I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I feel like so many books don’t cover 40-something life so that was something I really liked about this novel. I loved Liz’s character and as she struggled with what happened at a college party 20 years ago it was fascinating to see how she attempts to navigate it at present. The themes of guilt and trauma were very strong throughout this book. Most of all though, this novel highlighted her self empowerment and I was moved by it and could relate to things in my own life. This book also looks at how life can be when you look at both sides of a crime - from the victim to the person who commits it. I found myself grappling with what was right and wrong and how this such a huge grey area. This book will really make you think about things in a bigger scope. I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I finished.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

i really am appreciate reading books with a more apt age group. i never realised how much of a problem this was until i myself became old. haha and it comes to something when i am having to put a character in a book as aged when she is only 40! but it is something which as soon as i see it in a blurb im automatically cheering for it.
i truly felt for Liz. it was like this event just crippled her and dented all her sense of self. the struggles felt like they were rippling off the pages to us readers. i was really invested in seeing how this thing played out for her, how the author would write it. and it felt somewhat comforting to read this portrayal and see how others coped with these things. even if done in a fictional story it felt real and relatable for many in the real world. Chris wrote this story and character ever so well. the impact of trauma and then the feeling that comes with that were so well written. it felt real, it felt painful, it felt hard.
and as in life there is two sides(or often more than that) to the stories. we get to see a birds eye view of many in this book and this allows you to ask you own question and have some of them answered. but also leaves you with many more thoughts to be had and i felt a little emotional and stuck sometimes with what it made me question myself. but as i said it being fiction and the author doing it so well it was just a step enough away from being our story that we got some comfort from observing and witnessing and then ponder the nuances within. it never felt too much, but didn't shy away from making you think either.
ha, as you can see this book really made me think. and i loved it for that. when i get involved with these books i love it. because there are books for every time and i was definitely up for a thinking kind of book. and this one was perfect.
and actually there was still an element of empowerment to it.
all in all a brilliant book. one that sat with me and will sit with me and for that ive never felt luckier to get such joy from books, we are truly lucky book readers.
something im becoming more aware of is how much we are changed or impacted by something that previously happened, even from years ago, even childhood. and how much more support there needs to be in general for people who have suffer and do suffer. and the importance of not dismissing those things that people dont just "get over". they are weak. they aren't soft. and maybe if we put more help out there for people in the first instance then it wouldn't bend and break so many people rest of their lives. great support is vital and can actually always be key.