Review:
"When She Was Me" by Marlee Bush took me on a journey into the tangled lives of twin sisters Cassie and Lenora, set against the backdrop of an isolated Tennessee campground. From the very beginning, the alternating perspectives between past and present provided a unique insight into their shared history and the secrets they harbor.

What intrigued me most about this book were the different points of view and the way the story unfolded, weaving together the past and the present. However, while the last 25 pages delivered some jaw-dropping twists, I found the overall pacing to be slow and struggled to fully immerse myself in the story, particularly in the first half. The complexity of the narrative made it difficult to connect with the characters and understand their motivations, leading to a disjointed reading experience.

Ultimately, "When She Was Me" fell short of my expectations. Despite its promising premise, the slow pacing and lack of intensity left me feeling unsatisfied. I found myself considering abandoning the book altogether, which is a rarity for me. As a result, I would hesitate to recommend it or revisit it in the future.

Thank you Marlee Bush, Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for te opportunity to read this advanced copy

What a wild ride! Lenora and Cassie are identical twins, on the run from a traumatic event in their childhood. At the campground where they live, a young girl is murdered, dredging up memories from the past and making the sisters suspicious of each other’s part in the tragedy. Alternating between chapters narrated by Lenora and Cassie, the story unfolds parallel to another story told by an unnamed narrator. The plot is a two-headed serpent twisting around itself until all the secrets are laid bare. This debut novel is surely the start of a long, successful literary career. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

3/5 stars

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced reading copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable since the womb -- literally. As twins, they know each other better than anyone. Ever since that night years ago, they have been on their own, by choice. In an isolated campground in Tennessee, they manage to live their lives in relative peace, and stay away from anyone who wishes them harm -- emotional or physical. However, when a teenage girl goes missing from the campground, their trauma resurfaces, leaving them both questioning reality for very different reasons. While trying to solve the present crime, they're forced to face the truth of what happened all those years ago...

Ugh, I wanted to love this one so bad and it just fell flat for me. The premise and overall plot were great. The TN campground was an awesome setting for an atmospheric, creepy and intense story. Cassie and Lenora started out as great characters to me, but I soon became frustrated with their respective quirks. I was super into this book for about half of it, but I lost interest after that and only finished it to see what happened. I'm glad I did, because the twists towards the end had me totally shocked, and definitely redeemed this book as a whole for me. Overall, though, it was a bit of a letdown. Longer than necessary and I feel like the wrong things were given too much attention. Not terrible, just not great.

I really liked the dual timeline/pov situation we got to go through with each character. Each character being an identical TWIN! Yes - this is a thriller with twins, Cassie and Lenora, who are hiding out on a rural campground…both suspecting that the other one knows more than she’s letting on.

This was a nice read for a thriller but wish the pacing was slightly different. I’d recommend this to anyone seeking a riveting psychological thriller 🔥

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. Two sisters hiding from their dark past only to have to confront it when a girl goes missing. Epic. However, I thought the middle kind of dragged and was a bit repetitive.

The ending however was a fun one! Definitely didn’t guess the ending.. partly because it was so outrageous haha but I truly didn’t mind that! 3.25 stars

This one will have you on edge from the beginning until the twist that comes out of nowhere! How far would you go to protect your twin sister?

DNF at 59%

This is a book about troubled identical twins, Cassie and Leonora, told in alternating timelines along with flashbacks simply labelled "Then" so we don't know who the story is from. While it had its intrigue and I was interested in finding out about their past and what happened, I found the book to be too repetitive.

Something happened when they were young, something bad. They both tend to think about it in vague terms how it affects them right now and how much they love their sister. Even the past is vague and largely seems unrelated to whatever is happening in the present so I couldn't bring myself to skim the book to the end.

But if you like stories with twins or slow-burn suspense novels, this could be a good pick for you. Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-copy!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Wow, this was creepy. I literally got the chills from reading this book. And that ending was shocking. This book kept me questioning till the end. I just had to find out what the truth was.

I feel like my mind is swirling down an endless drain. Not knowing what just happened or who is who. The story slightly blurred, making for an intensely dark read that will leave you racing up the basement stairs. Knowing someone is watching, every hair on your body at attention. The need to close your eyes and feel safe mounting with every step.

Cassie and Lenora have been tucked away in Cabin 2, at a campground in Tennessee. Hiding out and trying to recover from their traumatic childhood. Which is being feed to you piece by piece. The puzzle coming slightly into focus, but just out of reach. Lenora does not leave the cabin, only venturing to the bathhouse. She watches everything from the safety of their cabin windows. Cassie feels the draw outside. The crisp, icy air fills her lungs, her bare feet numb as she walks around the deserted campground. When Wayne, the eccentric owner passes away. His son is eager to make a quick sale. Making the future shaky for Cassie and Lenora. When a young teenager disappears from one of the three cabins, a search begins. Ending in tragedy with everyone questioning who did it.

This is a highly intense family drama. That plays out before your eyes with a dual timeline. Bringing you back to that horrifying day that led the twins to living in this desolate campground. The lies people bury deep, the lines family cross, and the truth finally setting everyone free. Thank you to Marlee Bush and Poisoned Pen Press for this heart pounding read.

I was hooked from the beginning until the very end. I loved the writing style, the different POVs (even the “then” chapters that are not labeled who the POV is). I really thought I had the story figured out but the twist proved me wrong.

This book was OK for me. I feel that there was a lot of repetition. There were some twists In the book that had me surprised but not until the end. Up to that point I thought it was kind of slow.

The premise of this story deeply intrigued me, but unfortunately the slow pace did not hold my attention and I just couldn't keep going. I am only leaving feedback per Netgalley requirement.

⭐⭐⭐ 3. 5 Slow Burning Thrilling Stars !!

Wow, just wow when I read the back story about the author and learned at the end this is a debut novel , I was truly shocked !! When She Was Me did not read like a debut novel and kind of gave me Alice Feeney vibes with that sense of eeriness not sure where the author is taking you.

"When I sit in front of the camera, I like to wear their skin. The victims. Slip them on like an evening coat and pretend their lives and mine are the same. I'm not just me anymore."

"I want to pluck your brain out and put it under a microscope. Roll it around my fingers and feel your thoughts."

Read this if you like:
* Slow Burn Thrillers
* Multiple POV's
* Alternating Time Lines
* Stories set in the woods
* Books that make you feel unsettled
* Creepy Atmospheric reads

With out giving to much away as I try to keep my page as spoiler free as possible , When She Was Me is a slow burn thriller that will have you jumping through many scenario's trying to solve the mystery!

Twin sisters Cassie and Leonora share a cabin together after escaping their dark past where they live and enjoy the solitude in the middle of nowhere . When a family decides to have a weekend getaway across from them in another cabin disrupting the twins daily routine , the two become a little too interested in what the family is doing , and then suddenly the family's daughter Tilly goes missing !!

The author takes on us on a long dark , creepy twisty ride . I was having difficulties at times trying to navigate what was going one ? Now we have a dead body , and your left to wonder , who killed Tilly ? Was it one of the twins , is there a serial killer lurking in the woods ? Is it some sort of paranormal activity ? Are the cabins haunted ? WTH is actually going on ??

The first 10 % of the book was so gripping and dark and then the next 70% I felt was quit repetitive, the build up just kept building and it's like your waiting for that punch line , but never happens and then suddenly at about 87% its like boom here you go !!

If creepy, dark, slow burn thrillers set in the woods is your jam , then When She Was me is the next read for you !!

I think fans of Alice Feeney, Stacy Willingham and Riley Sager will devour this book !!

Thank you Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Marlee Bush for this digital ARC.
Respectfully Another Read by Angie

3.5/5 (rounded up)

I nearly dnf. I just couldn’t seem to get fully invested in the story. There were a few things that surprised me, but a lot I guessed correctly.

Does a truly creepy thriller HAVE to take place in the woods? Honestly, yes, and you can’t convince me otherwise. When She Was Me by Marlee Bush adds in even more creepiness with twin sisters, a sordid and messy past, and a missing teenager. And the creepiest part is the secrets we learn as we switch between each sister’s point of view.
From the first chapter, Bush’s description of the woods and small campground the sisters stay adds to the creepy atmosphere. The isolation that each sister feels seemed to reach out the pages and pull me in instantly. Adding in the missing teenager immediately increased the tension that was already there, and fully grabbed my attention.
This is the kind of thriller that oscillates between psychological and physical. It’s hard to distinguish what’s real and what isn’t, and even harder to determine which sister to trust. There are so many different ways the story could’ve gone, which made it ALMOST impossible to see the twists before they popped. Overall, I think the balance of insane twists and believable outcomes was handled well, but could’ve easily tipped into being absolutely ridiculous.
Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a very impressive debut, especially for a mystery. Complete with the perfect setting, a really interesting plot and timeline, & contrasting twin characters who just added to the mystique.

Not for haters of the slow burn or repetitive timeline retelling... although I thought she did a good job with this and it worked well for the story.
For fans of suspense, twisty endings, dual timeline/pov, ominous atmospheres.

Thanks to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with the perfect little mystery to break up my marathon of Rom Coms!
Releases in less than a week - so look out for When She Was Me.

Unfortunately this one was a miss for me. Between the alternating timelines and narrators, it was difficult to follow at times. I love a good whodunnit, but this one just seemed random.

RATING: 4.5/5

I love reading a “Who Done It” story that keeps me guessing throughout. “When She Was Me” did just that. I thought I knew where the story was going, but then it steered me in another direction, only to distract me enough to shift me over again with a significant twist.

“When She Was Me” is a story of twin sisters with a unique relationship. One that leads them to live almost reclusively. However, when someone goes missing, the twin’s memories are triggered like a snowball effect. As the case of missing person is uncovered, as well as their memories, they find that there may be a connection, so much so that they become suspects.

I enjoyed reading “When She Was Me”. It was suspenseful and kept me guessing. The delivery of the story was told differently than I typically am used to, but I believe that may have been intentional. The overall story was entertaining.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press & Marlee Bush for the gifted advance reader copy of When She Was Me by Marlee Bush.

When She Was Me is a bone-chilling rollercoaster ride of a thriller with lashings of tension, flashbacks and tongue-gnawing suspense. Super impressive, especially for a debut!

Twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have always had each other's backs. After a traumatic event, they went to live in Cabin Two in a woodsy campground. One creates true crime YouTube videos, the other writes. But their lives are far from ordinary and their quirks are unsettling. They have suffered from childhood trauma and have great insight into the macabre. When a neighbour dies and a camper goes missing, their world grows even darker and suspicious. The past is dug up and the present is riddled with fear and paranoia.

If you like the feeling of being chased in the woods at night, this is your wheelhouse. It is darkly disturbing in the best way. My mind was so involved and riveted I lost all track of time. I live in the woods and while reading this my imagination went wild.

My sincere thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this wonderfully engrossing novel.

The same hair and eye color, the same nose, the same silhouette: identical twins share all sorts of physical attributes. But what about what’s lurking beneath the surface? In When She Was Me, two sisters must come to terms with their darkness and guilt to unravel the tangled web of their identities and find out what happened the night the neighbor girl went missing. Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy to review.

On the surface, Cassie and Lenora look alike, yet are polar opposites. One shines and thrives, while the other clings to her anonymity like a second skin. Fairly isolated by their mini home’s remote, peaceful location, the sisters cope with painful memories of the past in their own ways; Cassie examines the work and victims of killers in order to retell their stories online, and Lenora locks her anxiety away behind as many closed doors as she can find. They remain fiercely loyal to one another despite their differences.

When the new landlord rents out one of the neighboring cabins to a family of three, the sisters find themselves taking an interest in people who exist outside their little bubble. One night, the fifteen-year-old daughter Tilly disappears, and Lenora is the only possible witness. The problem is she can’t remember a damn thing. She was sleepwalking, so there’s no telling what she might have seen…or done. Delusions, love, old resentment, obligations, codependency, the illusion of escapism, and even happiness all culminate in an all-consuming obsession.

One of the things I admired about Marlee Bush‘s approach to revealing a complex, even sinister dichotomy within both of the main characters was her ability to put so much personality in each chapter as she switched from one sister’s perspective to the other’s. It really drove home that there is always another side to every story, and that the truth is never as simple as we might suppose it to be. Rather than simply rehashing events in slightly different tones, Bush holds Cassie and Lenora accountable for their part in the larger narrative, each a separate entity while also being one part of a whole. As a result, even the repeated information is fresh and new, which, to me, made When She Was Me one giant walking contradiction: at once abrasive and poetic, poignant and abrupt, tender and removed.

That being said, if any readers pick this up and wait for some grand revelation to tie everything up all nice and neat by the time they reach the last page, or even a speedy conclusion, they’ll be sorely disappointed. This is a slow burn, although certainly not of the romantic variety. It’s a tale of complex and sometimes toxic familial dynamics, the complexities of shared DNA versus individual identities, and what darkness is actually made of—all wrapped up in one juicy mystery.

For bibliophiles obsessed with psychological thrillers like Gone Girl and complex character analyses woven within a brilliant plot like those found in Where Madness Lies, When She Was Me would make a quirky, creepy and affectionate addition to your TBR lists.