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beate251 's review for:
So Happy Together
by Olivia Worley
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this ARC.
Jane, 24 is a playwright in New York. She is also delusional. A few months ago she had a few dates with Colin, also 24, a software engineer, who quickly dumped her saying he couldn't handle anything too serious. Then he promptly got with new girlfriend Zoe. But Jane is not deterred. He just knows that Colin loves her and sets out to win him back.
She starts by stalking Colin and Zoe in coffee shops, then hooking up with Colin's flatmate Ben. Colin is not amused but Zoe turns out to be lovely - smart, cheerful, kind and absolutely eager to make Jane, who she's been told is a collage friend of Colin's, her new best friend. Then Jane gets more than she bargained for when she finds a bloody knife in Colin's room. What has he done? Has she got this sweet boy all wrong? The way Jane still makes constant excuses for Colin is nothing short of unhinged but what is the reason for her behaviour?
The thing that throws you about this story is that we think it's about a crazy, obsessive ex-girlfriend but it's really about toxic men and the damage they do, both physically and mentally, and how women react to it and what it drives them to. Colin, Jane and Zoe are all a lot more messed up than we originally think. With Jane it stems from her childhood with her father and with Zoe it stems from Colin and what he did to her best friend Leigh years ago.
Is Zoe telling the truth though? Is Colin a murderer? They are all manipulative to an extent and only when the action speeds up in the last third of the book do we begin to unravel what's what. There are twists and turns aplenty, up to and including the epilogue.
It's not the story I expected to read but it's a necessary book about toxic relationships, gaslighting and coercive control. It's probably best if you know Ophelia's story because not only is it constantly referenced (Jane writes a play about her) but there are strong similarities in her fate and the women in this story.
This is a compelling thriller that I read in one go and recommend to anyone who is interested in manipulative relationships, morally grey characters and a modern look at Ophelia.
Jane, 24 is a playwright in New York. She is also delusional. A few months ago she had a few dates with Colin, also 24, a software engineer, who quickly dumped her saying he couldn't handle anything too serious. Then he promptly got with new girlfriend Zoe. But Jane is not deterred. He just knows that Colin loves her and sets out to win him back.
She starts by stalking Colin and Zoe in coffee shops, then hooking up with Colin's flatmate Ben. Colin is not amused but Zoe turns out to be lovely - smart, cheerful, kind and absolutely eager to make Jane, who she's been told is a collage friend of Colin's, her new best friend. Then Jane gets more than she bargained for when she finds a bloody knife in Colin's room. What has he done? Has she got this sweet boy all wrong? The way Jane still makes constant excuses for Colin is nothing short of unhinged but what is the reason for her behaviour?
The thing that throws you about this story is that we think it's about a crazy, obsessive ex-girlfriend but it's really about toxic men and the damage they do, both physically and mentally, and how women react to it and what it drives them to. Colin, Jane and Zoe are all a lot more messed up than we originally think. With Jane it stems from her childhood with her father and with Zoe it stems from Colin and what he did to her best friend Leigh years ago.
Is Zoe telling the truth though? Is Colin a murderer? They are all manipulative to an extent and only when the action speeds up in the last third of the book do we begin to unravel what's what. There are twists and turns aplenty, up to and including the epilogue.
It's not the story I expected to read but it's a necessary book about toxic relationships, gaslighting and coercive control. It's probably best if you know Ophelia's story because not only is it constantly referenced (Jane writes a play about her) but there are strong similarities in her fate and the women in this story.
This is a compelling thriller that I read in one go and recommend to anyone who is interested in manipulative relationships, morally grey characters and a modern look at Ophelia.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol