Review: He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly @mserinkelly @MinotaurBooks #WhoDoYouBelieve


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Release date: June 6, 2017

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack. She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, it is not only the victim’s life that is changed forever. Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear, and while Laura knows she was right to speak out, the events that follow have taught her that you can never see the whole picture: something, and someone, is always in the dark. 

Review: 

I love the blurb for this, it’s short, sweet and to the point, yet it still manages to pique your interest in just a few sentences. This was one of those reads where I think the less you know, the more you’ll enjoy the book, so I’m going to do my best to follow suit and keep my review on the shorter side as well. 

This is told in alternating timelines and from the perspectives of Kit and Laura, a couple who are eclipse chasers. It starts in 1999 when they attend a festival to see an eclipse and they stumble upon a sexual assault. They’re both horrified and don’t hesitate to report the crime.  It then flips forward fifteen years where they seem to be in hiding, they’ve changed their names and have a total ban on any type of social media. But what could have possibly happened to make them so afraid after they both testified at the rape trial as witnesses? After all, they did the right thing. But lies, secrets and betrayals are lurking in the shadows and nothing is as clear cut as it first appears to be. 

This was a slow starter, Kelly painstakingly lays the groundwork for some epic twists and turns later on down the road. It’s a methodical unraveling of events as she takes the reader down the rabbit hole to uncover the truth about that night in 1999. Then, at about the halfway point it morphs into a high intensity page turner as bits about what truly happen are revealed. This is where it became unputdownable for me. 

This was a dark thriller that really got under my skin. It explores some heavy themes about rape and the way victims are portrayed and treated that are unsettling. The whole book has a sense of unease as you constantly change your mind about whose version of events you believe and who is really trustworthy and reliable. I loved the constant guessing game and the twists were perfectly executed. The ending was chilling, right down to the final sentence, it left my mouth hanging open in shock and awe. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Minotaur Books for my review copy. 

(Looks like I didn’t really keep it short and sweet after all! 😜😂)

20 thoughts on “Review: He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly @mserinkelly @MinotaurBooks #WhoDoYouBelieve”

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  10. Amanda @Cover2CoverMom says:
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    “This was a dark thriller that really got under my skin. It explores some heavy themes about rape and the way victims are portrayed and treated that are unsettling.”

    I really like (like doesn’t sound like the right word here, but it’s what I’m going with) when books tackle rape culture as it is such an important topic. The way victims can be treated is really horrible… like when it is implied that the victim did something to bring it upon themselves or put themselves in a bad situation?! It is sickening really.

    Liked by 1 person

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