This was a solid three star read for me. I love the multiple POV and timelines. There's creepy, woodsy setting. Dark pasts full of secrets. Unreliable narrator vibes. Building suspense and ominous tension. And the twists are really good. Objectively, it has everything I typically really love in a thriller. For some reason though, I never felt fully connected or invested in the story. I'm not sure if it was the writing style/voice that just fell flat, or maybe it is entirely just me. While it was an enjoyable experience, it's not something that has really stuck with me or blown me away. It's a great debut that I'd definitely still recommend to others, and I'll be interested in seeing what this author writes next.

the idea behind this one was cool, but the execution wasn’t there. the only reason i finished this one was because i was trying to finish one last book before the end of the year.

Not much of a thriller girl but this wasn’t for me. The writing is fine and gets the job done with being creepy but it’s just missing something. Very slow and a lot of cliches. I wish there was more markers of time as well? Overall wasn’t a fit for me

Leave me guessing until the very end, why don’t you?! This book is a great read for fans of isolated thrillers!

Cassie & Lenora are twins, living in a cabin in a small campground. When their only neighbor (and landlord) suddenly dies, they are wary of the new owner. She quickly welcomes new guests to the campground, but then one of them ends up dead. Who is responsible? What happened in the twins past to send them into isolation?

I would recommend this if you want a twisted tale/dual timeline & POV/sister dynamics.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

Really struggled to get into this book from the beginning. Maybe it was just my mood that day. Will park it and go back to it. Sorry, thanks for thr opportunity.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A creepy whodunit. The characters are well written. I didn't see the ending coming.

It took me a while to get into it but I solely think it's because I wasn't focused.

There's an underlying story from the twins childhood 15 years ago that serves as the catalyst for who they are today. Throughout the novel, we get flashbacks as the story builds to that inciting moment.

The flashbacks are told in someone's perspective, but it is unclear who exactly is speaking. As the reader you make your own assumptions based on what you know of the twins now but you may or may not be correct.

At about 60% it completely sucked me in. I was speed reading trying to find out what happens next. I couldn't figure out who to believe AND THEN THAT TWIST- the name drop that changed the entire story.

For this to be a debut novel, it was extremely well done!

Cassie and Lenora are sisters, twins who were birm from the same sac (hence the title.). They live in an isolated cabin in the hills of Tennessee with two cabins immediately adjacent. One recently housed a man named Wayne until his death, the other is kept for renters. Now a woman named Sarah Hill has taken over Wayne’s cabin. Lenora never leaves their cabin except to visit the same bathhouse and hasn’t done for about fifteen years.

On a weekend shortly after Sarah moves in renters come for the weekend bringing along teenage daughter Tilly. Tilly goes missing in the night and is later found dead. Who killed Tilly, and why?

This wasn’t a bad book and it will likely have lots of champions, it just wasn’t for me. Whenever I was reading it I found myself wanting to do something else. Don’t take that as a statement on quality, though, maybe I just wasn’t in the mood.

What an awesome debut from Marlee Bush! When She Was Me is a twisty, psychological thriller that will have you invested from start to finish. The book centers around the dynamics between the sisters Cassie and Lenora (who are twins) that live in isolation. The mystery unfolds when a neighbor is found dead. This thriller is a must read and I highly recommend. 4.5 stars!

This was a twisty psychological thriller that gripped me from the very first page! Super creepy and interesting dynamic to read about the sisters. Would recommend!

This was a captivating debut that was deeply atmospheric and filled with dread. Cassie and Lenora are twins living in an isolated campground in Tennessee. They prefer to stay away from curious people and prying eyes of their troubled past, so this location suits them perfectly.

But when a girl from a neighboring cabin is found dead, it brings up all the memories they have tried to hard to bury. Told in dual points of view with the addition of another first person narrator, this story is the very definition of a slow burn, which I usually get impatient with, with the gradual build-up of suspense kept me riveted to the story, and the ending was just perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the early read. This title will publish on May 7, 2024.

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.

The twist at the end was good!This was a very slow read for me. I normally read psychological thrillers in a couple days this took me about a week and a half. The story about twins living in a cabin with no real neighbors and feeling the need to protect each other.
I maybe more critical because I read so many psychological thrillers. For me it was hard to follow because it jumped from present to "then". This being her debut book I would say keep writing!!!

I was shocked to find out this was a debut. The writing was that of a well seasoned author, and the story was delivered so meticulously, leaving me beyond impressed. This book had it all. Dual P.O.V's between twin sisters, both with an unbreakable bond and love so strong for one another while also suspecting something may not be right with the other. An atmospheric setting in the woods with suspicious characters in the neighboring cabins. A mysterious past timeline containing dangerous behavior. I personally love a slow burn like this when the author takes their time telling you the story and building the suspense, but for those of you who don't, the twisty ending will make it all worth your while. I loved this one and cannot wait to see what this author has in store next. Four stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

When She Was Me is a gripping suspense thriller with an almost horror-vibe. Twin sisters Cassie and Lenora live alone in a secluded cabin in the woods. When a family vacations in the cabin next door, Lenora believes there is more to the parents than meets the eye. Then their teenage daughter goes missing and the only suspects are the parents, the sisters, and the new camp owner. Someone is out there to cause trouble but the question is why. Both sisters are hiding dark secrets. Have their pasts finally caught up to them?

When She Was Me is fast-paced and well-written. The author does a great job with the multiple POVs and the dual timelines. I absolutely had thought I had figured everything out, and, wow, was I wrong. The ending is exciting and unpredictable. If you're looking for a gripping (and quite creepy) thriller, this book definitely fits. I'll absolutely be recommending When She Was Me.

📚 NET GALLEY ARC REVIEWS 📚

First of all, I'd like to express my gratitude to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for letting me dive into this book early. It hits the shelves on May 7, 2024, and I'm eagerly anticipating the moment when I can grab my own copy!

Wow! I just can't believe this was Marlee Bush's debut novel! This book had me on the edge of my seat — terrifying, gripping, and intense! Reading it felt like watching a horror movie, making me flinch at every creak behind me.

Cassie and Lenora's love was something else – their readiness to fight and protect each other was heartwarming.

Admittedly, there was a point where I seriously considered dropping the book. The scenes were getting a bit tangled, and I constantly found myself backtracking to grasp what had just happened. It could be my reading comprehension acting up, but despite that, my curiosity and the pile of questions in my mind kept me going.

Suddenly, all these intense scenes unfolded, and I was completely drawn in before I could even think about putting the book down. What took me by surprise were the plot twists—I absolutely didn't see them coming. The unpredictability of it all added a thrilling layer to the story, keeping me captivated from one twist to the next.

This book is an absolute gem, offering a captivating and worthwhile reading experience. Its unique blend of thriller, suspense, horror, and eerie elements creates a mesmerizing narrative that will undoubtedly leave you astonished. The way it seamlessly weaves through different genres adds layers of excitement and unpredictability. It's a literary journey that not only satisfies but also manages to elicit jaw-dropping moments, making it a must-read, particularly for enthusiasts of the thriller, suspense, mystery, and horror genres.

Very creepy atmosphere and the sense that you never knew who to trust made this a really suspenseful thriller.
We read from both twins perspectives and then mysterious chapters from the past which you never know who is telling them. I kept flipping back and forth over who I thought it was and still managed to be surprised.
A wonderful debut novel.

This book did keep me gripped at points. Especially as it has plenty of twists and turns throughout. I'd recommend it.

Cassie and Lenora live in a secluded camp. They are hiding from their past. They are bonded in the way that twins often are, and they have secrets that they are keeping from each other.

Lenora sleepwalks on occasion, and strange things happen when it occurs. Like the disappearance of a teenage girl in the next door cabin.

This novel was rich with a menacing darkness. The characters are flawed by their past, and don't quite trust anyone, not even each other.

There were times that I was confused with who was who, even though the POV's were labelled.
Definitely gave me the creeps that there was so much death in their background.

The ending surprised me.

3/5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Cassie and Lenora are twins living in a cabin far removed from people. When the campsite owner dies, a new person, Sarah takes over. She seems nice, but to Lenora, who suffers from the fear of going outside, anyone new is disturbing. Then a family comes for a weekend getaway and tragedy strikes. Cassie and Lenora’s backstory is slowly exposed, in the past, and in the present, along with an unknown narrator.
While Cassie and Lenora are each hiding secrets, are either of them killers?
It’s such an atmospheric location. Secluded cabins, people we know very little about, family secrets, oh, and don’t forget murder. I had the identity of the unknown narrator totally wrong. That also meant my guess regarding the killer was incorrect.
I kept flipping the pages just needing to finish one more chapter. This was an excellent treadmill read as I stayed on way longer than usual. It’s also a debut and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next. 4.5 stars.