4.5 stars

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Book Club Favorites and Netgalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I REALLY enjoyed this book! The Split takes us through diverging timelines when Jane gets a call from her somewhat flighty sister, Esme, who is in need of a ride home. Jane needs to make a split decision. Will she pick Esme me up or leave her sister to fend for herself? The pages that follow will show us the results of both of those choices...

Told in two separate realities (Gone and Home) I have never read anything quite like this and I think Frick did an amazing job. As the realities finally come together, the twists were not anything I saw coming in either of the scenarios.

I paired this with the audio narrated by Kelsey Navarro Foster and she does an incredible job of building the suspense. It was truly easy to follow despite the two timelines.

Read if you enjoy:
*Shocking Endings
*Sister Relationships
*Diverging Timelines
*Family Drama

Kit Frick’s outstanding adult thriller debut released this week!
🚗
Jane Connor aka the plain Jane of her family, has a decision to make: pick up her sister in Manhattan during a thunderstorm when driving gives her terrible anxiety due to a car accident she was in as a teen or tell Esme to find her own ride home. What happens next is Jane’s life splits in two: the choice she made when she A) picks up her sister and B) refuses. We get to see the history of the two women’s relationships, their family dynamic and past relationships of Jane’s until it all comes crashing to two endings that couldn’t be more different from one another.
☔️
I love a good Sliding Doors trope so this was right up my alley. Every time I thought the story was going to go one way, I’d get whiplash as it switched in another direction. I’m so thrilled for Kit, as this was such an amazing adult debut and I WANT MORE! The Split released this week: congrats!

CW: car accident, alcoholism, drug overdose, hospitalization, Alzheimer’s, death, drunk driving, cheating, abuse, kidnapping, prison

One night, Jane Connor’s sister Esme calls her. Esme is leaving her wealthy banker husband and needs a ride from Manhattan to their family home in Connecticut. The problem is, there’s a serious thunderstorm, and Jane still suffers from traumatic memories of a serious stormy-night car accident during their teenage years, when she almost killed Esme. From this decision point, the story of Jane’s life splits in two: In one version, Jane fails to pick Esme up, and her sister disappears. In another, she braves the thunderstorm to pick her up, only to watch Esme remaining aloof and slipping off to secret, unspoken meetings.

Switching between these two realities in alternating chapters, THE SPLIT builds reveals the twists in the sisters’ relationship. Kit Frick does a great job of building suspense, using revelations in one version of reality to create dramatic tension in the other version. The emotional moments in the story are strong, and the twists are unexpected–leading to an ending that is both surprising and satisfying. There are even romantic storylines.

A good read for readers who love thrillers and novels about relationships–both romantic and between sisters.

Jane Connor and her sister Esme are not especially close, though Jane wishes they were closer. When Esme calls one stormy evening with the news that she’s leaving her rich husband and asks Jane to pick her up from a Manhattan bar, Jane has a decision to make: whether to brave the driving rain (and face her trauma around driving in bad weather) to go and pick Esme up, or to tell her sister to find another ride. At that point of decision, the story splits in two: on one timeline, Jane doesn’t go, and Esme goes missing. On the other, Jane picks up her sister and brings her back to Connecticut – but in the following days, Esme is acting very strangely.

The Split features a very interesting way to structure a mystery – each version of the story gives you different information at different times, allowing the reader to see a fuller picture of the mystery than either version of Jane is privy to. It was easier than I expected to keep the two versions separate in my mind, to keep track of which Jane knew what. The two timelines are written in different fonts, which I found helped my brain change gears. The two realities end in drastically different ways, both of them compelling.

Overall I thought this was a really good mystery told in a unique and interesting way, but it wasn’t quite a 5-star read. It’s hard to put my finger on why, all I can say is that it have that indefinable edge, it didn’t devour my brain the way I feel like a 5-star read should. For that reason, it’s 4.5,

How much do our decisions affect the way our lives turn out? Would one decision change it all? Those are the main questions that this book leaves the reader asking themselves!
Jane, the FMC, has a decision to make…..does she brave her fear of driving in storms and pick up her flighty sister Esme? Or does she finally put her foot down and say no.
Told with alternating timelines in each chapter, the author shows us what might have happened based on those two choices. I actually really enjoyed this style of writing. It kept things fresh!
What I didn’t enjoy was the character development. Esme and Jane honestly were not very likable characters. I think the use of the alternating timelines hindered the characters for me. Honestly, that’s just my own issue. I tend to struggle with non-likeable characters.
Overall, I’m glad I gave this a read, and I’ll definitely give this author’s future works a chance!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The book follows Jane, who has a lot on her plate: facilitating care for her mother (Marjorie) who has dementia, has unresolved feelings of guilt from her past, is still hung up on an ex (Jamie) and has a complicated relationship with her younger sister (Esme).

This was my first novel I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed this book, clearly because I finished it in 2 days! I haven’t experienced a novel that SPLITs (haha) completely in two different directions based on a decision: if Jane picks up her sister. I found it quite a unique concept that I have yet to encounter in a thriller novel.

It was organized in the sense each chapter was labeled either “HOME” or “GONE” with different font for each to help the reader. For some reason I still had trouble at times getting my head straight with it, even though I enjoy multi-POV thrillers which puts the reader in a similar headspace as this concept. I think the reason behind the struggle was that the split story alternated after every chapter and the chapters were quite short. I think another reason might be because in both HOME & the coinciding GONE chapters, the scene that’s being mirrored had a few identical sentences - which of course is understandable but having the two short chapters side by side alongside identical text makes it more difficult to distinguish between the two. Maybe if each chapter was longer it would’ve helped in organizing both sides.

The book really picked up about halfway through - I was completely invested from that point on! There were developments that I didn’t see coming. The author totally made me a fool with the characters. I truly did not expect the story to go where it did the entire time!! (through Kiku, to Dylan, to the person behind the texts, to Jamie, to the college guy, to her mother, to the two endings on the decision to pick up or not pick up Esme). So much was revealed it was unexpected for such a short book!

The author did a great job in depicting the burden Jane has to bear and all the emotional turmoil that goes along with all her responsibilities she has in her life. I really felt for her in the story. I don’t think what Jane kept from Esme justified what Esme did to Jane.

It provides 1 Epilogue and I believe the way it was written it means that the “true decision” was “GONE”, the one in which Jane does not pick up her sister Esme as it mentions the persons arrest. The book ends and it just makes you think, “well that was an unexpected, wild reading experience”!

It is interesting because no matter if it was “HOME” or “GONE”, the outcome is not great for Esme, and I wonder if Jane realizes what she is capable of… 🤔

All in all, it was entertaining and it entices me to read more by Kit Frick!

Thank you very much Netgalley and Atria Books (Emily Bestler Books/Simon & Schuster) for the eARC! This is my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy of The Split by Kit Frick in exchange for an honest review.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and how any author could write sliding door/competing stories based on the same people with unknown (but the same on both sides) motivations.

Generally, I think Frick handled this interestingly and creatively. Chapters bounce between "Home", the timeline where Jane goes out in the storm and picks Esme up in New York, and "Gone", the timeline where Jane does not pick Esme up and Esme goes missing. For the most part certain phrases or realizations may be used between the two timelines as Jane navigates her way through, but it was not a full-on Groundhog Day esque "let's repeat everything verbatim and then add a slight change". The stories do have a fair amount personality and difference to them.

Because of this, it's hard to write a review without giving away a large amount of spoilers. What we generally know is that 15 years earlier Jane and Esme were in a car accident that was Jane's fault. Jane and Esme have a verbally abusive and manipulative absent father, a mother with early onset dementia and their sisterly relationship is fractured. Jane has recently broken up with her mother's former neurologist. Esme is in the process of leaving her husband. From there both stories flow, unveiling long held secrets, new betrayals, and the many ways we do and do not know the people closest to us.

In a way this is a bit of butterfly effect and can make you think about your own choices in life that could have made things drastically different with something as simple as going outside in a storm. In that regard, I do feel I connected to the story because I have a few points in my life where I feel like there could have been a similarly large divergence.

There were a good amount of suspense and plot twists - part of me was significantly concerned that this may have been an awkward push toward Gone Girl or the Girl on the Train or some other manipulation but Frick did not go for the most outlandish or most expected routes with her tale, which was much appreciated. I think there was a few areas where I really wanted a bit more from the characters and the story, but overall I really enjoyed it.

2.75 stars, roughly, rounded up

I wanted to love this one; the concept sounded so intriguing to me, and I could tell right away that I enjoyed the author's writing style. However, as a mystery novel, I don't think this really delivered in the end.

One thing I didn't like is that it was pretty clear to me that there was a seemingly 'right' choice between the sliding doors realities we follow, based on the outcomes of each reality. I personally would have preferred things to be left more ambiguous for one of the endings, because I was left saying "oh that's the end? That's it?." Unless I'm misinterpreting a certain scene that takes place in a car?

Furthermore, I didn't think big reveal regarding Esme was very realistic. You're telling me she did all that because of this one thing? Obviously I'm being purposefully vague, but if you read this you probably know what I'm talking about. I'm sorry, I know you suspend your disbelief to an extent when you read these books, but I just don't buy it and found the plot twists to be simultaneously absurd and underwhelming.

I have to give kudos to the author for taking a big swing with this concept. I believe this is the author's foray into the adult category, and honestly it is not a bad first outing. I look forward to see if she'll be writing more adult books and what creative premises she might use next!

Clever sliding doors style suspense thriller.

This is the story of two sisters. Jane is the responsible sister, working full time while paying for her mother who is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's Disease to live at a high priced facility. Her younger sister Esme is married to a wealthy man and Jane doesn't see her much. One night, Esme calls and tells Jane she has left her husband and wants Jane to pick her up in the city, but it's storming outside and Jane has bad memories of what happened while driving in a storm long ago. In the first scenario, Jane refuses to come and tells Esme she will come get her in the morning. When Jane tries to contact her--Esme has disappeared. In the second scenario, Jane goes to get Esme and we follow what happens after that.

This is a very readable, intriguing tale. Each time the narrative shifts between "Home" and "Gone" the reader (and Jane) gets more pieces to the puzzle and finds more about Esme. There are some great twists on both sides of the story and I really liked the way the author concluded the novel. I was thinking "how is this going to play out--we have two completely different tracks here" but I didn't need to worry! The author was clever to make it a plausible conclusion to both for me.

The one surprise about this book was that it really made me think about consequences--how different choices can lead to different outcomes. Also, how we perceive our motivation for things is not the same as how others interpret them and then what that can lead to as a result.

Overall this is a gripping mystery told in a unique format.

Wow!! Amazing read! Thank you so much Netgalley, Kit Frick, and Atria Books for the ebook copy! This book was so well and uniquely written, I'm not sure I've ever read a book written this way! Each chapter had a different story line it followed based on what path Jane decided to take. Great story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this read! This was so creative. We always want to know the what if or the look of our decisions and here it is in this book. The book has Jane making a big decision of a go or don’t go and then it move from there giving us both sides of the decision. Well done .

Absolutely loved this book.

The writing style was so cool and different from any other book I've read.
Jane has to make a big decision whether or not to drive in a storm to pick up her sister. From there, the book splits into two different plots. One where she did go get her sister, the other where she did not. It was like reading two different books in one.

Book releases February 13th!!
Thank you Netgalley, Kit Frick and Arita for the ARC!!

Kit Frick's THE SPLIT offers double the pleasure with her cleverly crafted taut domestic thriller with two timelines and twin narratives.

Jane and Esme Connor are sisters but have not been close since they were teens after Esme was injured in a car crash while Jane was driving. However, what happened that night? Jane has spent 15 years to make up for the accident to protect her family.

They are now in their twenties. Jane works at a financial firm, and Esme married into a wealthy, prominent family.

The sisters have moved their mother, Marjorie, into a memory care facility (due to Alzheimer's). Jane is taking care of her, living in the family home in Connecticut. The mother is divorced from her husband, Carl—the girl's father.

Esme is an aspiring writer living in Manhattan. One night, Jane receives a call from her sister stating she has left her husband and wants her to pick her up at a Midtown bar.

It is here THE SPLIT is divided into two timelines, with Jane narrating:
1~Jane is driving through a storm and brings her sister home
2~Jane is tired of being used by Esme and tells her NO.

In one timeline, Esme disappears with Jane in search of her sister.
The alternative timeline has different complications and outcomes.

Of course, Jane is terrified of driving in a storm after what happened years ago. But then maybe they could be close again and rescue her. OR should she allow her to stand on her own feet? Which choice?

Jane is dealing with a recent breakup with Jamie, a doctor, and reuniting with her teenage love, Dylan. The choice itself splits Jane’s life into two—the reality in which she rescued her sister and the alternative that left Esme alone in the city.

Who is cruel and manipulative? Who wants to protect? Do you truly know those closest to you?

The author skillfully facilitates the two storylines and keeps the reader in suspense, turning the pages—Character-driven with mystery and intrigue to the explosive reveal.

THE SPLIT is inventive, captivating, and absorbing with the two complex choices. From dysfunction, twisted family history, revenge, a memoir, journals, sisters, secrets, and memories to how one choice can change the trajectory of your life. I enjoyed the mother's character with her memories and writing.

Readers will enjoy this thrill ride, and the only thing that may bother some is the repetition of the two timelines and the need to duplicate sentences. I look forward to reading more from this YA turned Adult author.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a gifted advance review cop. #CoverCrush

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Dat: Feb 13, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
Feb 2024 Must-Read Books
Feb Newsletter

This was a really quick read and I enjoyed the two perspectives. The author did a great job but the ending was a bit muddled. I would definitely recommend this if you like fast paced thrillers -- the twist was also good. I didn't love all the characters but still a very solid read!

The Split comes out next week on February 13, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.

This is the place where memories go to die.

Officially, Monte Viso's sixth floor is the memory-support wing, but strip away the top-notch doctors, the warm and earnest aides, the cheerful signs in their block letters and bright primary colors, and the naked truth is: you're in a vault of forgotten pasts.

There was a time when Mom remembered, and then a time when she did not.

Have you ever read an all over the place book? That’s what this one was doing for me…
This one started off really strong, but then wait! The premise switched up on me. Like a complete 180. The sister was missing and then she wasn’t. It really made me confused as to what I was reading. But perhaps that was all a part of the façade, the narrative if you will. Just when we think she’s dead, she’s actually not and she’s thriving.

Jane and her sister Esme have a weird relationship and when Esme calls her up one evening during a thunderstorm, asking for help and that she’s leaving her husband, Jane puts her off, but upon waking the next morning Esme is still ghost silent and officially missing. Jane goes frantic and makes it her whole responsibility to find her sister and get to the bottom off this case, all while caring for her memory lacking mother. Oh, and her ex-boyfriend who is also her mother’s doctor is acting weirdly helpful, but a bit shady in the process. Like I said, shew. It was a lot. And the ending yall… Just wait.

I am thankful to Simon Audio, Atria Books, and Kit Frick for granting me advanced digital, audio, and physical access to this one before February 13, 2024.

Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Despite loving the movie “Sliding Doors”, I haven’t read many books employing the same plot device before now. I loved the butterfly effect feeling of it: One mundane action leading to a split sequence of events and we get to read as they play out for better or for worse.

For all that I love split sequence novels (some call them sliding door novels), this one just didn’t enthrall me all that much. The inciting event is compelling, the story is interesting enough, but the execution of that story is lacking in both skill and originality.

We’ve got two self-absorbed siblings, a philandering father, and a sick mother. It’s one screwed up family I sure wouldn’t want to be a part of. I found it hard to identify with Jane, our protagonist, which meant I spent most of the time reading this novel sighing and rolling my eyes at her.

I didn’t enjoy Frick’s writing style much, which also affected my enjoyment of the novel. I suspect if you’re already a Frick fan, then you’ll likely enjoy this novel more than I did.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Domestic Thriller/Psychological Thriller/Suspense Thriller/Thriller

I love the movie Sliding Doors, so I was immediately drawn to this book. Jane lives in Connecticut and takes care of her mother, who has dementia and has recently moved into an assisted living facility. She doesn’t speak to her sister, Esme, much. Esme lives in New York and calls Jane one night asking her to pick her, because she is leaving her husband. In one side of the story Jane picks Esme up and struggles to mend their relationship while living under the same roof. On the other side of the story, Jane does not pick her up and feels guilt over the consequences.

This book was suspenseful, thought-provoking, and twisty. I enjoyed seeing the differences and similarities between each story. At no point did I anticipate what was going to happen in either timeline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for my advance copy! I love this cover. The colors and the water element just pop don’t they?

Remember when you were a kid and there were those books with alternate endings? That is what this book reminded me of. It gives off “Sliding Doors” or “Butterfly Effect” vibes where reality splits into two different scenarios and then weaves back together again into reality. I was totally intrigued by the premise and I had to see where both “realities” met up. I did not see the major “twist” coming! Sister relationships always intrigue me. It seems Frick can not only write YA but Adult thrillers too!

An interesting premise, two stories with the same people, what would happen if she made a different choice. It got confusing at moments but I think my students will like this and be able to relate to the two sisters and the ways they handle their difficult childhoods. One ending, didn't make as much sense and might not be appropriate for all students

I love stories like this, stories like “Sliding Doors”, where The Butterfly Effect is put into play. It’s a fascinating concept that I like thinking about. Maybe one minor action can change your whole world. Or, maybe that’s not how it works at all - maybe things are predestined no matter what choices we make. Sometimes we think we know what we want, when actually, we don’t have a clue until we get the gift of hindsight. This book definitely gets into it…

Jane and Esme are sisters who haven’t been close in a long time. Jane is single, takes care of their mother who suffers from dementia, and lives in the house they grew up in, outside of the city in Connecticut. Esme fulfilled her dream of marrying a very wealthy man and became a writer/socialite, living in New York City.

One night, Jane gets a call from Esme. She has just left her husband, and wants to come home to Connecticut. Like, NOW. Jane is reluctant, though. Her sister has lots of friends in the city, can afford a hotel room if needed, oh, and there is a hurricane coming. Fear of driving in the rain stops Jane from going to get her sister…then the next day, Esme is missing.

The second chapter starts exactly the same as the first, so I was momentarily confused until I realized what was happening. Half of this book is written in the “gone” phase, where Jane didn’t pick up her sister and is now feeling crushing guilt. The other half is “home”, where Jane got the courage to go get her sister and bring her home safely. The rest of the story goes on from there…and it’s fantastic!

I had a lot of ideas about how both sides would turn out, but I was surprised by both endings. This book makes you think about fate, about the consequences of actions, and about family/relationships. I felt like we didn’t really get to know Esme, and Jane was a pretty one-dimensional person, so I wouldn’t have minded if it was longer to get more character development, but I definitely enjoyed this one! 4.5 stars.

(Thank you to Atria Books, Kit Frick and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on February 13, 2024.)