When She Was Me is an excellent debut from Marlee Bush and I will probably be counting down the days until her sophomore novel is released. This was such a refreshing look at the isolated location thriller, and I loved that the stars of the show were twin sisters Cassie and Lenora. The flips between the past and present timelines kept things exceptionally absorbing, and the fact that the past is left intentionally ambiguous until the end blow my mind just a little. I was listening to the audio and have to admit it did confuse me for a bit, but once I understood what was going on, I was even more curious to learn what happened in the sister’s past that led them to a secluded campground in Tennessee.

I do think it would have been helpful to have multiple narrators for this book, but I still really enjoyed Imani Jade Powers’ narration. I can partially understand why they would choose not to have three, but two still would have been nice and I do think it amped up my confusion a bit by only having one narrator. I was completely thrown for a loop by the ending, and I don’t think I completely understand how it all tied together, but I got the general gist of it and 😳 Tensions ran high for multiple reasons throughout the story and it was sad, disturbing, and spellbinding all at the same time.

Read this if you are looking for a slower paced thriller, a deep dive into the character’s minds, and true crime podcast elements with an interesting twist.

I was unable to finish this book, unfortunately. While it had a promising storyline, I first lost interest when the author describes the dead cat. After that I found myself not interested any longer.

I really enjoyed this book! I'm an avid fan of the genre, and I appreciated the addition of this story. It was creepy and full of unexpected twists. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book. Book was fine, really good if you like the genre! I would read more from this author.

I went into this one completely blind--I had high hopes but i dont think it lived up to my expectations. I couldn't get pulled into the book and struggled to stay engaged. Thanks so much for the gifted copy of this one--i'll be curious to try something else of this authors.

Was not a huge fan of this. This book felt repetitive and slow without the ending I’d hoped for. Not one I’d recommend when there are other better thrillers out there.

When She Was Me by Marlee Bush is a gripping and emotional book that will make you think long after you’ve finished it. It’s about a girl named Grace who finds out that someone is living her life—literally. Another girl, named Riley, has stolen Grace’s identity, and things quickly spiral out of control. As Grace tries to take back her life, she has to figure out who she can trust and what it really means to be herself.

What’s so powerful about this book is how it explores identity, belonging, and the lengths people will go to for a sense of control or acceptance. It’s full of twists, and you’re always wondering what’s going to happen next. Grace and Riley are both complex characters, and you get to see their lives from different angles, which keeps the story interesting and the writing is easy to follow, but there’s a lot of depth in the emotions and themes.

I had high hopes for this one, but it failed to live up to my expectations, unfortunately.

The way this book was written didn't pull me in, and it had a hard time keeping me engaged. The characters were missing something that I can't put my finger on--I couldn't bring myself to care about them in the way I was supposed to.

There were some fun/exciting moments, but overall it was a miss.

This could have amounted to so much more. I'm not sure at which point I decided to just soldier on but I did not like how some of this played out and it was kinda torturous to say the least

Oh man I wanted to like this one, cabin in the woods is one of my favorite trope in thrillers but the writing style just didnt work for me.
We follow twin sisters living a solitary life , where one of them is the caretaker and the other is just an unhinged loony. a family moves into the cabin next to theirs and their 15 year old daughter goes missing in the night , and thats where I go "I dont even care"

I couldn’t get into this one. I don’t know if it was the storyline, characters or the plot. It just wasn’t for me.

When She Was Me by Marlee Bush is an emotional and gripping story that explores identity, trauma, and resilience. The writing is compelling and evocative, pulling readers into the protagonist's journey as she navigates her past and tries to reclaim her sense of self. The characters feel raw and authentic, making the story hit close to home in many ways.

While some parts of the plot felt a little predictable, the emotional depth and strong narrative voice kept me engaged throughout. It’s a moving read that stays with you long after you turn the last page. Definitely worth picking up!

As a debut novel this was actually really well written. You can tell that there was a lot of thought put Into this and trying to create depth to their characters. I was immediately invested in twin sisters Cassie and Lenora wanting to know what happened to them and why they ended up in their predicament. The tension between the sisters was angsty and made the story fun. This definitely was a slow burn but with an ending that kept me satisfied that I did not predict. Overall, this was a really good debut novel. This author definitely has some potential!

This was my first time reading Marlee Bush, and I received When She Was Me as an ARC from NetGalley. The book had an intriguing premise with its focus on twin sisters living in isolation and the suspenseful disappearance of a teenage girl. The atmosphere was well-crafted, creating a sense of claustrophobia and tension that kept me engaged. However, I found the pacing to be uneven at times, with some sections dragging while others felt rushed. The characters, while interesting, could have been more deeply developed to enhance the emotional impact of the story. The twists were surprising, but some felt a bit forced and didn't always align seamlessly with the plot. Overall, When She Was Me is a solid debut with a compelling storyline and a chilling atmosphere. While it had its flaws, it shows promise for Marlee Bush as a new voice in the thriller genre. I look forward to seeing how her writing evolves in future works. #netgalley #whenshewasme

I tried to finish this book a few times but ended up DNFing. I found some of the story and characters interesting but not enough to continue.

This was a fantastic psychological thriller. We follow twin sisters Cassie & Lenora who have moved to an old camp group to escape their mysterious past. Thibgs are fine until girl goes missing and is found murdered in the woods.

We go between past and present as we discover what really happened all those years ago to make them flee. But omg the twist? I never in a million years saw that coming!

This is a gripping psychological thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. The story follows twin sisters, Cassie and Lenora, who are forced to confront their troubled past when a young girl goes missing near their family cabin.

Bush expertly weaves a tale of suspense, family secrets, and the blurred lines of identity. The atmospheric setting of the isolated cabin adds to the tension and creates a sense of foreboding. As the plot unfolds, I found myself questioning the reliability of the narrators and eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth.

The exploration of the complex relationship between the twin sisters is particularly compelling. Their shared history and deep-seated rivalry drive the narrative forward, leading to a shocking and satisfying conclusion. When She Was Me is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone who enjoys a twisty and suspenseful plot.

The story was insanely compelling. Not knowing what direction the story was headed kept me intrigued. Also Cassie blurring lines with work and normal life when it came to her twin sister reminds us that sometimes protecting the ones we love is insanely important.

This was a decent thriller with some good twists, but it didn’t completely hook me. The tension between the sisters was intriguing, and the setting added a nice sense of isolation, but the story felt a little slow in places. It had potential, but I wasn’t blown away by the ending. Not bad, just not as gripping as I hoped.

I really struggled to finish this book. It took me the better part of the year and I normally finish books within a day or two. I think the plot was too slow for me with too many characters in focus. I would read another book by Marlee in the future though.