ARC Review: The Elizas by Sara Shepard

 

“There’s nothing  better than a book that keeps you guessing.”
~ Under the Covers

When they fish Eliza Fontaine, upcoming author, out of the bottom of the pool, her family think it’s another suicide attempt. After all this isn’t the first time, or even the second, that they’ve had to pull her out of the water. But Eliza knows she didn’t try and commit suicide. Although her memory of the events of that night have either disappeared or are hazy, one thing she does remember is a hand pushing her into the pool. But, as Eliza investigates reality and fiction start to become entwined and what’s real and what’s fantasy start to blur.

This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Mainly because I was expecting a straightforward, although interesting, thriller about an attempted murder and a plucky heroine racing to save her life and convince everyone she’s in danger. Instead, we get a psychological mystery where not even the heroine is sure if someone pushed her or not. As for the plucky heroine, I didn’t get it right there either. Eliza takes some getting used to, she is a damaged individual who isn’t always very likeable and who makes some questionable decisions.

All this combined just made for a fascinating read. Although it is a slow starter, I recommend that you keep reading as the mystery and intrigue pick up as you read further on. What I liked about this book was that although some aspects of the story line I guessed straight away, and was correct, there were layers of mystery and I didn’t quite understand the breadth of until towards the end.  There’s nothing  better than a book that keeps you guessing.

This won’t be a book for everyone, it keeps a fairly sedate pace and although Eliza is fascinating you don’t always like her. However, it’s well worth the read as Shepard delivers an interesting narrative that shows the impact of childhood trauma as fiction and reality collide in the life of one woman.

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About Sara Shepard

For as long as she can remember, Sara Shepard has been writing. However, when she was young she also wanted to be a soap opera star, a designer for LEGO, a filmmaker, a claymation artist, a geneticist, and a fashion magazine editor when she grew up. She and her sister have been creating joint artistic and written projects for years, except they’re pretty sure they’re the only ones who find them funny.

She got her MFA at Brooklyn College and now lives outside Philadelphia, PA with her husband and dogs. Her first adult novel is called The Visibles/ All The Things We Didn’t Say.

Sara’s bestselling young adult series, Pretty Little Liars, is loosely based on her experiences growing up on Philadelphia’s Main Line…although luckily she never had any serious stalkers. The series has also inspired the ABC Family television series of the same name.

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Suzanne

Blogger/Reviewer at Under the Covers Book Blog

Gosh, we all seem to be admitting our ages…and I hate that I am at the point in life when admitting my age is a “thing”…whodda thunk it? I was kind of hoping I would remain 21 forever. However, I have moved out of that New Adult stage of my life and am now strictly in the Contemporary Romance age zone of 28. I would prefer to be in an Urban Fantasy arena, but I don’t think I own enough black leather. However, I could probably squeeze into some PNR, I am fully prepared to give a horn job to my favourite demon, or suck on my sexy vamps…fangs and I am definitely up for some heavy petting with some fine looking shifters. Than again their’s always Sci Fi…I am fully prepared to do the right thing and help some poor alien race with more 6 packs than a supermarket repopulate their planet. Not that I am loose woman or anything.

Annnnnd I will stop myself there, before I start waxing lyrical about my love of historical romance and fantasy as well; no one needs to know about my elf fantasies. As you can tell, I adore and day dream about most romance genres, and my three big loves are 1) reading about romance 2) writing about romance and 3) talking about romance with my gals. Which, is why I love Under the Covers so much, I get all my bookish needs satisfied and don’t get judged when I talk about my favourite characters like they are real people. Which they are right?

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