Except, on the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careened off an icy mountain road during a blizzard—leaving one member dead and another severely injured.
In order to survive the frigid night, the rest took shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin. But Vienna’s dreams devolved into a terrifying nightmare as, one by one, her fellow band members met a gruesome end…and Madison simply vanished in the night.
What really happened to the Bittersweet? Did Vienna’s closest friend finally decide to take center stage on her own terms?
She doesn’t want to believe it.
But guilty people run. (Pub Date: Jul 16, 2024)
I'm of course a big fan of Hannah Mary McKinnon and have been following all the releases I can, but that wasn't the only reason I was excited for this one. Her last one, The Revenge List, had been phenomenal, a new favorite for me. This one wasn't a good rival for it, unfortunately, but it was good. And different. I wasn't expecting McKinnon to be trying new flavors and she succeeded.
3.5 rounded up to 4.
Vienna, a drummer with a troubled past, finds solace in her drum kit and her best friend Madison. Together in New York, they form a promising band until tragedy strikes, leaving Vienna as the sole survivor, and Madison missing. Not only the fans, the media and the police form their own theories of what could have happened and if Vienna is the one to blame.
The book is told from Vienna's point of view, going from the moment she meets Madison, plus a few bits from media and the web showing what other people are posting. From the opening we know there's a possibility Vienna is guilty so it's very obvious the story is how she'll defend herself. I think this awareness of how we have a narrator we can't trust made me even more curious of how it would turn out. And don't worry, this isn't an open ending; you will find out exactly what happened. One thing I really admire McKinnon's style for is not leaving loose ends, you know she's an author in control of her story and characters; this book was no exception.
I like how she used a younger and more energetic character this time. Although Vienna is at a turning point of her life after everything she's worked for could be lost if she can't prove her innocence but you feel a youth energy from her that is very different from what McKinnon usually writes. It's not that I want her to write younger characters, but I loved that she is trying different ones. Another thing I found interesting is that she is using some premises from other books that didn't work so well then and that were better here. I'm not sure I could give examples without spoiling the story, sorry. But as a fan, I found that great. Writers tend to repeat whatever worked instead of risking what wasn't so successful.
So, why didn't I give it five stars? Why wasn't this as good as her previous book? I struggled to fully support Vienna, despite wanting to from the post we get at the opening of the book. And despite the book's emphasis on taking sides, I couldn't be Team Madison either, though the reasons are more obvious when the book wants you not to like her and she doesn't help herself either. Without a likable character, you'd need a very good story. It was a good one, but not that good. The way it's told isn't so common but the plot itself wasn't that much of a novelty either.
Overall, McKinnon once again demonstrates her mastery of storytelling and control over her characters. While this book may not surpass her previous work, it's another evidence of her skill and creativity.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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