DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

A young woman finds her roommate murdered. Plagued by memories of her troubled childhood, she tries to figure out what happened to her roommate while also fighting her personal demons. Author Amanda Jayatissa puts in place several thriller elements but ultimately disappoints in her debut novel My Sweet Girl.

Paloma Evans is freaking out. Her roommate, Arun, is dead. Murdered to be exact, and she’s the one who finds his body. While her feelings toward Arun swing between benign and disgust, she certainly didn’t want him to die.

The fact that she found Arun face down in a pool of his own blood is disturbing enough. But Arun recently tried to blackmail her with personal information, and Paloma knows that makes her look culpable. At the very least, it makes her look suspicious. Her last communication to him was an angry text, and she’s horrified to think how the police will view that.

She needed Arun—his rent, anyway. Despite being adopted by a couple of wealthy means, she’s recently been cut off from her parents’ money. Without the stability of those funds coming in, Paloma has been scrambling to pay her bills. She’s gotten involved in some shady ways to earn money, but renting out the second bedroom in her overpriced San Francisco apartment helped. Until Arun went and got himself killed, that is.

Worse is who Paloma thinks is responsible for the murder. She knows no one will take her theory seriously, but it’s the only explanation she has. In the orphanage in Sri Lanka where she lived until she was 12, she and some of the other girls used to scare one another with the story of the ghost Mohini. Even though the Evanses adopted her and gave her everything she could ever want and more, some superstitions die hard. Paloma is convinced Mohini traveled to California with her and was waiting for the right moment to scare her again. Killing Arun seems to be the right time.

On top of everything else, Paloma can’t stop drinking. It’s her way of coping with all the hardships in her life. Once she finds Arun’s body, she leaves her apartment and moves into her parents’ fancy home in the suburbs. There she starts watching the neighbors who, in turn, spook her with their seemingly suspicious behavior. The longer Arun’s murder goes unsolved, the more she’s convinced that someone or something is out to get her. But who? And why?

Author Amanda Jayatissa uses her own heritage to form the backdrop of this book but doesn’t take full advantage of it. Paloma could have been adopted from any foreign country with a culture of ghost stories, and the result would have been the same. While the publication of an Own Voices book is to be applauded, there’s not much here that makes the Sri Lankan culture in particular stand out.

What does stand out, however, is Paloma’s penchant for swearing. The story is littered with the f-word with several uses on every page. It becomes tiresome and almost offensive at points. Also, it stands at odds with the implications of Paloma’s childhood. If her mother was so perfect and such a public figure loved by all—and one of those mothers who constantly offered Paloma advice on how to maintain appearances—wouldn’t she object at some point to the language Paloma used?

Also problematic is Paloma as an unreliable narrator. Readers spend the majority of the book inside her head, and at times the running internal monologue drags the pace down. Paloma spends a great deal of time wringing her hands. Her almost perpetual drunkenness marks her untrustworthy. Had she engaged in her surroundings in the way that the protagonists of The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl did, the book would have been much more engaging. Instead, readers get a main character who is sitting around feeling sorry for herself and who is letting her alcohol-infused state cloud everything from her judgment to her vision.

The book also suffers from a mild identity crisis. Is it supposed to be about different cultures? Is it a straight-out thriller? Is it a character study? The novel attempts to be all these but succeeds at none.

A twist in the plot late in the book lifts it for a short time, but the climax drags it right down again with a monologue and an ending that will leave readers thinking, “So what?”.

Paloma left the Sri Lankan orphanage where she grew up when she was twelve and adopted by the Evanses, a wealthy American couple living in San Francisco.

Although the Evanses provided Paloma with every advantage, after losing access to their financial backing two months ago, at age thirty, Paloma skated by making money from less than respectable ventures and subletting a room to recent immigrant, Arun.

Paloma thought Arun was a nice guy—until he uncovered Paloma’s deepest secret and blackmailed her. Afraid all she has in America will slip away, she rushes to the bank in an effort to raise funds. But when she returns to the apartment—without payment but fortified by a few drinks—she finds Arun dead, a halo of blood around his head.

Imagining Mohini, a ghost that followed her from Sri Lanka, Paloma runs from her apartment and passes out. By the time the police arrive hours later, Arun’s body is gone, and there is no evidence of violence, blood, or even that Arun ever existed.

At first Paloma is relieved—maybe her secret died with Arun. But what’s worse? That she imagined him or that his dead body disappeared? Or has Mohini finally returned to demand vengeance?

𝘔𝘺 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 includes my favorite thriller characteristics:
🌿An unreliable narrator
🌿A serpentine plot
🌿An unexpected, satisfying ending

The dual timelines—the months preceding Paloma’s adoption, in Sri Lanka, and the present, in San Francisco, were twined to provide maximum suspense. The book also includes commentary on the immigrant experience, especially as an adoptee, as well as life in an orphanage.

I’m so impressed with this book, I can’t believe it’s a debut!

My Sweet Girl is a twisty psychological thriller by a debut author!

CW: sexual assault of minor, death of a parent, murder

The story alternates between events that happened 18 years ago in Sri Lanka and events that happened in the present day in San Francisco. In the past, we see the journey of Paloma, who was raised in an orphanage with her best friend Lihini. After Paloma impresses a wealthy family that's visiting enough that they plan to adopt her, tensions arise between Lihini and Paloma. In the present, Paloma is broke and is being blackmailed by her roommate, who winds up dead.

I enjoyed how the story unfolded and how it was obvious that we had an unreliable narrator. I found both the past and present-day storylines to be interesting and fast-paced. It picked up for me near the end and I couldn't wait to see how everything unfolded. The ending left me gasping.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one was such a nice surprise! It wasn’t initially on my radar, but I really enjoyed it! I love books set in different countries and parts of this book takes place in Sri Lanka and parts in the US. This book was definitely unique, and had a bunch of twists. I was able to figure out some of them, but not all of them. I def felt like there was a good amount, and at one point I felt like I was getting whip lash cause they just kept on coming.

I am very impressed by this debut, and will definitely be on the look out for more from @amandajayatissa

If you like thrillers and are looking for a different kind of read I highly recommend you picking this one up!

Thanks to Berkley for my copy.

What a chilling + creepy psychological suspense. This one left a little chill in my heart and kept me guessing the entire time. One of the freshest spins on the unreliable narrator trope I’ve read in a while. Some of the twists I anticipated and others left me completely shocked. Paloma was adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage at the age of 12. For 18 years she’s lived in America harboring secrets from her childhood- until her new roommate discovers them and tries to blackmail her. Chaos breaks out as Paloma tries to keep her secrets safe. Definitely worth the read- this fast paced story have me quite the thrill.

Thank you so much to @berkleypub + @netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I went into this story not knowing much about the plot. I was immediately drawn into the story from the beginning and loved the turn of events throughout! The ending caught me by surprise. I loved not being able to predict what was going to happen!

Thank you Berkley & NetGalley for gifting me an advance e-copy!
——
Please allow me to present to you my favorite debut thriller of 2021 by an Own Voices Sri Lankan author that will knock your socks off! How do I describe this unique thriller? First, half of the chapters take place in Sri Lanka during the lead character’s childhood in an orphanage. Secondly, there is a good element of spookiness thanks to incorporating a Sri Lankan folklore of a woman ghost, Mohini, into the story. Thirdly, the book has a little bit of everything else in it too: a dash of romance here, plenty of mystery there interspersed with social and racial awareness.

If you like a thriller with a lot of tension, you get it from page 1 with Paloma, the most angriest protagonist I’ve ever read. I mean, this woman is SAVAGE and quite unlikeable, and unreliable, but as I went on reading, her expletives made me laugh! The starting chapters begin with a missing roommate who threatened to expose Paloma, but Paloma actually saw him dead. Yet now he’s missing after she blacked out. Clearly, Paloma has issues and most of it for good reason. Keep reading and you’ll know why.

I personally related to a lot in this book starting with the Mohini folklore, which is also an urban legend where I grew up in South India. Many elements about how an orphanage is run, and the dynamics with Westerners, were spot on because my French dad was associated with a South Indian orphanage and most of my childhood friends were from the orphanage. The desire to be adopted, to have a family, even better if it’s a Western family, was so aptly described that I felt transported back to my own childhood. Kudos to the author for her debut thriller which I believe is among my top 5 fav thrillers of the year!
❌ALERT: Watch out for that EXPLOSIVE ending!🤯❌

A delightful debut novel with a strong voice, plot, and pacing. I interviewed the author for https://desibooks.co, hence the request for the galley.

Jayatissa grew up in Sri Lanka and after living in both California and the UK has now returned there. This is her first novel. It is set in two time periods and locations, present day San Francisco and eighteen years earlier in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka we meet Paloma who lives in an orphanage and has been chosen to be adopted by an American couple. In the present, 30-year-old Paloma is living in an apartment and has taken in a housemate (Arum) to help make ends meet as her adoptive parents have cut her off. When Arum finds out a secret from her past he blackmails her, but before Paloma can figure out how to pay him she finds him dead in her apartment. Fleeing in horror, she eventually contacts the police, but all evidence has of the murder has disappeared. Paloma is now worried about her sanity and is terrified a secret from her past is finally going to catch up with her. This entertaining thriller is a great recommendation for fans of the genre and it's Sri Lankan connection gives it a different twist

This is a fantastic debut! I loved the back-and-forth timeline between Sri Lanka and California. Not only is Paloma a compelling and complex character, but the slow burn plot kept me completely engaged throughout. This is definitely one that I will be recommending.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in the blog blast! Following is a link to my post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTz_gU8rBEG/

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing an e-book copy for me to review. This book! So many feelings. Everything from the beautiful cover to the unreliable main character Paloma just left me in Thriller heaven.

There are not many characters to like in this book. Paloma, in particular, is not the "sweet girl" her adoptive parents dubbed her. She curses like a sailor - the F word is said in nearly every single page of the book (I loved this quality about her) and she just doesn't like people. She is doing the best she can in a world that was constantly trying to make her be something that she wasn't.

Paloma Evans was adopted from Sri Lanka by a white couple that had a bit of a savior complex, perhaps out of the goodness of their hearts, but also for the public accolades. Paloma knows this. She knows she was an accessory to them.

The book switches back-and-forth between Paloma's past in Sri Lanka as a girl living in an orphanage with BFF Lihini and present time. As an adult, Paloma's roommate knew her secrets from the orphanage and was about to start extorting her, that is until Paloma finds him dead in their apartment. From there the roller coaster begins.

Paloma is in therapy, which is somewhat helpful, but she also drinks a lot, has blackouts, isn't sure if what she sees is real, and, oh, is convinced a ghost from the orphanage is haunting her.

The ending was a tad predictable, but for Amanda Jayatissa's debut novel, I thought MY SWEET GIRL was a fascinating fall novel, just in time for Halloween.

I rate MY SWEET GIRL four out of five stars.

Thank you to @netgalley, @berkleypub, and @amandajayatissa for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Coming atcha with another great psychological thriller for #thrillerthursday. I went into this one blindly and I think you should too! There were so many twists and turns throughout the book & the author had me constantly questioning everything. The big twist near the end was great and the ending had me shook! This is another perfect read for spooky season! This one is out now!! 🕸✨

4.5 stars

My Sweet Girl was suspenseful thriller that revolved around Paloma’s past life and her past catching up for what she did to get adopted. The story was about life of orphans, trust, friendship, betrayal, revenge, lies and deceit.

TW – physical and mental abuse, paedophiles, bullies, sexual assault, stalker, murder, kicking dog

Writing was gripping, atmospheric and steady paced, first person narrative from Paloma’s perspective. The story was in dual timeline taking place in present California and past in orphanage in Sri Lanka which made story more mysterious and suspenseful.

That synopsis was perfect so I would say much about the plot. It was not as simple as I first thought. Author did amazing job with outlining storyline in a way that revealed things one by one, keeping readers guessing, have lots of questions until last few chapters. I was curious to know from the beginning what was Paloma’s secret, what was in the letter, why her parents cut her off, what she did that made her roommate to blackmail her, who killed him, and who from her past wanted to destroy her.

It was amazing the way author turned everything that looked all nice and good, including characters and setting, into so twisted, dark, and sinister.

Characters were complicated. I didn’t like any of them, only few side characters but both main characters, protagonist and antagonist were horrible. Sure one wasn’t as bad as the other but I didn’t like them.

Paloma was unreliable character. At first, I couldn’t understand why she was mean and judgemental towards every next character she met. But the more I read about her the more I disliked her and I was sure she did something bad. At some point I feel bad that she couldn’t have easy life even after being adopted by wealthy parents and all the privilege she got. She didn’t have any real friends nor did she achieved anything in life. She was living lonely miserable life with guilt gnawing at her soul and mind that she kept drowning her with alcohol. I pitied her more than feel for her and when one by one her lies were revealed, how she behaved before her adoption, and the main revelation of what she did, I didn’t feel bad or even pitied her miserable life even though I could understand why any of the girl would be desperate to get out of that orphanage. I don’t agree with Paloma for what she said to antagonist at the end about the book. I still don’t think her being child excuses all the lies she created, even after coming to California.

Antagonist was no better than Paloma. I liked antagonist at first. That person wasn’t as bad as Paloma and I could see what happened would alter anyone in that person’s place. It was soul shattering to read what that person had to go through because of Paloma. I’m sure if situation was reversed that person wouldn’t behave like Paloma did nor would do anything Paloma did. I get the revenge but I don’t like that person for taking innocent lives for revenge.

Setting of orphanage was dark and atmospheric. Those chapters in past were most interesting. I liked reading about this orphanage and girls living their, knowing their life and story. I was smiling at first , thinking something good existed in world. Damn, I was so wrong. For thousand times I wondered why girls didn’t stood up for each other, why wouldn’t they try to run away or find some authority to help them, and why would girls think of creepy look of young man as affection! It was just horrible everything related to this place and it deserved what antagonist did.

There were layers of racism, bullying and prejudice not just towards South Asian characters but also among them and their views towards white. It also represented trauma of losing child, because of abusive people and sexual predators. I liked mention of classic novels in this book.

All twists and turns were well written. I had theories about mystery and I could even name the antagonist at one point but still author managed to surprise me in climax. Climax was intense with all surprising and some shocking revelation. End was good.

Why 4 stars-

This was slow burn thriller. Often I wanted to put it down because of pace. I was really impatient many time to just get through the book and reach the interesting part, to all revelations.

Overall, My Sweet Girl was intriguing, suspenseful, dark and atmospheric thriller with well written twists and complicated characters.

I recommend this if you like,
Slow burn thriller
unreliable narrator
complex and unlikable characters
dark and atmospheric setting
intriguing and suspenseful plot
dual timeline
South Asian character and setting

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Stephanie Felty at Berkley, and Amanda Jayatissa for an ARC of this book!**

My, my, my...Paloma.

This transplant from Sri Lanka has the 'opportunity of a lifetime' to move to America with her 'perfect' parents, the wealthy Evans duo, who are enraptured with young Paloma at her orphanage and are raring and ready to bring up this sweet little pink-wearing Wuthering-Heights loving youngster as the perfect, sweet daughter they always wanted. Fast-forward to many years later, where sharp-tongued Paloma is living in San Francisco and has been left in the dust by her new family and forced to take uh, 'odd jobs' to make ends meet. She also sublets her apartment to Arun...which is all well and good...until she finds Arun dead in her kitchen.

In the meantime, Paloma finds out that Arun knew more about her mysterious past in Sri Lanka than ANYONE besides her should. But when she tries to alert the police about the body, she discovers it's gone. And more disturbing, she can't remember details she clearly SHOULD remember. Has Paloma's sketchy past from Sri Lanka followed her across the ocean, across the years....and WHO is the mysterious figure from her childhood that lurks around every corner? Can she keep herself--and her secrets--safe from the evil that threatens to envelop her completely?

Amanda Jayatissa is a new player in the field, and one of the first Sri Lankan women to get an international book deal, so that's a huge accomplishment. She packs a punch with this first effort, in these that Paloma is quite the narrator. You're going to either love her or hate her...but you'd better get used to her. She swears. A LOT. Enough where it was starting to bother me, and cursing doesn't usually get to me at all. Paloma's also a fan of alcohol and mixing her pills with it in between therapy sessions. (But at least she has the sense to be going to therapy, I guess?) Her ''career choice' further emphasizes the main point: she's a bad, bad girl.

The dual timelines of this one were interesting enough, with enough secrets revealed throughout to keep me guessing, although the final twist wasn't TOO much of a mystery. It was a passing thought I had pretty early on and basically kept on the back burner mentally until all was revealed...and I felt slightly let down by that result. There are several other characters that pop in and out when needed for the sake of the plot, but nobody was particularly important or memorable, outside of a creepy and unexplained visitor who seems to have jumped ship from Sri Lanka to the US with Paloma, waiting in the wings for the perfect moment to strike. I honestly enjoyed this element of the story (perfect for Fall and October reading!) but it didn't quite take center stage. The closing chapter was fun and a bit thrilling, but it took quite a while for the book to get there.

This should have been a speed read, but for me it was more of a slow amble. I got where I expected to get in the end, but I think reading this book was like walking down a mountain, where you're forced to be overly careful not to trip over roots and rocks instead of perhaps throwing caution to the wind and ziplining down the mountain. Same result, but markedly different emotions along the way. Jayatissa is a sharp and innovative writer, however, and her unique voice will undoubtedly continue to flourish in her next book!

3 stars

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Reading debut novels is my favorite because you have no expectations of the author other than hoping for a good story. Well…I’m so happy to say that Amanda Jayatissa knocked it out of the park with this dark, twisty thriller and I could not be more excited for her!

Told using a dual narrative, the story moves back and forth from San Francisco in the present to an orphanage in Sri Lanka in the past. It kept me on my toes throughout, and while there are a few things I did figure out, I was still left in shock with twists that I definitely did not see coming. I loved every second of it, especially how atmospheric and creepy it felt at times. I think this is the first book I’ve read that is set in Sri Lanka and I loved the inclusion of the Sri Lankan folklore through the ghost story.

I loved that there is that sense of unreliability with our narrator and that you just aren’t sure who or what to trust throughout. That is one of my favorite tropes in thrillers and it really works quite well here. It’s such a unique, original story and pulled me right in.

I’m hesitant to say too much more for fear of giving anything away, so I’ll just leave it at this…I completely binge-read this book. The writing is sharp and addicting and I highly recommend picking this one up! And I for sure will be keeping an eye out for what comes next from this uber talented author!

I really loved this book! The main characters life as a BIPOC and the intricacies that it brought to the forefront was very powerful and moving. I also loved the the way some of those issues added some spice to this thriller. I can't wait to read what comes next from this author.

Unfortunately, this was another book that just didn't grab my attention. I found the hopping back and forth between the storylines was not as fluid as I would have like, and Paloma was an entirely unlikable character.

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘺!

Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for the craziest ride. What a thrilling, spooky and twisty story; it kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time, and just when I thought I had all figured it out, it blew my mind with a final twist.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘋𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

MY SWEET GIRL is anything but sweet. It’s cunning, snarky, and malevolent in all the best ways. Paloma Evans is living a charmed American life after her adoption as a teen from Sri Lanka. When she finds her roommate brutally murdered, she quickly realizes she can’t outrun the dark secrets of her past.

Throughout this book I could never quite get my feet on solid ground. Who do I trust? Are Paloma’s experiences reality or grand delusions? What really happened in the orphanage in Sri Lanka years ago?

These devious characters are a perfect fit for the twisty fall reading I love. I had to read some paragraphs multiple times to be sure I could wrap my mind around the unfolding craziness!

Amanda Jayatissa writes from an #ownvoices perspective and is one of the first Sri Lankan women to secure an international book deal (and also owns a chain of cookie stores!) I love her personal connection to the story and how she touches on the” white savior complex” and growing up in a predominantly white community.

This author knows how to write a haunting story and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

RATING: 4/5 stars
PUB DATE: September 14, 2021

A big thank you to @netgalley and @Berkleybooks for the electronic ARC and for including me in the blog blitz celebration of this debut.

#MySweetGirl #AmandaJiyatissa