A stunning & suspenseful debut from Marlee Bush! The atmosphere created is ominous enough to keep you on the very edge of your seat, and you'll find yourself unable to be fully confident in any character's innocence. This beautiful, medium-paced thriller touches on the themes of familiar trauma and the unconditional love of sisterhood in a way that will likely appeal to fans of Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle. At times, the alternating narrators and timelines could be a bit confusing, and I'd find myself having to flip backwards a few pages to remind myself who was currently speaking. Aside from that one minor critique, I can find absolutely zero other faults with this novel and will be praising it for years to come.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley for the ARC! <3

When She Was Me is the debut psychological thriller from Marlee Bush.

Cassie and Lenora have moved to an isolated campground to heal from a traumatic event referred to as "that night." Bonded not only because they're twins, but also because of their shared trauma, Lenora has become agoraphobic and Cassie will do anything to protect her. After the owner of the campground passes away and a new owner moves in, a family comes to stay for a short visit in the cabin next door. Soon, the teenage daughter is missing, and her body is found a day later, which starts Lenora and Cassie spiraling. Can this really be happening again?

Told from three viewpoints, this is a character-driven thriller filled with shadows and secrets. We get to see things from Cassie and Lenora's point-of-view in the present, interspersed with chapters from "Then" with an unknown narrator. Is it Cassie? Lenora? Both? Neither? As the story moves along, we learn more about that night, what happened, and why Lenora can only leave the cabin to go to the bath-house. Cassie seems to barely be holding it together once Tilly's body is found, and she starts to wonder if Lenora did something to her while sleepwalking. She knows Lenora is keeping secrets from her, and as the puzzle pieces start falling into place, it's up to them to save themselves and protect each other.

All in all, this was an okay book for me. It was a slow burn, and I enjoy more plot-driven novels. For readers who enjoy a character study on trauma, strong bonds, and protecting your loved ones, this would be a great choice. If you enjoy Kiley Reid, then you should like this.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @PoisonedPenPress for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

“I believe in ghosts more than therapy.”

When She Was Me by Marlee Bush
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️


This one was slooooow, and I did get to the point where I wanted it just be over but it picked up again towards the end and it finished well enough for me to give the rating I did.

I found myself getting lost quite often with the flipping back and fourth with POVs and timelines.

If you want a good whodunnit with some psychological to it, this would be a good one.

** I received this book as an arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Ever since that fateful night, twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable, living as the only permanent residents of Cabin Two in a secluded Tennessee campground. Hidden away from prying eyes and intrusive questions, they manage to find solace and nearly forget the haunting events of their past. However, their fragile peace is shattered when a teenage girl from a neighboring cabin goes missing, dredging up old memories and suspicions. In the oppressive wilderness, Cassie and Lenora must confront their dark past and uncover the truth before it's too late, all while questioning how much the other knows.

Overall rating: 4.2/5

Ratings:
1. **Plot and Storytelling:** 4/5. I felt the plot of When She Was Me was well-planned, with a compelling storyline and an excellent twist. My only complaint is that it felt a bit too long; some of the filler could have been cut down.

2. **Characterization:** 3/5. The characters were interesting, defined by their flaws, which contributed greatly to the haunting aspects of the story. However, their growth was minimal and predictable, which was frustrating.

3. **Writing Style:** 4/5. I enjoyed Marlee Bush’s writing. Although the pacing was a little slow, the story was very well-told and well-plotted.

4. **Originality:** 5/5. This story felt very original, especially considering the twist and all the revelations that were made.

5. **Emotional Impact and Resolution:** 5/5. This book had me completely absorbed. It kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat, wrapping up with a satisfying conclusion.

If you enjoyed When She Was Me, you might like these books that offer similar themes of suspense, psychological twists, and deep character development such as Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, or The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. It was much too slow of a burn. The multiple POVs and timelines / flashbacks felt intentionally confusing and it made it exhausting to read for me personally. For those reasons I didn’t enjoy it much.

The premise of this book of 2 twins secluding themselves in the woods because they are hiding from something from their childhood caught my attention. The story was a slow burn buildup that had me struggling through at the beginning with the childhood flashbacks and then the teen girl, Tilly, going missing.
I found the the back and forth between POV of the twins Cassie and Lenora to be odd in some parts and hard to follow. I predict this is going to be one of those books that people either really really like or falls flat.

Thank you Mandy Chahal and Poisoned Pen Press for gifting me this arc. This was a fun read centered around two identical twin sisters. I enjoyed the dual timeline of this story. I thought it was very well thought out and written

Loved this book...suspenseful, twisty and page-turning!!! My favorite kind of book!!!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book. Will be recommending to all my book-loving friends!

This was an interesting debut. I liked the characters and that helped keep me intrigued enough to keep reading. While I wasn’t sure what was happening I wasn’t totally caught off guard with the twists. The book is told from two perspectives of two sisters Cassie and Lenora and then present tense and a past tense perspective. Leona and Cassie live in a remote cabin with two neighbor cabins one for the owner and one that gets rented. They both have trauma but Leona struggles to leave the cabin. When a family with a teenager stays in the third cabin everything is fine until she goes missing and turns up dead. This isn’t a on the edge of your seat thriller but it was definitely intriguing. I thought it was a little repetitive at times and I think it could have been cut down a little. I also felt like the author tried to up the twisty factor by being intentionally confusing at times.

3.75 there were parts that were extremely confusing. Lots of odd choices and lingering secrets. It did the job and kept me going to find out what the secrets would be. I certainly didn't guess anything close to the end. Most of the writing is good, you're able to picture the scene and build the characters well from the descriptions given. Parts read like scenes from a movie so it's easy to get into.

As I was reading this book my brain got jumbled and I was questioning everything going on. The multiple POVs and trying to connect the story lines really kept me going. The book tied up the loose ends so well and i was taken back by the ending

I enjoyed reading When She Was Me by Marlee Bush.   Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

This is what thrillers should be. Dual POV. Past flashbacks. This was a medium paced book, that turned fast in a heartbeat. Kept me on my toes and guessing the whole way!

WHEN SHE WAS ME by Marlee Bush is a creepy, atmospheric novel based in a remote campground. Creepy right there, right?

Twins Cassie and Lenora share a terrible and tragic secret from childhood. They have been inseparable ever since and moved to the remote cabin in the woods as a way of escaping true crime junkies and podcasters. Cassie feels that Lenora’s problems are “her fault”, as Lenora is agoraphobic and does not leave the home except for the shower area. But she is always watching. When their landlord Wayne dies his nephew sells the campground and the sisters may be forced to move.

When the new owner opens up the only other cabin on the grounds for rent, Tilly and her parents come to stay. When Tilly goes missing, the police initially suspect her mother who denies having anything to do with her disappearance.

Told in dual timelines between past and present, we find out what led the sisters to burrow deep in the woods and what Tilly’s disappearance brings to the surface. This is my first Marlee Bush novel but I don’t think it will be my last. I could hear the bird calls in the woods and the crunching of the fallen leaves under my feet. The author’s writing style is clear and concise which leads to an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

HOLY TWIST!!

Bravo, Marlee Bush for writing an outstanding debut novel that had me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. I cannot say anything about the way this plays out be cause it would ruin the book and I try to avoid spoilers, but I absolutely recommend this read!!

The dynamic between the twin sisters (Cassie and Lenora) had some ick-ish vibes for me and had me questioning their love for one another being more taboo versus what mainstream would consider normal.

Again, bravo. I cannot believe this was her debut and look forward to future work!!

4.5 / 5 ⭐️

3/3.5

This is so tricky to rate. It's a seriously slow burn for like 75-80% of the book and then kicks into gear with a super twist around 92%. But the majority of the book is intentionally confusing and convoluted with multiple POVs and multiple timelines.

It's very much like a locked room thriller where a pair of twins are hiding out in an abandoned campground and you don't know why - and you don't trust or like either of them. It got frustrating trying to figure out what the book was about or why I should care about the characters. So this was a slower read for me. It took me much longer to get through than most thrillers.

Everything finally comes together in a banger way - but it takes a really long time to get there. For thrillers I typically enjoy more action or psychological development throughout the story.

I did really enjoy how I was kept guessing. I love when I don't like the characters. This was a battle of who do I hate more?

Either way - I like this authors writing style and I would like to see more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

DNF at 41%, unfortunately this didn’t pull me in as much as I wanted to. To be honest, it was just boring. I do like the premise: a murder in a small town with two sisters somehow, possibly being connected to it while also trying to get past their trauma from years ago. However, the story itself wasn’t interesting to keep me engaged.

When She Was Me by Marlee Bush

Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia, and @marleebushwriter for the opportunity to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This book is available now.

This was full of creepy vibes, and nearly every character had a closet full of skeletons. Another dual timeline book where all the dominoes start to fall into place. Vibe wise this reminded me of Pretty Little Liars meets The Last Time I Lied - twisty, turny, and an action packed sequence towards the end. I highly recommend this one for someone looking for a slow build suspense read.

TWs: loss of a loved one, SA, false accusations, framing, ga*slighting, substance *buse, *rson, more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5

Thank you Netgalley, Marlee Bush, and Poisoned Pen Press for this ebook! Wow! This book was just unputdownable. I honestly was so enthralled in this story and couldn't stop turning the pages! The twists and turns and bumps in the night just all came together in a way I'd never have guessed! A must read!!

2.5 stars rounding up to 3 for a good debut. While this was a good debut mystery by Marlee Bush, it just moved so slowly. The story of twins Cassie and Lenora intrigued me but it did get repetitive. The flashback chapters were also confusing - I know it was intentional to not know whose voice you were hearing but I didn't like it. Overall, it was an interesting story just a little too slow for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I am typically not a huge fan of a slow burn thriller but the atmosphere and eeriness kept me intrigued and the ending packed a punch.