“Told in first person, in alternating viewpoints of Emma, David and Amber; this is a fast-paced and riveting read.”

 

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

The book begins with Emma attempting to commit suicide, with the intentions of jumping in front of a train, only to be thwarted by Danny, a person who used to work at the station.

Fast forward to the present.

Emma receives a text that Danny has died – apparently he committed suicide.

Danny was more than a father figure to Emma – he was her companion during the last 14 years; someone who she could pour her heart out to and who would listen to her non-judgementally. His loss hits her really hard and Emma finds herself broken.

Initially I felt her reaction was too extreme – however, as the book progresses you learn that she has had some psychiatric issues and she has been hiding something from her husband, David, for the past 14 years.

David, that very weekend of Danny’s demise, finds himself being called off for work, by his boss Amber, with a potential new client. He wakes up with a stupendous hangover and finds out that, in their drunken state, Amber and him have slept together.

Told in first person, in alternating viewpoints of Emma, David and Amber; this is a fast-paced and riveting read.

Emma’s character is quite complex. At times, her reactions seem extreme to the point of absurdity making you realise that she is a very troubled soul. On the other hand, you cannot fathom why Amber is hell-bent on ruining Emma’s world.

The depiction of mental health issues has been dealt with quite well. Like with so many people when one thing goes wrong it seems that everything you touch falls to pieces too, Emma’s life is no different, to the extent that it does cause her to question her own sanity.

Another important aspect that is dealt with is our heavy reliance on social media – and how ignorant of its use most of us are.

Having read No Kiss Goodbye from the same author – and the book not making any sense till the very end; I expected something on similar lines and this book plays out in exactly the same pattern.

Between scratching your head and wondering what you may have missed in the previous chapters, the plot hits you only towards the end.

4/5 for me.

 

Reviewed by:

Ranjiini Sen

Added 7th March 2018

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Ranjini Sen