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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Everything You Want Me to Be in Books
May 16, 2018
It's not very often that I add a title to my list of favorite books, and I've never felt the burning desire to create a shelf for my favorite reads on Goodreads - that is, until this moment. After finishing up with Mindy Mejia's Everything You Want Me to Be, I am nearly speechless. What Mejia has pulled off in her book is nothing short of a impressive.
One of the things that caught my interest when I was browsing through titles to request on NetGalley was the synopsis for this novel, which I found to be unique. Most books give you a loose summary of the plot, sans spoilers. It's the information that you usually find on the back of a book, really. That little tidbit of information for Everything You Want Me to Be came defied the norm in that regard by blatantly telling potential readers that they would be following the life of a girl up until her death which, if you ask me, is a pretty big spoiler: one that leaves a challenge at that. If you tell your readers that the main character is dead, the question that remains is this: how are you going to keep them hooked? Mejia's reply to that query comes in the form of a plot full of nerve-wracking twists and turns that, no matter how certain a reader might be, is likely to still leave them searching for answers. (I was actually guessing until the very end how this book would play out, and I did not figure it out until the very last moment, when there were only lines left until the major reveal.)
Everything You Want Me to Be is a whodunnit novel - of that, I have no doubt. Eighteen-year-old Henrietta Hoffman, full of talent and with her whole life ahead of her, is murdered. It was someone close to her, according to evidence, and its left to the sheriff, who happens to be the girl's father's best friend, to find out who's behind it. It is also a psychological thriller. Reading this book, I felt things I did not want to feel. Where I felt I should be directing anger and disgust, I could not; in fact, my least favorite character is actually the victim, rather than the various suspects I encountered as I read.
Henrietta, or Hattie as she prefers to be called, is a typical teen-aged girl, facing the usual obstacles of small town life. Having been in her shoes, I was able to connect with her and, in some ways, relive my own past as I read through her dialogue. Born and raised in rural south Minnesota, Hattie has dreams of the Big Apple. Every moment of her free time is spent focusing on those dreams, and while she's browsing through a forum, she meets a guy that she ends up falling in love with. Through private messages, a relationship blooms, and she and this guy embark upon a journey with an unknown destination. It's a pretty easy web to get caught up in, especially when one spends most of their time pleasing other people, which Hattie obviously does.
The book is told from three perspectives in total: Henrietta's, Peter's, and Del's. Peter is a teacher at her school and Del is the town's sheriff. In addition to these three vastly different points-of-view, there is a plethora of minor characters and, surprisingly enough, they all have their own quirks and flaws. I have to admit I'm actually impressed by how much depth there is to Mejia's characters and that she's written them in such a way that it's easy to remember their traits. More often than not, when there's so many characters to flesh out, it is way too easy to lose track of individual character traits.
I can't say a whole lot about the plot's flow really. To be honest, it is a bit all over the place. Considering that Everything You Want Me to Be is written in a loose journal-style and one of the speakers is the sheriff, that is to be expected. Obviously there isn't much of a need to include him prior to the discovery of Hattie's body. Also, the story starts at the end, then hooks back to a year prior to the murder. Fortunately, each shift in voice is dated, so it's not too much of a challenge to keep up with.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy for the purpose of an unbiased review. I can't wait for a chance to purchase a physical copy of this book for my shelf!
One of the things that caught my interest when I was browsing through titles to request on NetGalley was the synopsis for this novel, which I found to be unique. Most books give you a loose summary of the plot, sans spoilers. It's the information that you usually find on the back of a book, really. That little tidbit of information for Everything You Want Me to Be came defied the norm in that regard by blatantly telling potential readers that they would be following the life of a girl up until her death which, if you ask me, is a pretty big spoiler: one that leaves a challenge at that. If you tell your readers that the main character is dead, the question that remains is this: how are you going to keep them hooked? Mejia's reply to that query comes in the form of a plot full of nerve-wracking twists and turns that, no matter how certain a reader might be, is likely to still leave them searching for answers. (I was actually guessing until the very end how this book would play out, and I did not figure it out until the very last moment, when there were only lines left until the major reveal.)
Everything You Want Me to Be is a whodunnit novel - of that, I have no doubt. Eighteen-year-old Henrietta Hoffman, full of talent and with her whole life ahead of her, is murdered. It was someone close to her, according to evidence, and its left to the sheriff, who happens to be the girl's father's best friend, to find out who's behind it. It is also a psychological thriller. Reading this book, I felt things I did not want to feel. Where I felt I should be directing anger and disgust, I could not; in fact, my least favorite character is actually the victim, rather than the various suspects I encountered as I read.
Henrietta, or Hattie as she prefers to be called, is a typical teen-aged girl, facing the usual obstacles of small town life. Having been in her shoes, I was able to connect with her and, in some ways, relive my own past as I read through her dialogue. Born and raised in rural south Minnesota, Hattie has dreams of the Big Apple. Every moment of her free time is spent focusing on those dreams, and while she's browsing through a forum, she meets a guy that she ends up falling in love with. Through private messages, a relationship blooms, and she and this guy embark upon a journey with an unknown destination. It's a pretty easy web to get caught up in, especially when one spends most of their time pleasing other people, which Hattie obviously does.
The book is told from three perspectives in total: Henrietta's, Peter's, and Del's. Peter is a teacher at her school and Del is the town's sheriff. In addition to these three vastly different points-of-view, there is a plethora of minor characters and, surprisingly enough, they all have their own quirks and flaws. I have to admit I'm actually impressed by how much depth there is to Mejia's characters and that she's written them in such a way that it's easy to remember their traits. More often than not, when there's so many characters to flesh out, it is way too easy to lose track of individual character traits.
I can't say a whole lot about the plot's flow really. To be honest, it is a bit all over the place. Considering that Everything You Want Me to Be is written in a loose journal-style and one of the speakers is the sheriff, that is to be expected. Obviously there isn't much of a need to include him prior to the discovery of Hattie's body. Also, the story starts at the end, then hooks back to a year prior to the murder. Fortunately, each shift in voice is dated, so it's not too much of a challenge to keep up with.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy for the purpose of an unbiased review. I can't wait for a chance to purchase a physical copy of this book for my shelf!
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) created a post
Dec 19, 2018 (Updated Dec 19, 2018)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Turn of The Key in Books
Sep 26, 2019
I am a huge fan of Ruth Ware. Even though I wasn't a fan of her book The Death of Mrs. Westaway, I loved The Lying Game and In a Dark, Dark Wood. When I found out about The Turn of the Key, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. It was much better than I thought it was going to be!
The synopsis of the book had such a spooky feel, and I loved the plot of The Turn of the Key. Rowan isn't very happy at her job at Little Nippers, a daycare where she looks after babies and toddlers. Plus, it doesn't pay very well. When she comes across an ad to be a live in nanny for a rich couple's children for a fantastic sum, she jumps a the chance. She's surprised when she gets the job, but she is ecstatic. Heatherbrae, the house where she will nanny, is a smart house complete with an app that controls everything in the house. When her employers have to leave the next day, she is thrown into her job as a nanny of Maddie, Ellie, and Petra. Strange things start happening such as being woken up in the middle of the night with music blaring from the speakers all over the house and lights being turned on up to full brightness. Items go missing from their original place, and Maddie is a nightmare child to look after. Rowan begins to second guess her nannying job at Heatherbrae, but she decides to stick it out. Unfortunately, a child ends up dead, and Rowan ends up in prison for the child's murder even though she swears she's innocent. Was Rowan framed or was it the work of something far more sinister?
I thought everything flowed smoothly, and The Turn of the Key definitely had me spooked. I kept trying to guess what was going on. The Turn of the Key hints that it could be something paranormal throughout the story, so I kept wondering if it was some sort of ghost or if it was a person. I'd also try to guess who was behind it all, but I was wrong. There are a few plot twists and one major plot twist that blindsided me completely. It was a plot twist that made me actually made my draw drop! I doubt any reader would have or will predict that plot twist. One minor thing that I was left pondering over had to do with the ending when all is revealed. I won't give any spoilers away, but I will say it's never mentioned how a person can get into a certain sealed off room. That's all I will say on that matter because I don't want to give too much away. Other than that, every other question I had was answered by the last page. As for the pacing, it is done perfectly. Not once did I feel as if The Turn of the Key slowed down at all. This is a book that grabs your hand and pulls you along without letting go!
The characters in The Turn of the Key all felt very realistic and fleshed out well enough for everything to be believable. Rowan is a very likable character and kudos for her for actually staying on as a nanny at Heatherbrae when everything went pear shaped. Even though some of the kids were hard to love, she still wanted to do what's right by them. I would have high tailed it out of there quickly if I was in her position! I felt like she dealt with everything to the best of her ability. I admired Jack and how he was willing to help Rowan out. He came across as a very caring man. It was obvious that the character of Jean loved the children at Heatherbrae which made me love her even if she wasn't featured very much. Sandra and Bill (the owners of Heatherbrae and Rowan's employers) were written well. They weren't very good parents I felt. They were too busy with their work to really know their children. Unfortunately, I know this happens in real life too. Maddie had her issues, but I loved how she was written. I felt bad for her because I felt like she was the black sheep of the family. I also felt bad for the oldest daughter Rhiannon. She was another one that seemed to have issues, but I loved her vulnerability at her lowest point. I loved the dialogue between Rowan and Rhiannon. Petra was just adorable, but Ellie was my favorite. She was easily swayed by her sister, Maddie, but I loved when she was away from Maddie and was able to be her own person. I felt she was just the sweetest little girl!
Trigger warnings for The Turn of the Key include profanity, drinking, underage drinking, lying, blackmail, a child's death, marital cheating, and mentions of sex (although not graphic).
Overall, The Turn of the Key is such a well written book. The plot sucks you in from the beginning, and the characters are all very interesting! I would definitely recommend The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware to everyone age 16+ who enjoy a fantastic psychological read!
The synopsis of the book had such a spooky feel, and I loved the plot of The Turn of the Key. Rowan isn't very happy at her job at Little Nippers, a daycare where she looks after babies and toddlers. Plus, it doesn't pay very well. When she comes across an ad to be a live in nanny for a rich couple's children for a fantastic sum, she jumps a the chance. She's surprised when she gets the job, but she is ecstatic. Heatherbrae, the house where she will nanny, is a smart house complete with an app that controls everything in the house. When her employers have to leave the next day, she is thrown into her job as a nanny of Maddie, Ellie, and Petra. Strange things start happening such as being woken up in the middle of the night with music blaring from the speakers all over the house and lights being turned on up to full brightness. Items go missing from their original place, and Maddie is a nightmare child to look after. Rowan begins to second guess her nannying job at Heatherbrae, but she decides to stick it out. Unfortunately, a child ends up dead, and Rowan ends up in prison for the child's murder even though she swears she's innocent. Was Rowan framed or was it the work of something far more sinister?
I thought everything flowed smoothly, and The Turn of the Key definitely had me spooked. I kept trying to guess what was going on. The Turn of the Key hints that it could be something paranormal throughout the story, so I kept wondering if it was some sort of ghost or if it was a person. I'd also try to guess who was behind it all, but I was wrong. There are a few plot twists and one major plot twist that blindsided me completely. It was a plot twist that made me actually made my draw drop! I doubt any reader would have or will predict that plot twist. One minor thing that I was left pondering over had to do with the ending when all is revealed. I won't give any spoilers away, but I will say it's never mentioned how a person can get into a certain sealed off room. That's all I will say on that matter because I don't want to give too much away. Other than that, every other question I had was answered by the last page. As for the pacing, it is done perfectly. Not once did I feel as if The Turn of the Key slowed down at all. This is a book that grabs your hand and pulls you along without letting go!
The characters in The Turn of the Key all felt very realistic and fleshed out well enough for everything to be believable. Rowan is a very likable character and kudos for her for actually staying on as a nanny at Heatherbrae when everything went pear shaped. Even though some of the kids were hard to love, she still wanted to do what's right by them. I would have high tailed it out of there quickly if I was in her position! I felt like she dealt with everything to the best of her ability. I admired Jack and how he was willing to help Rowan out. He came across as a very caring man. It was obvious that the character of Jean loved the children at Heatherbrae which made me love her even if she wasn't featured very much. Sandra and Bill (the owners of Heatherbrae and Rowan's employers) were written well. They weren't very good parents I felt. They were too busy with their work to really know their children. Unfortunately, I know this happens in real life too. Maddie had her issues, but I loved how she was written. I felt bad for her because I felt like she was the black sheep of the family. I also felt bad for the oldest daughter Rhiannon. She was another one that seemed to have issues, but I loved her vulnerability at her lowest point. I loved the dialogue between Rowan and Rhiannon. Petra was just adorable, but Ellie was my favorite. She was easily swayed by her sister, Maddie, but I loved when she was away from Maddie and was able to be her own person. I felt she was just the sweetest little girl!
Trigger warnings for The Turn of the Key include profanity, drinking, underage drinking, lying, blackmail, a child's death, marital cheating, and mentions of sex (although not graphic).
Overall, The Turn of the Key is such a well written book. The plot sucks you in from the beginning, and the characters are all very interesting! I would definitely recommend The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware to everyone age 16+ who enjoy a fantastic psychological read!