Pleased to include this novel in the autumn instalment of Thrills & Chills, my seasonal round-up of the latest crime and mystery thrillers for Zed, the books section at Zoomer magazine.
Full review feature at link.

Oh my gosh, what a whirlwind this book was! I loved the twists and turns that took place, even if I did guess what was going on. I found the ideas within this book original and really intriguing. Even though the main character was extremely unlikeable to me, I wanted to read and read. It's such a fine line that has to be walked with a book full of unlikeable characters, and I think this was well done. I would recommend this book for people who like unreliable narrators, dual time line, and a lot of twists thrown at you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

I HAVE A SECRET, the book keeps saying, WONDER WHAT IT IS? It’s extraordinarily boring to be rammed over the head again and again that SOMEONE HAS A SECRET in this book. That’s not how GasLit really goes, when it’s heavier on the Lit(erary). I found the constant NEENER NEENER SECRET SECRET to be very off putting.

Amanda Jayatissa’s debut novel My Sweet Girl had everything you could ask for in a thriller; lots of twists and turns, an inciting incident and a past paced read that kept me turning the pages and wanting to know what was going to happen next! I also really enjoyed the immigrant story angle and the folklore that was intertwined with the story; it made it a unique and different read for me.

YES YES YES!! What a great debut. This is smart and cunning and twisted! I literally couldn't stop reading it and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It is dark, creepy and very spooky at times and I adored it. I definitely recommend reading this during the spooky seasons. So excited to see what Amanda Jayatissa writes next.

What is it about unlikeable main characters? Is it because readers waste no time in empathizing with them, so the story moves forward easily? Paloma is troubled. She should have had the ideal childhood. Adopted by a San Francisco couple from a Sri Lankan orphanage, she should have had the ideal childhood. But she remains aloof from friends, easy to anger and has turned to alcohol to help her survive. The readers knows she has hidden something terrible from that time in the orphanage, but Paloma’s narration is so unreliable, its not till the end of the book, we know what it is and that not all her hallucinations are that. She is in danger and this twisted psychological tale will rivet the reader to the end.

I am so disappointed with this book. I will be honest I only read up to 40% and then I just had to stop. My main issue was not the story line, because the story was actually very interesting and I was excited to see where this was going. My issue is with our main character and her non tolerance of everybody she comes across. I also did not like that she was constantly cursing. When I'm reading and I see the occasional cursing it doesn't bother me. I'm not a prude but I do think when a writer relies on curses to constantly get their point across they are either limited on their vocabulary or just a really lazy writer. Aside from the potty mouth, the constant inner dialogue of her thoughts constantly bashing everyone and her general nasty demeanor just got to be insufferable. There was zero traits that were likable about her. It seems that even as a child she has this intolerable nasty behavior and inner dialogue. I like to see growth in a character and by the 40% mark it seemed that the growth was just to grow more angry and disgruntled about everything in her life. She has zero patience or nice things to say about ANYONE, even her best friend she has this inner monologue about. However when it started slipping into strikes about race/ethnicity that is when I drew the line. I can read about that kind of thing if I think there is a point to it but in this case this author seemed intent on just showing this character as an angry person, who takes it out on every person she comes across. The voice of the younger Paoloma is also very angry and to me it seems disproportionate as her inner dialogue seemed to be the same as the older version of herself. I will not be picking up anything by this author again which is quite a shame because from what I read of her book, there was a lot of good and interesting story here. I think the story without all that other stuff was very good.

A very different thriller and one that keeps pages turning until the surprise ending! Colorful characters that will keep you involved
from beginning to end.
Recommended for all mystery lovers.

This story was an incredible journey from start to finish.

So many layers to unfold and so many questions to ask and have answered. Even when you think you figure part of this story out there is a little twist to keep you hooked and catch you off guard. Heck, even when you think you have it figured out there is just enough to make you question it (even when you're right!)

Super captivating, entertaining and an overall great read. I could not put this one down or get through it quick enough.

3.5/ 5 stars


My Sweet Girl is the author's debut novel. It is a mystery thriller.

The book alternates between 2002 and the present. The past is set in Sri Lanka. The present (18 years later) is set in San Francisco, California.

The narrator is Paloma (1st person POV). In 2002 she was 12 years old and hoping to be adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage. At 30 she is financially cut off from her parents and she is living in San Francisco.

30 year old Paloma is a mess. She is often drunk and she is possibly being stalked. She is not sure if someone is out to get her or if she is suffering from hallucinations.

The story focuses on the tale of the ghost of Mohini based on Sri Lankan myth. This ghost aspect starts in Sri Lanka and works its way into the present.

A lot of mysterious things happen in the book. But the middle was a bit slow for me. However there is a lot that happens towards the end of the book. The last part of the book was very twisty (which I loved). But the final chapter left me a bit confused. I ended up having to talk it out with someone who had also just finished the book. This made for a very amazing discussion. And what I thought happened was correct. So prepare for a wild ride!

From the first page, the pace of this book is incredible. We meet Paloma as she is already in crisis, and the dangerous twists just keep coming. The narrative cuts back and forth between present-day drama and a remembered childhood in Sri Lanka that just might explain the trouble Paloma is in. But are her memories intact? Is her sanity?
Despite her hard-drinking, foul-mouthed abrasiveness, my desire to uncover the truth about Paloma kept the pages turning.

Thank you to Berkley for having me along for their Blog Blitz for My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa! This atmospheric thriller is a slow-build but it had my hair standing on edge for the first half of the novel. Jayatissa does a wonderful job at spinning a creepy web to ensnare her reader in. The build up caused a tension that was almost frustrating because we are given such little information about Paloma’s history at the beginning. As the story peels back Paloma’s story layer by layer, that tension and frustration slowly unwinds. Then, the mystery of solving what’s happening behind the scenes in present day takes precedence.

I think there’s a good chance that majority of readers seeking a thrill will be utterly blown away by this. To the book’s disadvantage, I had read a book that took a different path but had a similar ending recently. I had a good inkling of how this was going to end, multiple twists and all. That doesn’t mean that she didn’t write this well, it just was no surprise to me. There’s also barely a likable character in this book, with the exception of one Sri Lankan, though I won’t say who as all of the characters play their parts in the mystery and I don’t want to spoil any of the twists. For this story, I don’t think likable characters are really necessary, though. You don’t need to like Paloma or any of the others to want to know what is happening here.

There’s plenty of social commentary in this novel that I found interesting, which added some depth to the story. My Sweet Girl uses mental health as a device here as well, though I found it was quite unique to the usual outcome of psychological thrillers. That may turn off readers or make them more intrigued! This book makes for a great rainy day book, where you can turn up the fire, light a candle, and immerse yourself in this chilling tale that combines Sri Lankan folklore with an immigrant orphan’s experience and a good dose of twisty mystery added in for good measure.

This was a great thriller that sucked me right in. It was dark and edgy, with some serious twists. The twists in this book are crazy and make for a wild ride. I really enjoyed trying to figure out what was going. What I did not love was the main character. She was a bit unhinged and I just couldn't connect at all with her at all. I also didn't love the dual timelines in this one. The past one just wasn't as entertaining as the present day one.

Told from alternating timelines: the past (18 years ago), how Paloma was adopted by a rich American family when she was 12 from a Sri Lankan orphanage; and the present where Paloma is living in an apartment, cut off from her parents' money and subletting a room to Arun who ends up blackmailing her who eventually ends up dead in the first chapter.

This was such a delightful and twisty read! I went into this knowing next to nothing except for the synopsis (story of my life), and I'm so glad I did,
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- unreliable and unlikeable narrator. Paloma's sardonic commentaries had me laughing at times.
- inclusion of a Sri Lankan urban legend, Vana Mohini, a woman dressed in white with long black hair, walks only at night and reveals herself to those who are alone, mostly to men. She begs for help her and when you look into her eyes, they say you can see straight into hell, then bam, dead!
- dark and atmospheric, perfect for the spooky season
- intricate storyline and slow burn
- so many twists! I managed to guess most of them and love how the author has written them.
- the take on racism and bullying in South Asian countries if you're Asian and fairer than some. This is also prevalent in Southeast Asia 🙃

Thanks so much, Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the galley. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for gifting me a copy of My Sweet Girl {partner}

Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Pub Date: 9.14.21
Star Rating: ☆☆☆.

“It’s not real. I kept telling myself. She’s not real. But things that don’t feel real during the day have a way of sliding into bed with you at night.”

Ugh, y’all, I wanted to love this book. I’ve seen great reviews for it all over insta, and while I do agree that it was atmospheric and creepy, it was also predictable. I knew what was going to happen about 40 pages into the book. I also struggled to find anything about the main character that I liked - she was rude and foul-mouthed.


I can’t tell you how many times throughout the book, she references drinking and all the reasons she shouldn’t but still does. It just felt overly repetitive to me. 


👻 Spooky and atmospheric
🙅🏽‍♀️ Unlikeable main character
🥱 Predictable plot twist
🗣 Unreliable narrator

I recommend you read My Sweet Girl if you enjoyed reading Pretty Little Wife or Dark Roads.

What a great debut! So many great things but also, some things I didn't like.

This is the story of Paloma. She gets adopted from a small orphanage in Sri Lanka by a rich American family. She seems to have a dream life, but when we meet her, she is this lost adult, drinking her sorrows away, who doesn't have any of her crap together.

We have two time lines. One is of the time in the orphanage leading up to her adoption, and one of her now, 18 years later. The past seems to have caught up to Paloma, and all her secrets are haunting her in current timeline.

Here's the problem - I dislike the drunk, unreliable narrator. Paloma is actually a really great narrator when she provides all the social commentary but at the same time she's doing what her mother has trained her to do, and be a sweet girl. So we see both of her sides. One of that real girl where she talks about all the bullshit and one of the pretender.

This had really great writing, and I loved how the plot unfolded. Though it was easy to guess the twists early on, and the end wasn't that shocking. It was really the voice that kept me intrigued all the way up till the end.

Cannot wait to see more from this author.

My Sweet Girl was one of the most refreshing debuts I've read this year. The book tells the story of Paloma's upbringing and longing in a Sri Lankan orphanage and her eventual adoption and life in America. A life that is so far from what she imagined as she spirals from an overindulgence in alcohol, and paranoia about a past misdeed, which we don't discover until near the end of the book.

Paloma's descriptions of her childhood in the orphanage as seen through the eyes of childhood were heartachingly descriptive. When forced to sing for the potentially adoptive visitors, she says, “We sang loudly, gasping for air in between each line, trying to impress them by making them lose their hearing."

The writing was down to earth, raw and funny. It's not often a thriller makes me chuckle, but Jayatissa infused Paloma with a wicked sense of humor and righteousness. As it turns out, that righteousness is misplaced, but Paloma is determined to figure out why she keeps seeing the ghost of Mohini, a mythical figure from her childhood.

I felt sorry for Paloma, anxious for her mental state, and just as confused as she was about whether there was actually a dead body in her apartment. If I had only known what was to come!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this advance reader's copy. I can't wait for Jayatissa's sophomore novel!

Amanda Jayatissa, you did that! This was so, so good you guys - wow, what an amazing debut!

At the outset, I'd say go into this as blindly as possible, so I'll keep this relatively general. I love an unreliable narrator & Paloma might be, hands down, my favorite unreliable narrator, ever - her inner commentary at times was just brutally vicious, yet bluntly honest, & I found myself cackling at her thoughts more than once. I'm a huge fan of alternating timelines & Jayatissa balanced the past & the present with such finesse. I particularly loved the chapters set in Sri Lanka, it was refreshing to read about a location hardly, if ever, featured in the thriller genre. This was more of a slow burn, but this was a slow burn done right - there were so many layers to this & everything was done incredibly well, by the end not a stone was left unturned & all questions were answered. & I'm still catching my breath from that ending!

I really, really loved this & I highly recommend going out & grabbing a copy - I can't wait to see what Jayatissa comes up with next! Thank you so much to Amanda Jayatissa, NetGalley & Berkley for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review, & to Berkley for having me as part of the blog blitz for the book's release!

To say I binged this book would be an understatement. My Sweet Girl is a psychological thriller packed full of twists that I just could not get enough of. Go into this one blind and enjoy the ride. It had me guessing throughout and I loved how mythology from Sri Lanka was woven in. So deliciously dark and creepy!

Paloma was adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage by a wealthy American couple when she was 12 and has always been haunted by her past. Things come to a head when her roommate is murdered and the body disappears.

Paloma is one of the best unlikable**, unreliable narrators ever. She’s occasionally medicated, frequently drunk, possibly hallucinating, and always freaking out and furious.

Loved the dual timeline with flashbacks to Paloma’s life in the orphanage and her friendship with Lihini interspersed with scenes from her hot mess current life.

There is so much going on in this book - what an incredible debut! I figured out a bunch of the twists ahead of time, but still loved every second of this book. I tore through this in less than a day — WOWZA!

** Though, I kind of liked her, probably because her misanthropic tendencies felt more relatable than I should feel comfortable admitting — and that girl can swear like nobody’s business.