Just a bit of paranormal adds confusion and suspense to this psychological mystery novel. Main characters are well written but plot moves along a bit slowly, especially the part in Sri Lanka. Overall, the dual settings in California and an orphanage in Sri Lanka held my interest and was enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

After being adopted by an American family, Paloma had it all — financially stable parents, good schools, and money. It was Paloma’s dream come true.

Now thirty years old, Paloma can no longer depend on funding from her parents. Living in an overpriced San Francisco apartment, Paloma desperately needed money to continue living the lifestyle that she carved out for herself. So, Paloma resorts to subletting her apartment to an undocumented Sri Lankan, Arun.

Everything as going seemingly well with Arun. Paloma felt good about the arrangement until Arun discovers a secret that Paloma has been hiding all these years. A secret that could destroy everything that Paloma has worked for. Knowing that Paloma would do anything to keep her secret hidden, Arun commences to blackmail Paloma, draining her bank accounts.

In a last-ditch effort to end the blackmails, Paloma resolves to negotiate a deal with Arun. But before anything is set in motion, Paloma discovers Arun’s lifeless body hunched over the kitchen table in a pool of blood. Police are called to the scene. But upon investigation, Arun’s body is nowhere to be found and the apartment is spotless. It’s as if Arun never existed. Is it possible that Paloma dreamt the whole thing up? What is the secret that Paloma is hiding?

My Sweet Girl is a slow burn suspense novel. The pace is atmospheric with little nuggets of edginess. The storyline follows a first-person account that spans past and present between Sri Lanka and San Francisco. The novel contains an easy to follow narrative. However, it is somewhat of a tedious grind. But, if one is willing to invest the time and endure the hills and valleys of this novel, they will be rewarded with an unexpected ending. Four stars.

I received a digital ARC from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Stay tuned for the Blog Blitz celebration on September 14, 2021.

My Sweet Girl is definitely a book that is outside my comfort zone, but I enjoyed it so much! The characters were created in a real and raw way, and I really enjoyed learning more about the cultures and heritages presented in this story.

I thought the story was twisty and mind bending at times, and I thought the story reached a perfect balance between dark and mystery. There are pieces of the story that are quite dark, but I don’t think the tone was overwhelming. (I’m a fairly sensitive reader, so this is important to me).

This book literally shocked me in the ending. I’m not huge on figuring out mysteries as I read, but I did not see the ending come at all. This author crafted a wonderful story of mystery and suspense about characters I was fascinated with.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was first attracted to this book because it's a debut novel by a Sri Lankan author. Set in alternating chapters between San Francisco and an orphanage in Sri Lanka, this thriller features a woman who was adopted by a white American couple as a child. Although the main "twist" was evident to me early on, Jayatissa had lots of little surprises throughout the book to keep my interest piqued. The main drawback of this book for me is that the mystery often relies on the main character's use of alcohol and subsequent unclear memories, and as I've mentioned in other reviews earlier this year, I'm personally not a huge fan of that tactic in my thrillers. Overall entertaining and highly readable, with a clear and biting criticism of white saviorism throughout.

Was absolutely shocked by how much I loved this book, but I absolutely did love it! Was deliciously dark, intense, and unputdownable! Kept me flipping pages, as it was very well written, unique, and has such amazing character development! Cannot recommend it enough! It will definitely blow your mind!

Will buzz around platforms and use top Amazon reviewer number!

Wow, really disliked some of these characters but still loved the book! Really sucked me in for a great ride.

■ ARC Review■
My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa
Pub Date: 9/14/21
Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for this e-arc!

Wow. This debut surprised me!! There is so much to break down so let's do that.

My Sweet Girl is layers and layers of Psychological Thriller, Mystery Suspense, Contemporary, Diversity, and so on. I went into this one blind with the impression it was your basic thriller but it was so much more!

➡️ With this fantastic debut by Jayatissa you get:
■ One hell of an unlikeable and intense protagonist.
Paloma is our MC and she is a feisty one!! She is so uncomfortable in her own skin that it translates to the reader, making you question everything and I LOVED everything about it.
■ Dual timelines
Present-day Paloma in San Francisco and twelve-year-old Paloma living in a Sri Lankan Orphanage for girls.
■ Mohini
A ghost that is said to haunt the orphanage. (I got the girl from The Ring vibes) Yes, I was spooked and it gave me the perfect gothic-esque type chills.
■ A genius reading experience.
The author truly has us in Paloma's head and I've got to be honest, it creeped me out. It felt so real.
■ Plot twists galore
And they hit like a thunderstrike!

So, with that said, this is my standout debut of the year and I am already a huge fan of Jayatissa's. You don't want to miss out on this unapologetic dark novel.

This is a freaking debut! I can’t believe it! It is hypnotic, creepy , dark and so full of twists my head is still spinning! It has a hint of a ghost story, revenge, murder and mystery all wrapped in one with a hell of a complex main character. The deft underlining issues of race and gender sprinkled in made this even more complex. Paloma is sarcastic, witty and made me laugh out loud at times. Plus I love that she cusses like a sailor (hello-me 🙋🏼‍♀️) and made it much more realistic. I really enjoyed the parts of Sri Lankian culture that Amanda used in the story to help educate and add to the overall heartbreaking background. I honestly have nothing bad to say except that it ended. I can’t wait to see what Amanda Jayatissa has for us next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Pub for my advance copy!

This was an original and very readable book with much to recommend it, but I did have some mixed feelings about it. I loved the brash cattiness of the narrator in present-day San Francisco as well as the fully drawn atmospheric descriptions of her younger years in a Sri Lankan orphanage. The plot is quite mysterious and engaging. However, I figured out the big twist fairly early on and then dismissed it as being way too implausible. When it turned out to be right, my misgivings about how far fetched it was remained, and this diminished my appreciation for the book. I also found the ending quite confusing, trying to keep track of what was what. Still, very worth reading and would make an interesting book club pick. Many thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

My Sweet Girl is a high-octane rush that takes you into its grasp from page one and spits you out and leaves your mind spinning as you take in the final words. This is a twisty, intense, psychological thriller, that leaves you biting your nails and ice rolling down your spine. My mind is completely and utterly blown. Bravo Amanda Jayatissa, you have done it! Your book is a thrill a minute rush, that leaves the reader wanting more. You will ignore knocks on your door, fire alarms, your family, until you finally uncover the truth, and let out the breath you were holding for so long.

My Sweet Girl goes between present day Paloma, who is a 30-year-old walking disaster. She drinks too much, doesn't get along with her parents, and her roommate is blackmailing her. Can it get any worse, of course it can! You are flung back to 12-year-old Paloma, the Sri Lankan orphan who was given up at birth by her mother. Her best friend and only person you could call family, Lihini, is her entire world. The two girls lean on one another and are inseparable. Until the Evans’ show up, a do gooding white couple who jump from one good cause to the next. Swoop in and adopt Paloma, leaving her excited to finally be free of the orphanage and heading to a new life in America. She is also conflicted and saddened since she does not want Lihini to feel like she is abandoning her. Jayatissa beautifully weaves these two timelines together creating an intense, spellbinding read.

My Sweet Girl has it all. An enticing storyline that does not let up for a second. An eerie tale about a mysterious Mohini, a ghost that you can feel breathing on your neck, her bony fingers slowly encircling your neck. Blackmail, murder, disappearances, stalkers, possessed neighbors, and the list goes on and on. Your mind will be twisting, turning, whirling, swirling, until you have no idea which way is up. You will think you have it all figured, but no, no, no, you will not. The ending will shock you and amaze you at the same time. This is the best thriller I have read this year, and I have read some amazing books. Amanda Jayatissa, I bow down to you! This book is fantastic, and it is going to stick with me for quite some time. Seriously, stop reading this review and preorder this book! Thank you to Amanda Jayatissa, Berkley Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this incredibly fantastic book!

If Paloma didn't tell her story of how her life started in a Sri Lanka orphanage until the age of 14 when adopted by a wealthy American couple, you'd think her a spoiled rich kid. At age 30, and still acting much like a teen and cut off from financial resources, she now has a roommate. Only problem is they have issues and when she finds his body in her apartment, she calls the police but they find nothing. Now what in the world has happened? This psychological thriller moved back and forth telling Paloma's story quite well, early life building her story's background but oh boy she has had problems growing up in the shadow of 'perfect' parents and has really messed up many a time. Yet she's not asked for the strange things happening to her now. Is her past catching up with her and what in the heck happened back in Sri Lanka to make this story happen. The biggest problem I had with the book is that I totally disliked Paloma. Not liking a character makes it very hard for me to stay excited about what I read. I can imagine she is not the first teen adoptee from another country suddenly finding herself totally disconnected, and she doesn't come off a a bad sort just not someone I would ever wish to meet.. The ending is a surprise, but the character herself kept me from enjoying the book and keeps me from going higher than 3 stars.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for letting me read My Sweet Girl early.

I can’t believe this is a debut. This book is so well written and really transported me the entire time. It’s creepy, it’s scary, its thought provoking and it’s twisty. I did guess some of the twists but I still really enjoyed it. I am torn between this being a thriller or is this being horror because it features the best parts of both genres. If you’re a fan of either you will like this book!

My Sweet Girl features a dual timeline, part set in San Francisco and part set in Sri Lanka. Paloma thought her life would really be perfect after she was adopted and brought to America. She’s had the best of everything since being adopted and also has had to live up to their expectations. Now at thirty, she’s been cut off from her parent’s money and she decides to get a roommate to save money. Arun has recently moved from India and Paloma feels good about helping someone find their own way in America until Arun discovers a dark secret that Paloma has been living with that could ruin her whole life. Before she can figure this out she finds him face down in a pool of blood, after she flees her apartment and the police arrive, there’s no body and no evidence Arun ever existed in the first place… Is her secret safe now that he’s gone? Is he really gone?

My Sweet Girl is the brilliant debut thriller by #OwnVoices author Amanda Jayatissa. In the vein of Rose Carlyle's The Girl in the Mirror, My Sweet Girl is dark, psychological and twisty - but with a folklore twist. This book is a bit of a slow burn but once it picks up, it'll keep you captivated and guessing till the very end.

Alternating between two different timelines, the past when the main character, Paloma, is a 14-year old girl in a Sri Lankan orphanage and present day, where Paloma is a 30-year old woman living in San Francisco, CA.

Ever since Paloma was adopted from the orphanage in Sri Lanka, she has had the best of everything - schools, money, and parents so perfect that she fears she'll never live up to them. But now at 30 years old, Paloma has been cut off financially from her parents and ends up subletting the second bedroom of her apartment to a guy named Arun, who recently moved from India.

Arun has been a good roommate up until he tries to blackmail Paloma after discovering her deepest, darkest secret. A secret so bad that it could jeopardize her whole existence and life in America. Paloma decides to pay off Arun, but before she can, she discovers him face own in a pool of blood at her kitchen table. By the time the police arrive, Arun's body is nowhere to be found and it's as if he never existed at all.

Strange circumstances keep occuring that make Paloma question her sanity. Her doctor has warned her that mixing her medication with alcohol may cause hallucinations and blackouts. Because of this, paranoia ensues and Paloma has a hard time distinguishing what's real and what isn't.

Is Arun actually dead? If so, where is his body? If he is indeed dead, does that mean he took her secret to the grave? But with all of the bizarre things that keeps happening, Paloma is fearful that her past has finally caught up to her - causing her to spiral even more out of control.

Folks, hang on tight, because you're in for a wild ride. Paloma is as unreliable as a character can be, but her brash, unapologetic narration makes her so appealing, and quite honestly, very refreshing. I guarantee you will hang on to her every word. The folklore aspect of the book gives this thriller a creepy, gothic vibe, and I am here for it.

Rating: 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5).

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Berkley Pub and Amanda Jayatissa for providing me with an eARC of the book in exchange for my honest review. As an Asian-American, you don't know how much it means to me to get the chance to review and support an #OwnVoices author as there are not that many Asian thriller authors out there. Amanda, brava on your incredible debut and I can't wait to read your future releases!

This book surprised me!


Here is what I enjoyed;

The Dual Timeline- Not uncommon in books but it never gets old for me. Love a good Dual Timeline.

The Setting- Part of this book is set in Sri Lanka. I had never read a book set there until now.

The Creepiness- This book had great atmosphere. My Sweet Girl features some Sri Lankan folklore. Mohini was so scary. At different points I asked myself is this mystery thriller or is this horror ? 🤣. I'm a big chicken. Mohini is like the equivalent of what Bloody Mary was for me as a child. Oh the nightmares!

The Twists- Did not see them coming.

The Ending- Fabulous. This book was coasting between a 3 to a 3 ½ Star . The end definitely contributed to the higher rating.

Why It Lost a Star-

Paloma- So unlikeable. This usually does not bother me in mystery thriller books. Paloma was over the top annoying in the present day timeline.

The Language- We're all adults and sometimes adults use language. I get it. It was just excessive and The author often repeats the phrase "what the actual F*ck". If I were reading a physical copy I might have thrown it across the room.

Overall- So thankful to have been granted an early copy. I look forward to checking out more from this author in the future and I encourage other readers to pick this book .

It’s hard to believe this is a debut. My Sweet Girl is a smart, page-turning thriller that will keep you up past your bedtime and stay in your mind for weeks after reading the last page. But beyond that, it’s a thought-provoking, layered work that engages with gothic classics in a brilliant and compelling way. Amanda Jayatissa is a stunning new voice and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

For fans of The Girl in the Mirror and You Are Not Alone! My Sweet Girl was a thriller were I both desperately wanted to know what was going to happen, while also very much not wanting to find out. I was flipping (metaphorically speaking as I was reading the ebook) pages like a mad woman trying to find out what Paloma did in her past that was haunting her so deeply now.

Paloma is an orphan from a Sri Lankan girls home. Her wish to be adopted began to be a reality when the wealthy Americans, the Evan's, come to visit her home and are impressed with her reading choice, Wuthering Heights. The story flips back and forth from the time in the orphanage to her present day life. Paloma's parents are no longer speaking to her because they uncovered a horrible secret from her past. She is dealing with a roommate that she swears she found killed in her apartment. All of this while being certain that the ghost of the orphanage, Mohini, is following her. Paloma is polarizing. You'll hate her, you'll love her, and you will want to kill her. And most certainly, you will definitely want to know how this book ends.!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Net Galley for the eARC of My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa. Wow......just wow!

Set, In San Franscisco, Paloma finds her roommate dead. She reports it to the police but when they investigate the body has disappeared. Has she imagined this? Has she hallucinated this? She then moves out of her apartment into her rich parents house. Soon, her neighbor goes missing. Just what is happening? She meets her other neighbors,, a young couple who are acting strange as well. Oh, I forgot to mention that Paloma was adopted by her parents when she was a young girl from an orphanage in Sri Lanka. There are some strange things happening there as well.

This story is told in dual timelines by a very unlikeable narrator; Paloma. It's suspenseful and you won't want to put it down. No spoilers here....you're going to have to read this one to see how it all plays out!

A psychological thriller with several unexpected twists that keep you on your toes. Takes place in a Sri Lanka orphanage and in the USA, featuring adoption, immigration, adjustment to a new life and culture. A twelve-year-old orphan girl Paloma is adopted by American philanthropists and transported from an Asian island to life in modern America. The past and its ghosts seem to stay with Paloma, however, even after she reaches adulthood in the U.S. How these conflicts unfold are the basis of this psych thriller.

Well plotted even though the plot twists are predictable in a few instances.

"Paloma thought her perfect life would begin once she was adopted and made it to America, but she's about to find out that no matter how far you run, your past always catches up to you...

Ever since she was adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage, Paloma has had the best of everything - schools, money, and parents so perfect that she fears she'll never live up to them.

Now at thirty years old and recently cut off from her parents' funds, she decides to sublet the second bedroom of her overpriced San Francisco apartment to Arun, who recently moved from India. Paloma has to admit, it feels good helping someone find their way in America - that is until Arun discovers Paloma's darkest secret, one that could jeopardize her own fragile place in this country.

Before Paloma can pay Arun off, she finds him face down in a pool of blood. She flees the apartment but by the time the police arrive, there's no body - and no evidence that Arun ever even existed in the first place.

Paloma is terrified this is all somehow tangled up in the desperate actions she took to escape Sri Lanka so many years ago. Did Paloma's secret die with Arun or is she now in greater danger than ever before?"

Disappearing body AND set in San Francisco? Hells yes!

Paloma grew up in an orphanage in Sri Lanka until she was adopted by an American couple when she was 12. For the last 18 years she's had the best money could offer. Now she's been cut off from her parents and has a roommate who found out her biggest secret and is blackmailing her. Before she can pay him off, however, she returns to the apartment to find him in a pool of blood at her kitchen table. By the time the police arrive, there's no body, no mess, no sign that Arun ever even existed. Did he tell anyone her secret before he died? Who killed him? Why was he killed? As Paloma spirals deeper and deeper, her narration becomes more and more unreliable. What is real and what is imagined? Will her secret come back to destroy her?

Told in chapters alternating between current day San Francisco and Sri Lanka of 18 years ago, this fact-paced psychological thriller will keep you turning pages! Though I did figure out one major twist before it was revealed, several others took me by surprise. High-brow literature that will change your life or make you think deep thoughts, this is not. But, it's an enjoyable read from beginning to end and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thrill ride or an unreliable narrator.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own,