"Evil is simple. It's a child's explanation for why people do bad things. The truth is always more complicated and worth pursuing."

There were many versions of Hattie Hoffman. To her parents Hattie was the perfect child. She affably joked with her mother and father, doing her part to fill the void left by her military brother. At school, Hattie took on other roles. She earned solid marks in her classes and did her part to befriend her classmates. For her best friend Portia, Hattie played the part of trusted confidant. With her boyfriend Tommy, Hattie was the reliable arm candy. She accompanied him to all of his outings and did her part to agree with and encourage him.

Who is Hattie Hoffman? That's what Pine Valley Sheriff Del Goodman has been trying to figure out. Her mutilated body was discovered in an abandoned barn, and now Del has to identify her killer. For Del, the case is personal. Pine Valley is a small town that doesn't see much excitement. As such, the entire city is abuzz with the story of the brutal crime. To complicate matters even more, Del is good friends with Hattie's father. As the details of Hattie's final hours come to light, Del precariously balances his professional and personal obligations while revealing the shocking truth behind the girl who everyone loved.

Everything You Want Me to Be is a remarkable novel by Mindy Mejia. Mejia employs shifting perspectives in each chapter to bring about a suspenseful reveal. I've grown a bit tired of this particular technique, but there is no denying that Mejia uses it to maximum effect. It's difficult to comment in detail on this novel without giving too much away. Suffice it to say, I was immediately grabbed by the story and breathlessly turned the pages until the novel concluded. While each character had their flaws, I feel it only added to the authenticity of the world that Mejia created. Everything You Want Me to Be is a brilliant character study and page-turner that fans of great mysteries are sure to enjoy.

I guess this is the time of year for really well-written thrillers, because I feel like that's about all I've gotten to talk about lately. So here is another: Mindy Mejia's Everything You Want Me To Be.

Hattie Hoffman is a high school senior with a seemingly perfect life in her small Minnesota town. She has good friends, a football star boyfriend, a part-time job, a very special relationship with her dad, and the lead in Macbeth. She's smart and gets good grades, stays out of trouble, and has a luminous future ahead of her. Except that she's dead. Stabbed and left in a deserted barn, Hattie and her bright future come to a sudden ending, and it's up to sheriff Del Goodman, who had known her since she was a baby, to figure out what happened and bring a killer to justice before his town falls apart.

The novel is told through the eyes of several characters, going through Hattie's senior year, so that you get to piece together what is really happening as the story unfolds. Interesting and compelling, this story moves you forward as it draws you in.

I freely admit I am newer to the thriller genre, but I'm getting in deeper every week. And I'm telling you, this one is a reader. There are some you can miss, but I wouldn't skip this one. Smart, sassy, sad, but elegant. Highly recommended! I will not be surprised to see this one on top 10 lists at the end of the year.



Galleys provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com.

Really twisted book. We have alternating points of view from the murdered high school senior, Hattie, the detective investigating, Del, and Hattie's English teacher, Peter. Hattie at first seems like a nice girl who has good friends, gets good grades in school, and has a healthy social life. Hattie is an actress and very skilled at that. But as we get deeper into the story, we see the manipulative behavior that she's so good at. Peter starts off noble, too. But everything quickly becomes out of control for these characters. As to who murdered Hattie, there aren't many possibilities, so it's not really a surprise when the murderer is revealed. But that's not really the point of the story anyway.
I look forward to more books from this author.

Hattie makes me sad. She obviously thought she wasn't what anyone wanted, so she gave out what she thought each individual wanted from her. I did enjoy the way the story was written but thought it was way too easy to figure out.

A small town where everyone feel safe and know each other. A new teacher whose marriage is in trouble. An aspiring young actress in high school who's a manipulator. A grisly murder that left everyone in shock and a police detective who will stop at nothing to find the killer. This book is told from three point of views-a student, a teacher, and a detective, as the story leads from the discovery of a body at the beginning to solving the murder at the end.

It was an enjoyable and fast-paced read, and the storyline executed well. The main character, Hattie, may be unlikeable, but I find her fascinating with how she easily manipulated others into doing what she wanted.

“I’m good at being what people want me to be. Watch me . . . You’ll see.”

In this smart and very engaging mystery, we're treated to three different perspectives on a crime that occurs very early on in the book. Hattie is a good girl, having grown up in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. She aches to break free and move to New York City after high school. Hattie is the perfect daughter, student, girlfriend and friend.

But Hattie has a secret life, one that threatens the delicate balance of her small Minnesota farming town. She is merely pretending, acting a role, when the "real" Hattie is far from perfect. Her actions will affect and change many people's lives forever. Peter is her high school English teacher who feels trapped in a loveless marriage. And Del is the lead investigator on Hattie's brutal murder. His voice lends a dry wit and careful reason to the series of events unfolding around him. Can he be neutral when the families he has known his whole life are brutally affected by this unspeakable crime?

"Mom warned me that I had a lot to learn about the world. I wished she would've mentioned how much the learning was going to hurt."

I was enthralled by this deeply moving thriller! The small-town atmosphere is perfectly captured by the author. Every characters is flawed, some more so than others. I never saw the ending coming. This book was fast-paced, smart and engaging. Don't be put off by the endless comparisons to other best-sellers in this genre. 'Everything You Want Me to Be' stands on its own as a poignant and suspenseful story. Highly recommended for all fans of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries!

"You can't live your life acting for other people. Other people will just use you up. You have to know yourself and figure out what you want. I can't do that for you. Nobody can."

(With thanks to Atria Books for the ARC.)

Premise/plot: Everything You Want Me To Be is an adult mystery that seems like the perfect would-be movie. One unusual thing about this mystery is that it has three narrators: Hattie, the teenage victim; Del, the town sheriff or detective; and Peter, the high school English teacher. Del's chapters are all set very clearly in the "present." (2008) Peter and Hattie's chapters are all out of sorts. Some dating as far back as 2007!

One of the novel's strengths--in my opinion--is the characterization. Particularly Mejia's characterization of Hattie. How can a reader both LOVE and HATE a character at the same time? Hattie, you see, has a fatal flaw. Think Othello, King Lear, MacBeth. (I can only say that if Shakespeare had been writing this one, more characters would have ended up dead.) Speaking of Shakespeare, Mac--that Scottish play--is part of the story. Hattie is playing Lady MacBeth on the day that she's killed.

What is Hattie's fatal flaw? Well, she's a people pleaser with big ambitions. She doesn't know how to be emotionally honest with anyone. Every single relationship--no matter how big or small--tends to be artificial. (Things are beginning to change when....)

The first and most important lesson in acting is to read your audience. Know what they want you to be and give it to them. My Sunday-school teacher always wanted sweet smiles and soft voices. My middle-school gym teacher wanted aggressive baseball players, swinging like Sosa even if you couldn’t hit a parked car. My dad wanted hard workers—finish the chores well and without complaint. And even though I didn’t like my chores, I became Cinderella and slogged through them as patient and graceful as you please. Fit the character to the play. You knew you were playing it right when your audience was happy. They smiled and praised you and told each other how wonderful you were.

Even though there were times I really disliked Hattie's choices, when she said stuff like this, I couldn't help liking her.

Every book changes you in some way, whether it’s your perspective on the world or how you define yourself in relation to the world. Literature gives us identity, even terrible literature.

And here is Peter on Shakespeare:

SHAKESPEARE WAS one cunning SOB. I didn’t care much for his comedies, the farces full of village idiots and misplaced identities. I’d always gravitated to the tragedies, where even witches and ghosts couldn’t distract the audience from this central psychological truth: by our own natures, we are all inherently doomed. Shakespeare didn’t write anything new. He didn’t invent jealousy, infidelity, or the greed of kings. He recognized evil as timeless and shone a spotlight directly, unflinchingly on it and said, This is what we are and always will be.

My thoughts: This is a compelling read, I won't lie. But also an uncomfortable one--for me, as a Christian. This one has a lot of profanity--some blasphemy--and some graphic scenes. If it was cleaner, I would have liked it more. That being said, my personal preferences are just that--personal and subjective. It is definitely a gritty, dark read.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a thriller, with such a great storyline. (Not a scary thriller, a whodunit type of thriller) I loved the characters and really liked the way we read the book from different characters points of view. It's so hard to tell you why you should read this book with spoiling it.

If you liked Gone Girl, I Let You Go and the like, you will love this. It tells the story of Hattie, a high school senior who is magnetic and wise beyond her years, yet naive; Peter, a disillusioned teacher who isn't sure where his life is leading him and Del, the sheriff in town and best fiend of Hattie's father, who prides himself on his town and sets out to solve this crime.

Just read this book and enjoy it, it left me thinking about it and I know I will be recommending this book to my friends.

Hattie Hoffman is a small-town everygirl. And also, she's not. Like every person on the planet, she has secrets, and sides to her personality that no one knows about. Not her best friends, not her parents, maybe not even Hattie herself.

When a body is found in a barn, this small town is turned upside down. The story/mystery is unraveled from three points of view: Hattie's, the local detective, and Hattie's English teacher. This is one of those books that's difficult to review without revealing even minor spoilers. Even though it won't ruin the entire read, saying too much might take away the fun of finding out each little nugget in the moment. That's what makes this a great book, and a compelling read.

Even though Hattie is a complex and well developed character, Mr. Lund, the English teacher, is the star here. Deeply in love with his wife, he moves back to her hometown to help her care for her ailing mother, who despises him. The effects of this move on his marriage, career, and personal well-being is fascinating and chilling to watch unfold. He's so well written that you alternately want to hug him and then slap him. He feels that real.

Mindy Mejia is a talent to watch, for sure. Great writing, unrelenting tension, and stunning character development.

It was a page turner with a pretty wild ride that the author chose the path to follow, pllanting the seeds along the way to keep you guessing. What I really enjoyed was due to the different points of view. It was so realistic that it was almost like three different stores in one. It would seem that t would be hard to follow along with the story but everything flowed together perfectly. On that aspect alone I would recommend the book. Greatly written. The main characters, of which were mainly based on the three points of view were all great and I enjoyed each one and their contributions to the story. One being the victim themself which I really enjoyed.
This a a book I highly recommend.

This synopsis allows the reader to understand that the main woman in this story, Hattie Hoffman, is going to die and allows the reader to understand that this is a mystery and it is going to end with Hattie's death, one way or another.

The synopsis is also very correct about the twists and turns. I thought around 40% that I was sure I knew what was going to happen, as there are many clues that point in many directions, but I was wrong! I love it when I wind up being wrong!

This is my first book of 2017 so it really started it with a bang. I do not normally enjoy reading mysteries but this has something else to it. A puzzle type of feeling that the author sets up and allows you to see only what Hattie has seen at that moment in time.

Mindy Mejia also writes in different points of view and jumps time lines so although this is about the last year, the reader also knows that the investigators are thinking as they find evidence, or lack of evidence!

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprising, I did not highlight anything in this. I read it so quickly that I do not think I took the time to stop and see what really stuck out. The entire book stuck out! Like I said above, there are so many clues to how Hattie was murdered but the exciting part was trying to put those puzzle pieces together and figure it out before the detectives do.

In short: I definitely recommend this to everyone that enjoys detective stories, a bit YA but with a gruesome, dark side. She's late teen but the themes make this more of an adult read.

Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1879124920

I love a mystery that keeps you on your toes with each page you turn you change your mind with who is good and who is evil. I've heard a lot of critics talked about how they don't like the present/past intertwined together but to me that's the best part about a mystery. Ms. Mejia presents you with what happened and then gives you the pieces you need that leads up to the murder. I also enjoyed the 3 different views of the events. I wasn't sure if it could work but I can't imagine any other way for this story to be told. I really enjoyed this book and never saw the ending coming. Ms. Mejia definitely surprised me at every turn, just how a perfect mystery should be.
Hattie was absolutely a girl that would fit the role of "Everything You Want Me To Be".

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would!
Wow, this has got to be one of my all time favorite detective/mystery/suspense books I’ve read in a long time!!! I loved the writing, character development, unique story, and how the story was told and how it unfolded. I didn’t want to put this book down, and yet I didn’t want it to end. That’s how you can tell it’s a great book for me.
I didn’t like some of the characters, and at times their choices made me uncomfortable, but I felt totally transported into this story. It was an engrossing story, a train wreak waiting to happen and you can’t stop watching…
I live in southern Minnesota, in the middle of farm country and small town life. So I could totally relate the place setting of the story. Either you love it, or hate living here… I totally love it.
I read a kindle advanced copy, but a little into the book I decided to buy the audible version so I could listen when I couldn’t read. (I do that a lot if I really like a book). The three narrator’s did a great job (the sheriff was okay… Minnesotans do not have a southern twang accent in their speech, more of a Norwegian accent if anything, like the movie Fargo).
This was the first book I’ve read by Mindy Mejia, and I can’t wait to see what she next!
*I’d Like to give a special “thank you” to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hattie Hoffman’s murder, only two weeks before her high school graduation, stuns the small Minnesota town of Pine Valley. Who could be responsible for such a horrible thing? Hattie is a talented actress with dreams of Broadway, a dedicated CVS employee, a helpful daughter, an excellent student – and she’s HollyG on an online message board, chatting with others who share her interests in art and literature. When someone called LitGeek joins the board, Hattie is thrilled to find a like-minded person to chat with, but when she discovers who LitGeek really is, her fascination quickly turns to obsession.

I know I’m being vague…don’t want to inadvertently spoil anything for future readers. I found it fascinating to watch Hattie’s transformation as she realizes she is better off discovering who she is as opposed to being what everyone else needs. This book has interesting family dynamics, the typical small town characters, hopes and dreams (some shattered, some realized), loyalty, strength, courage, and determination. I loved it.

Once I finally sat down and gave this book a chance, I ended up reading it in 2 days. I love mysteries. This one was well written. I like the style of the chapters written from different character's point of views. This book had some twists and turns that kept me guessing. I would recommend this to friends.

Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia reconstructs and explores the events that lead up to the main character's murder. The formatting of how the plot is told leads the reader to think through the story in a slightly different way.

In this genre, I find in the books that I read that it is becoming difficult to really set a book apart. The writing was great and the narrative was well done. The twists and turns were fairly predictable and not overly surprising. I enjoyed how the author told the story, but I probably would not read this novel a second time. It's a good novel if you don't have the time to be invested in a dense book.

Overall, the book entertained me, but it is not necessarily a memorable novel. If you are going to read it, it's a great sunny day on the beach or commute book. While I did not outright not like the novel, I really just could not get enthusiastic about it.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A book full of twists, turns, and unreliable narrators. This story keeps you guessing until the very end.

When a popular teenage girl is found murdered, a small town is ripped apart as blame, guilt, and secrets run rampant. While a few of the twists were fairly predictable, this novel also finds new ways to approach topics of family, desire, and identity. Also, if you're a fan of Macbeth, there's a fairly subtle subplot running throughout the novel, tying it to the play in a rather interesting way.

Everything You Want Me to Be is the first book of 2017 that I read, and I have to say, it started my year off on a good note. I wasn’t sure I was even in the mood for it at the time, but I was quickly hooked. It isn’t exactly spectacular or mind-blowing, but it’s still pretty good mystery that kept me intrigued. There’s definitely an addictive quality about it.

I like how this is told in a nonlinear way and with tree points-of-view. We get Hattie’s story about what transpired up until she was killed, all while we follow the sheriff investigating her murder. We also get the POV of Peter, the English teacher, who plays an important role in the story. In addition to figuring out who the murderer is and what exactly happened, a big question is: who is the real Hattie?

The characters can be a bit unreliable at times, leaving the reader wondering what’s true and who is really responsible for the murder up until the end. I mean, it’s kind of predictable, but it does have some nice little twists in there. The author does a good job weaving it all together.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.