Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

In the hauntingly atmospheric thriller "When She Was Me," Marlee Bush weaves a tale of suspense that delves deep into the psychological complexities of identity and trauma. Set against the backdrop of an isolated Tennessee campground, this novel follows the intertwined lives of twin sisters Cassie and Lenora, whose bond is as enigmatic as the woods that surround them.

Bush masterfully crafts a narrative that oscillates between the present and the past, revealing the layers of a shared history that both unites and divides the sisters. The disappearance of a teenage girl from a neighboring cabin triggers a cascade of memories, forcing Cassie and Lenora to confront the sinister truths they've buried.

The story unfolds through alternating perspectives, allowing readers to navigate the murky waters of the sisters' psyches. Bush's prose is sharp and evocative, creating a claustrophobic tension that mirrors the characters' inner turmoil. The campground becomes a character in itself, its oppressive silence punctuated by the whispers of trees that hold secrets just out of reach.

As the mystery unravels, Bush challenges the reader's perceptions, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator, truth and deception. "When She Was Me" is not just a psychological thriller; it's an exploration of the lengths we go to protect ourselves from our darkest fears.

The novel's pacing is deliberate, with a slow burn that builds to a crescendo of revelations. Each chapter adds a piece to the puzzle, and just when you think you've grasped the narrative's direction, Bush steers you down an unexpected path.

"When She Was Me" is a compelling read that offers more than just chills—it invites introspection. It's a testament to Bush's skill as a storyteller and her ability to craft a world so vivid, it lingers with you long after the final page is turned. For those who seek a story that thrills the mind as much as it terrifies the heart, this novel is a journey worth taking.

SCARY BOOK...

This was definitely a case of the wrong book at the wrong time for me. The plot advanced at an extremely slow burn to the point that I frequently lost interest and had to actively work to pick the book up again.

It has all the elements of a taut psychological thriller, but never puts them all together at the same time. The author likely used vagueness to ratchet up the suspense, but it only served to frustrate me.

I thought the creepy setting in the Tennessee woods was brilliant. The author’s description of the isolation definitely helped set the mood. I’m not a big fan of the evil twin trope which is a huge part of this book, hence the wrong book for me reference. The pace does pick up in the last 15% of the book and the dots start to connect. That being said, this was an impressive debut and I am interested to see what Marlee Bush writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

What an incredible debut novel! I loved the story jumping back and forth in time and the multiple POVs.

This story hooked me from the beginning and left me guessing up until very end. I cannot wait to see what this author does next!

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, there was not a lot that I liked about this book. I did like the forest setting and the creepy vibes.

I didn’t think the story made a lot of sense. There seemed to be too much going on. It also had a trope that I hate, where there’s something in the characters past that is referenced a lot but we don’t find out the truth until later. Like stop referencing it or tell us what happened! I also didn’t connect with the characters or the story.

I hope others love this one.

Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable since birth, but even more tethered since a traumatic incident in their past. They have kept under the radar and to themselves for 15 years, and have more recently made "home" a cabin on a secluded campground in Tennessee. When the owner dies and sells the campground to a woman, Sarah, there is a new face around...but otherwise, their arrangement shouldn't change. They will stay in Cabin Two, and Cabin Three will continue to be rented out to vacationers.

When a young teen vacationing with her family in Cabin Three goes missing, the twins start to wonder what the other is hiding. They don't lie to each other. But have they been? There is no denying that they would do anything for each other...but how long are they willing to overlook the other's transgressions?

This book sucked me in immediately. Marlee had a way of sharing just enough info at just the right times to make me want to keep reading "one more chapter"....until there were no more chapters. The personalities of each twin are perfectly illustrated through events and flashbacks. The dual POV makes it that much more intriguing.

It is so hard not to rant and rave about this book without spoiling, so just know...you will not see the twist coming and there are several "gasp out loud" moments. Thank you Marlee Bush, Poisoned Pen Press, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This was a promising debut from Marlee Bush. A slow burning mystery with a shocking ending. I do enjoy a story about sisters, and twin sisters are even more interesting.

These sisters couldn’t be much different, but the one thing they had in common was their love for each other and the lengths that they would go to for each other. Both were battling demons, with dark and messed up secrets from the past. We are drip fed information about that night very slowly. They live in a cabin in a secluded campground and very rarely see other people.

While ai enjoyed this story, I did feel that it dragged in some places. I am more of a reader of fast paced thrillers, but it was nice for a change for things to be dragged out and build the suspense.

Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press for the early copy to read. Publishes on May 7th.

Oh. My. Gosh. I don't even know where to start. How on EARTH is this a debut novel? This book is easily making its way into my top books of the year thus far. I inhaled it in less than 24 hours, I couldn't put it down, I just had to find out what the heck was going on.

The deep, beautiful love between these sisters is so unbelievably raw and vulnerable and tragic and touching and a little bit unhinged. The heartbreak just pours from the pages and I couldn't get enough of them.

And believe me when I tell you, of all the directions I thought this was going, not in my wildest thoughts would I have been even remotely correct about where it ended. I was caught so completely by surprise, my jaw was on the floor.

Marlee Bush is absolutely an author to be keeping your eye on and I already can't wait for her next book.

I absolutely loved it, and you will too, I promise.

WHEN SHE WAS ME by @marleebushwriter ✨
ARC REVIEW • PUB DATE 05.07.24

an incredible debut thriller that will keep you guessing until the end 👏🏻

A story of twins : one who is afraid to leave the house & the other who is a true crime podcaster who live in a secluded cabin. A new crime in the area brings back their vivid, disturbing past.

I enjoyed this book and will highly recommend to my thriller friends 🖤

Read if you love:
-missing persons
-unbreakable sibling bond
-twin trope
-dual timeline (flashbacks to the past)
-spooky/creepy elements

4⭐️

Thank you so much to @netgalley @poisonedpenpress & @dreamscape_media for my advanced ebook + audiobook! 📖 🎧

A set of twins lived in a cabin on a secluded campground to escape their past and steer clear of prying eyes. However, when a teenage girl from a nearby cabin went missing, they were forced to deal with their personal demons.

When She Was Me had many elements of a five-star thriller. It was atmospheric, suspenseful and had me questioning what was real. I loved that the author explored twin bonds through the main characters Cassie and Lenora, and the lengths they’d go to in order to protect one another. I also really enjoyed the sinister past timeline and trying to work out which sibling was which within the storyline. However, I felt as though the majority of the information shared about Cassie and Lenora was fairly surface level, which made it difficult to forge a connection with them. Additionally, I wasn’t fully invested in the plot for the majority of the book. This was mainly because there didn’t seem to be enough going on to hold my attention and the twists were few and far between. With that being said, the final 15% of the book was nothing short of spectacular. The reveals were jaw-dropping, the storyline was exciting and moved quickly.

Read if you like:

✨ Twin bond
✨ Secluded setting
✨ Suspenseful reads
✨ Unreliable narrators

A copy of this review will be posted to my Instagram account (whats.amy.reading) during the week of April 22.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I went into this story thinking I'd know exactly what to expect and I was happily wrong. I thought I had it all figured out from the beginning but instead I just kept getting shocked.

When She Was Me by Marlee Bush
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Because your secrets are mine and mine are yours.”

What did I just finish reading!? Did this just become my top book of April?! YES!
I don’t know what kind of magic Marlee has sprinkled into the pages of this book, but it was an addictive read from beginning to end. At first, I found it difficult to distinguish whose perspective the “then” chapters were from, but as I kept reading, I could tell that’s what Marlee was trying to convey. The relationship between Cassie and Lenora was both loving and strained, making it feel claustrophobic. Naturally, I was trying hard to figure out who was who in the other chapters when their personalities were portrayed so well in their own. Adding a murder into the mix was just the cherry on top of an already dark and twisted sisterly mystery, where they both had so many secrets about each other and from each other as well. The last 10% of the book left my mouth open until the end. This is a phenomenal debut novel from Marlee, and I am already recommending it to my friends.

I only just learned this was Marlee Bush’s debut book and I am mind blown.

She writes like she’s been doing this for years. With the multi POV/timelines, it reads so smoothly. The plot is perfectly twisty with a shocking ending.

I’ll look out for other books from this author!

When She Was Me by debut author M. Bush, published by PPenPress, is one of the best thrillers I read in 24.
I could not put this book down. I read Lenora and Cassie's story in one day because it was so suspenseful and I just could'n't stop- who needs sleep when one can read - right? They stay away from society til a young girl goes missing. And now they're determined to find an answer. The relationship between the twins was so sweet and confusing at the same time. I loved the pace, the twists and turns that had me guessing til the last page.
Blurb:Ever since that night, twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable. As the sole permanent residents of Cabin Two, their refuge on an isolated Tennessee campground, they manage to stay away from prying eyes, probing questions, and true crime junkies. Just the two of them, Cassie and Lenora against the world. The peace and quiet is almost enough to make them forget what happened all those years ago. Almost.
Until a teenage girl camping at the neighboring cabin goes missing, and the memories come rushing back. As the crime becomes ever more recognizable—they know better than anyone that so-called 'happy families' can be anything but—each sister suspects the other knows more than she's letting on….

When She Was Me is the story of sisters. Sisters who live together in a cabin in the Tennessee woods. Sisters who experienced a trauma that brought them together, never to part.

The story of Cassie and Lenora jumps back and forth, leading to the story of how and why they are the way they are, building the tension and bringing us to the present, where they have to confront the past and the truth that they are hiding from each other.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Oh my goodness, I am still reeling from this story. It was filled with suspense, lies and SHOCK! The author builds the anticipation of what really happened that night in which everything changed for twins Cassie and Leonora. Leonora is an agoraphobic and Cassie just wants to be there for her sister. They live secluded in a cabin rental where a girl goes missing. Cassie and Leonora starts to question their sanity. When She Was Me is Marlee Bush’s debut novel and I am looking toward to reading more by this author.

This is 100% my problem but I could not finish this one. I did end up listening to the audiobook. Anyway, my issue is not the story at all. It is GREAT story. My issue is that parts are written in second person and I personally do not like books in second person. I think most people will love this book. It is wonderful and creepy and you really feel for the girls.

When I read the description for this book, I was intrigued by the premise. Twin sisters living in together in the remote woods of a Tennessee campground. They are content together until something sinister happens again. Stirring memories they wanted to keep buried.
This is a good slow build with an ending I did not see coming.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What traumatic events happened 15 years ago? This is the question I was asking myself over and over again as I was reading along. I was anxiously waiting for answers and knew the secrets would come spilling out at some point. This is a slow burn, but I was invested and wanted to see how everything would unfold. The twists towards the end were really surprising and it took me a minute to grasp it and process it!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc!

I really struggled with this one. The pace was too slow for the genre, and some plot points just didn't make sense, so I struggled to stay engaged. Things picked up closer to the surprise ending, but it was a little too late at that point.

🌲 F R E A K Y F R I D A Y review 🌲 featuring “When She Was Me” by Marlee Bush!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable since THAT night in the woods years ago. They seek refuge in an isolated cabin on a campground in Tennessee where they can keep to themselves and stay off anyone’s radar 👀!

When a teenager from a neighbouring cabin goes missing … the twins are especially reminded of THAT night. The night that changed their lives forever. Memories come flooding back to them … and in order to find out what happened to the teenaged girl, they must dig into their trauma that they buried from their own childhoods. Families aren’t always so picture perfect after all … and it becomes evident that both sisters know more than they are willing to share 🤐!

Thank you kindly to @marleebushwriter @poisonedpenpress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This debut novel releases on May 7, 2024!