gwendolyn_kensinger 's review for:

That Night by Chevy Stevens

3.0

---

In theory based on the synopsis I was expecting a much faster paced novel. The chapters are long. My copy has 370 pages and it felt much longer than necessary. It definitely had several places that the details and backstory were dragging. I just wanted to get on with it and find out whodunit. 

I wasn’t particularly invested or drawn to any of the characters or the relationship between Toni and Ryan. The backstory of their relationship was lacking. However, this felt like a darker version of Mean Girls, with a touch of Orange is the New Black. It is a mix of 2 timelines. You have the timeline during the teen years and then later during adulthood, so it’s a great transition book for readers who read a lot of young adult and want to know where to start with adult thriller/mysteries. 

As a teenager Toni dealt with bullying from a group of girls who she used to be friends with. She was also dating Ryan, a boy her parents did not approve of. She had strained relationships with her parents, her sister, and her classmates. Her sister, Nicole was the golden child, and she became friends with the girls who tormented Toni. One night Toni’s younger sister is found murdered and Toni and Ryan are convicted and sent to prison. Now, years later and out on parole Toni is determined to do everything in her power to avoid going back. Toni has always maintained her innocence, but now she has the opportunity to really figure out what happened that night, and it’s not going to be easy, because everyone has secrets and no one likes Toni. 

This story shines a light on bullying and our justice system and how failed it is. The ending of the book did shock me, and I enjoyed the small-town big secrets vibes, but the pacing could have been improved and I would have loved it.