I'll Be You by Janelle Brown is my new favorite book. I love a book that has a storyline with twists and turns, dips and curves. I love a book that keeps me guessing and won't let me put it down. Has anyone propped a book on the windowsill while washing the dishes so you can keep reading? I'll Be You made me glad all my kids are grown because they would have received no attention from me while reading this book. The storyline is simple enough. Twin sisters struggle with life after being child stars. How cliche! Well, if you are a Janelle Brown fan, then you know she doesn't do cliche. So who can Sam and Ellie blame their struggles on? A mom that ignored the obvious, opposite personalities despite being twins, the pressure to succeed at such a young age? In the end it doesn't really matter. Both girls make their own choices on what path to follow and the consequences that come with those decisions. Like I said, Brown is a master at dropping the bottom out in the middle of a story and she literally does that in I'll Be You. First, we read Sam's story. Then to confuse us, Brown starts over in the middle of the book and tells us Ellie's story. But it all makes sense! It meshes together and becomes one fantastic story. After reading all of Janelle Brown's other book, I know better than to think I have the story figured out. I just let the story take me on a roller coaster. Good thing I like rollar coasters! I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five Def my favorite of her books

There is nothing like the bond of sisters. This made me miss the close relationships I had with my own. Elli and Sam being twins is an even closer bond. Even when their lives go in opposite directions they still know in their hearts how much they love each other. Sam being the “less responsible” of the two ends up helping her sister when she is deep in the clutches of a group bent on brainwashing and draining it’s members of their money. The whole story flows with heart and the ending doesn’t disappoint!

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

With this book, Janelle Brown takes us into a world where there is an imaginary fantasy that we are all trying to be someone else.

She starts with identical twins to make the point that it's easy to fool the eye and make people believe what they think is true. One of the twins, Sam at 13 years old, said to her sister, Elli, "You be me, an I'll be you." Their mother signed them up to be childhood actresses with them taking turns on the set. It was nearly impossible to tell who was who. Sam said, "I lived for that moment of stepping into someone else's skin."

Later when they stopped acting and resumed another life, psychological problems surfaced. Sam in Los Angeles turned to alcohol and drugs and Elli in Santa Barbara found a self-help, cult-like group. They both were desperate to discover who they really were. Those that signed up for the cult wanted to be strong, beautiful women and were willing to pay thousands of dollars to get there. The story also shows how much we look back on our lives wishing it could have been different rather than accepting where we are now. Sam wondered, "What if there was a "better me, more focused, less wild, in total control?"

I enjoyed the story. It's one that is quick to digest just like her previous book: "Pretty Things." Once you start, it's easy to feel like you're somewhere in the story and you have to rush to find out more. It shows how easy it is for people to control others with mind-twisting acts. Many are desperate to be perfect TV personalities and will do whatever it takes to get here. The book was somewhat predictable and parts were a tad out there but overall, it was a terrific all-nighter for women.

My thanks to Janelle Brown, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this copy with an expected release date of April 26, 2022.

I’ll Be You by Janelle Brown is told from two points of view – those of twins. Are they one and the same? If not, do they overlap somewhere? The questions raised from the twins’ perspectives are done in a manner that engages the reader from the first to the last page. They also influence the development of the plot: the twin whose life spiraled out of control vs. the twin always in control until the latter becomes involved with a cult-like leadership group and the former must become the responsible sister. Brown does an excellent job of depicting the twins, their mother, and the leadership group leader. Although I read an advance copy of I’ll Be You, my opinion that this is a book not to be missed is solely my own.

This book is definitely a page turner. I could hardly put it down and consequently read it quickly. I enjoyed the storyline/ plot. As a teacher, I have had many sets of twins in my career. Each set had its own “twin dynamic”. These girls had their own dynamic and it led them through many ups and downs. This is one if my fav authors.

Lot of twists and turns and then more twists and turns..
Twins, Hollywood, a cult. a mystery... what more can you want from a book?

This was an easy, engrossing read. I especially enjoyed the flashbacks that showed how the sisters grew up.

The writing was really good, and I could picture the people and the action. This felt like it would make a great movie - I could just see all of the action in my head.

The only negative for me was the last 25%. It felt like it was getting darker, and darker, and then all of a sudden everything was resolved. It felt too easy - ;like a movie of the week ending. It didn't feel like it fit the book to me.

Overall, this was an entertaining read and I will read more by this author.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

Thank You So Much Random House for the opportunity to read Browns newest gripping novel!

Janelle Brown newset novel I'll Be You is a crafted story that will hook readers from page one and entertain and engage them through the absolute final page.
I soaked this book up and loved every twist and turn. Great characters and incredible setting.
I thought this was sharp and complicated and deliciously fun
I love being surprised and at times shocked with the plot twists and that is all I am about to say, except I did not have anything figured out
A twisty plot with a shocking, never-saw-that-coming ending—this brilliant novel has it all! I read it in one day in one sitting, mesmerized, and I loved every moment.
Absolutely my most favorite eARC I've read this year!
Stunning, brilliant, intriguing, beautiful story!
And A Five Star Read All Day Long

I will cross post to all my platforms closer to pub date!

Wow, wow...just WOW!
This was my first Janelle Brown read and I was almost immediately sucked right into the story! I will definitely be looking for more of her books.
An original story of sisters, family, a cult - you read that right, a cult(!) and redemption. How far would you go to save a loved one? That's what Sam has to decide when her sister disappears leaving her young daughter in the care of their aging mother. Sam and Elli may have looks that are identical but their personalities and lives couldn't be more different. With twists you won't see coming, this read takes you on a worthwhile journey. With characters that are fully imagined even if only briefly introduced, this was such a great read!

Two pods in a pea, shared minds, feelings, deep sisterhood connection! The book shook my entire my world more than I imagined! We hear Sam and Ellie’s story: two struggling souls, two have it all lost it all women who are estranged and tries too hard find their places in the world individually.
Those two girls; shared the same womb, identical faces, same family, same child star glorious fame which crumbles into pieces… They chose different methods to deal with their life after recognition and fame: Sam chose drugs to numb her pain and Ellie chose domestic life, a regular job at flower shop, trying to conceive a child to form her own family.

Sam tries to gather her crumbling life, working at a coffee shop, attending AA meetings, missing her estranged twin she’s parted ways because of a big fight which caused damaging wounds in their relationship that would never heal.

But a phone call she gets from her father telling her her reasonable, responsible ( perfect twin ) sister is gone AWOL almost a week, not answering her phone which is strange! Her sister seems having a perfect life with real estate lawyer Chuck, a story Spanish- Revival house just blocks away Santa Barbara Beach as Sam lives in near empty Hollywood studio apartment, sleeping on a futon, serving coffees to make her ends meet.

What happened to her perfect sister? Actually, she’s divorced and she seems like adopted a two years old girl called Charlotte! Now her mother needs help to take care of her till her sister returns back! Some many things happened throughout the time they stopped talking.

She returns back to family house located in Santa Barbara. Turning back and facing her parents open up old wounds from her past: we move backwards to see more about childhood dynamics of sisters: Sam always wants to be an actress and shining in front of the camera as Ellie is reluctant and looking forward to have a normal teenage life. But the show they acted for Nickelodeon TV brings more fame they can handle. The sisters start switching places to deceive the producers so Ellie can have her normal life back and Sam can shine more! But that means Sam is also under more pressure and she needs more edibles to ease the tension. That’s how the sisters start drifting apart.

In the present time Sam tries to reach to her sister but Ellie doesn’t return her messages. Her investigation at her empty house makes her suspect that her sister just joined a cult which prevents her to connect with outside world.

Sam is so adamant to find the traces of the place where her sister is held but this also means she has to find out her sister’s traumatic secrets which will haunt their lives forever!

This is such a great mystery, thought provoking, sentimental, effective, riveting psychological thriller about sisterhood, turmoil of sudden fame, addiction, self recovery, self discovery, grief, estrangement, denial, manipulation.

Both sisters’ POVs are perfectly told. It was so easy to understand both of them’s perspectives and relate with their brokenness, predicaments, their sides of story.

This is the first time a powerful mystery story also made me cry because the emotional depth of the characters are reflected outstandingly!

I think this already became my favorite book of the author which earned tearful, sad, realistic, striking, heartfelt five stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I really liked the author’s Pretty Things, despite the book’s considerable bulk, despite my strong belief that books should contains themselves in under 400 pages (under 300 ideally) for optimal reading enjoyment. Pretty Things was a very good book, and it carried its weight with admirable grace, reading very quickly and dynamically. It wasn’t a conventional mystery thriller that is so insanely/oppressingly popular right now, it was more of a crime drama, a highly literary, character driven crime drama and a strikingly engaging one at that.
So I knew I was going to read more by the author and this book certainly didn’t disappoint. It’s more of the same in quality and style, though thematically it takes a somewhat different approach. This is a story of twins and all the ways their naturally strong connection is stretched and twisted over the years. And it’s quite mesmerizing in its own way.
Sam and Elli were born 11 minutes apart and, while being virtually indistinguishable in appearance, grew up to be very different people. Their innate closeness resisted this and so throughout the years they tried to compensate for it by making compromises. It didn’t work in the end, because compromises can only take one so far. And so, two bright and shining teen starlets grew into a barely getting by junkie and an addict, Sam, and a perfect suburban wife, Elli. And they followed along in their tracks until…well, until now.
Now Elli’s gone, missing. She left her freshly adopted baby girl behind and freshly sober Sam has to come and help take care of her. But the longer Elli stays away, the more suspicious Sam gets and decides to investigate this on her own. She soon finds out that her sister was involved in a self-improvement group i.e. cult and things unravel from there.
As much as I love cult stories, it wasn’t even the main appeal here. The main appeal was the writing itself, strikingly engaging even when the characters were difficult to like or love, overpowering even the potent estrogen/mommy streak throughout the novel, it had such a terrific energy, such dynamism, it was tough to put down. The sister act of Sam and Elli, their title predicted interchangeability and their variously unpredictable differences, made for a profoundly entertaining and wildly compelling read. And this time the author did manage to tell the story in well under 400 words, so yey. Very good read all around. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I enjoyed Pretty Things and will loosely categorize this as the same caliber. But. It was a little slow for me. A couple of things that should have been compelling, possibly even suspenseful, just, sort of...weren't.

I loved Janelle Brown's previous book, Pretty Things, and hoped I'll Be You would be a similar thriller. This book wasn't what I expected, but I really enjoyed it. While it felt more about the relationship between the two sisters, the narrative was really moving and memorable. I don't want to reveal any spoilers, but the biggest part of Elli's backstory was especially interesting to me.

I loved this book! The fact that it was about former child actors was clever. Also interesting hearing how Sam and Elli’s perspectives were different.

The similarities/differences of twins was compelling. The “cult” aspect of the story was also interesting. The ending was very satisfying.

Really enjoyed the book. Never read any of Janelle Brown’s books before but will after reading this book. Great job! Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this book excellent book.

I devoured this novel in a long afternoon. It was addictive reading! Elli aNd Sam are twins. Sam is arried and supposedly emotionally stable. Ellie is a recovering alcoholic. Sam does missing and is found living in an all female cult named GenFem. The power of sisterhood is strong in this novel. I loved it and was sad to see the end.

I"LL BE YOU hearkens back to Janelle Brown's earlier thrillers/suspense novels. Here's what I mean by that. I enjoyed her earlier books but found them somewhat standard, meaning no better than others in the genre. Perfectly entertaining, just nothing "wow." However, I loved Pretty Things. I thought it was so clever and intricate and amazingly suspenseful. A book you keep thinking about. I"LL BE YOU does not have that same feel to it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Her standard thrillers are very good, and this one is no exception.

I took a little bit of time to feel connected to the first narrator, Sam. She seems kind of out of it - doesn't even understand what a two-year-old does and doesn't do (like, the basics). And that made me feel disconnected to her -- at first. Thankfully, she grew on me.

I'm glad I stuck with the book because it really picks up as you continue reading and the ultimate reveals and the ending are quite satisfying.

I do recommend this novel for fans of suspense/thrillers.

wow! such a good book! Janelle Brown does not disappoint in this suspenseful book.
Elli and Sam are twins who gained early fame in acting in Los Angeles. Their paths diverge - Elli into marriage and Sam into a spiraling addiction. In recovery at last, Sam receives a call from her mother, her sister Eli has gone away and left her daughter Charlotte with her and needs help watching her. The news that her sister is a mother is new news to Sam and Sam, being the family's "black sheep." s heads home to help. As Elli continues to not return to claim Charlotte, Sam becomes concerned about her sister's welfare and launches an investigation of her own. What she finds out shocks her.

This is a story that I have not read before…unique…however, I wish authors would just write in the time frame in which the story or setting takes place…the then and now is confusing and not always fun to read…the then and now stories are becoming so commonplace…that being said, the story of twin sisters is intriguing…the author is ingenious at making the characters come alive on the pages of the novel…this book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review…it is a quick read…there are so many surprises…I look forward to more books from this talented author…

I have loved Janelle Brown’s earlier novels, especially “All We Ever Wanted Was Everything “ so I was excited about reading this new novel. She has selected the subject of cults and wrapped it in the lives of identical twins, Sam and Elli. It seems to have been inspired by the recent NEXIVM Cult scandal which has been widely publicized during the past years, including a series on NETFLIX.

Of course Brown has woven this into an interesting novel about the incalculable financial and emotional damage created by this group she has named GENFEM. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but I I honestly found the exploration of the internal machinations of the cult too noire for me.

So, this is a good read but it doesn’t live up to the high standard of her earlier novels. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.