door" soon after, which was immediately where i was scared this book was going to immediately go downhill. the best part? anna has an unrequited/kinda-sorta-maybe requited crush on caleb, BUT IT HAS ALMOST NO IMPACT ON THE PLOT. ITS JUST TO ADD TO THE WHOLE FEELING THAT ANNA IS BEING TRICKED BY THE ENTIRE TIME/NOT REMEMBERING SOMETHING SHE'S SUPPOSED TO, AND REALLY MAKE HER BREAKDOWN SCENE SO MUCH BETTER.
i don't know how to get into this book without spoilers, but be warned- the twist is CRAZY. this isn't really a whodunnit mystery, because we literally get a confession (even if spotty) to the murder by anna in the beginning chapter. the whole book is really just about why anna feels such a connection to the hamptons without have ever been there before, why she confessed, and why everybody keeps mistaking her for zoe. WHICH BY THE WAY, WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER, IT'S SO SATISFYING AND JUST MAKES SO MUCH SENSE?!? GOD IT WAS SO GOOD I NEED EVERBODY TO READ THIS BOOK I'VE BEEN TRYING TO BE SERIOUS BUT HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment