Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Thanks to @bookclub, @netgalley, and @williammorrowbooks for this copy of "My Name Was Eden".

After Lucy's daughter Eden's near-drowning, Eden secretly tells her mother that she's really her twin Eli. But Eli was Eden's unborn twin brother. And then the strangeness starts...

I can't wait to talk about the ending with other readers so I hope this becomes a book club book!

This is absolutely not a classic story of issues between mothers and daughters but oh my god do they have issues!
Eden drowns in a canal behind her home and is found by a neighbor. Her mother comes upon the scene and is forced to watch her receive CPR. Eden survives, kind of, but she comes home demanding to be called Eli and not acting at all like herself. Eden was always difficult for her daughter, much like my own daughters, but this is something else.
We also get some other perspectives, like Charlie, Eden's best friend.
Honestly, it is spooky. There is a whole mood throughout the book. It is extremely creepy.
Read his one if you like creepy spooky stories that don't seem like they'd be that way.

The book has short chapters and was right to the point when it comes to storytelling. But it didn't actually had me on the edge of my seat. The story has potential and even though I did not like it the way others did, I still admire the flow.

This book was well written and kept me coming back to see what was happening. Lucy’s young daughter Eden nearly drowns, and when she wakes up in the hospital she tells her mother she’s not Eden she’s Eli. Eli is Eden’s twin who didn’t make it to birth because of vanishing twin syndrome. Lucy doesn’t know what to think when they bring Eden home she dresses differently and her whole personality has changed. Is Lucy going insane or is Eden? I kept reading to find out how it would all turn out but the ending left a lot questions unanswered. Thanks Netgalley for this arc.

Lucy knows something strange is going on. Her daughter Eden was injured and hospitalized in a water accident. When she finally comes home she states that she wants to be called Eli.

This request is spooky because Eden was a twin in utero but her twin brother Eli did not survive childbirth.
Suddenly everything Eden says and does comes into question. Is Lucy losing her mind? Read this twisty nightmare of a book to fine out! #Williammorrow #Mnynamewaseden #eleanorbarkerwhite

Review posted on Instagram. See below:

Shwitty ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

ARC Review
My Name Was Eden by Eleanor Barker-White

I was flying through this book. It started out well and I was thoroughly enjoying it. But, unfortunately, it felt like it went nowhere. I don't feel like I got a resolution for Eden/Eli and that makes me feel like the whole premise is moot. I'm am guessing the point was to leave you guessing with a lot of it, which I can feel satisfied with when done really well. Here, I am left mildly disappointed.

The book was odd, I didn't love it. I finished it but I kept waiting for it to make sense. It was not a favorite of mine.

As soon as I started this book, I could not put it down. It drew me in immediately with the almost drowning of the one of the main characters, Eden, an only child to her parents Lucy and James. Eden wakes up in the hospital and her personality has completely changed. Plus she wants to be called Eli rather than Eden. In the womb, Lucy had two babies but one vanished due to vanishing twin syndrome. Lucy has always included the lost twin Eli in their lives as if he were still alive. Lucy and Eden have not been getting along for most of their lives together even harder lately in the teen years. However Eden's new persona (Eli) since the near drowning, is quite different than Eden was before-more peaceful, not as loud, studies harder, bakes and gardens and in general appears to be a totally different person. The only one who actually eventually believes that she is Eli now, is Lucy. There were several different points of view including Lucy now and also at age 6, and Eden's best friend Charlie which adds more dimension and insight into Lucy's life story and how Eli is now behaving. I thought this was a fabulous mystery/thriller which a very interesting and unique storyline. Definitely do not miss it! Thanks for the ARC!!!

After a near drowning teenage Eden presents at the hospital and claims her name is Eli. Mother Lucy is troubled, Eli is the name Lucy planned to use for Eden’s twin who was lost in the womb to Vanishing Twin Syndrome, where one fetus is absorbed into another or back into the uterus. After Eden is released she still maintains that she is Eli. Lucy and husband James don’t know how to react to the changes in their daughter. What has happened to Eden.

The story is told through Lucy’s narration interspersed with chapters by Eden’s best friend Charlie and chapters from Lucy’s perspective from ages 6-10. I often found the book frustrating. Vanishing Twin Syndrome certainly exists but I wasn’t sure what was meant to be happening here. Is Lucy insane? Is Eden insane? Am I insane? Or maybe some will like the delicious “we just don’t know” ambiguity of it all, but that’s a big “no, thanks” from me….not a big fan of reading about teenagers being mentally tortured. So, the book wasn’t bad, but that bothered me.

The idea for the story was captivating, but the conclusion it arrived at didn't impress me. Overall everything was just fine, but nothing truly stood out. I wouldn't advise against reading it, I think some readers could really enjoy it.

This book had a super unique concept: vanishing twins with one emerging. This thriller was told from the perspective of the mother, and there were lots of puzzle pieces to fit together into this story that helped give the reader a better sense of the past and how it is playing a part in this family's present/future. I enjoyed the underlying mysteries presented in this book, with just enough hints to make the reader question things while still encouraging them to continue reading and find the truth for themselves. I felt that the story was well-written with an easy to follow style, although some pieces of the plot/details did get a bit jumbled in my mind. Overall, I enjoyed this read and would recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced thriller with an interesting storyline to boot.

This started pretty strongly with the drowning of Eden, Lucy's daughter. As she is being revived, the reader can feel the panic and nerve-wracking suspense as Lucy is watching this all unfold. The storyline stays strong as Eden wakes in the hospital claiming her name is not Eden, it's Eli, her twin brother who was never born, succumbing to what is known as 'vanishing twin syndrome' in the womb. This was full of dark, deadly twists and a lingering sense of dread throughout. However, by the end I didn't really know what to make of it. Most of the explanations were in the short epilogue which seemed more of a way for the author to quickly wrap up while leaving one of my biggest questions unanswered. This is one of those books that I liked, just didn't love. Three Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC.

I wanted to love this more, it had so much potential! There were many threads happening in this storyline, but I didn’t feel any of them developed as fully as they could have. It was an intriguing read, kept me going, but left wanting just a bit more for at least one or two of the story lines.

3.5 stars. This was too much of a domestic thriller for me. I was hoping for more of a story involving Eden, but it really focused on Lily, Eden's mom.