Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "When I Was You: A Novel of Suspense" by Amber Garza

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Review of "When I Was You: A Novel of Suspense" by Amber Garza

This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/re...

Californian Kelly Medina is finding it hard to cope with her empty nest.

Kelly's 19-year-old son Aaron is off at college.....

.....and her husband Rafael, who teaches at a university two hours away, only comes home for weekends.

Kelly tries to fill her time with volunteer work, seeing her friend Christine, going to the gym, shopping, and posting on social media - but she's lonely and depressed. Kelly is jealous of women with small children and daydreams about the days when Aaron was a little boy who needed her.

The match that lights up this incendiary situation is a call from the office of Aaron's pediatrician, reminding Kelly that she has a well baby appointment on Friday morning. Kelly laughingly replies that her son is nineteen, and the receptionist checks the records and realizes the appointment is for a DIFFERENT Kelly Medina, who has a baby.

For the sake of the review I'll refer to Aaron's mother as mature Kelly and the infant's mother as young Kelly.

Mature Kelly is curious about her namesake and trolls social media - Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. - to find out about her. Finding nothing, mature Kelly decides to park outside the pediatrician's office on Friday morning, JUST TO SEE what young Kelly looks like. One thing leads to another and mature Kelly manages to meet young Kelly and her baby boy Sullivan.

The women marvel at the fact they have the same name, exchange phone numbers, and arrange to get together.

Mature Kelly soon learns that little Sullivan's dad is out of the picture and young Kelly is almost destitute. Young Kelly and Sullivan live in a dank little cottage with almost no furniture; no crib; no high chair; and few baby supplies. Moreover, young Kelly has lost her mother and grandmother, and has no support system.

Mature Kelly, who's worried about little Sullivan's well-being, goes out and buys a crib, a highchair, onesies, washcloths, formula, and other things a baby needs. She also brings a tray of homemade burritos to young Kelly's house, and invites young Kelly to HER home for a meal, wine, and a sleepover if young Kelly likes.

By this time the reader is aware that something is wrong with this situation. Mature Kelly's friend Christine is always calling to ask how she's doing; to arrange yoga dates; to invite mature Kelly out for lunch; to ask her over for a glass of wine; etc. And when mature Kelly says she's busy because she made a new friend, Christine doesn't seem to believe her.

Moreover, Rafael is also troubled about his wife. He phones to inquire about her credit card purchases of expensive baby supplies, and appears reluctant to accept his wife's explanation that she's helping a new acquaintance. There's some underlying tension between mature mature Kelly and Rafael, as if there's something they can't discuss.

As the story unfolds, mature Kelly intrudes on young Kelly's life more and more, becoming increasingly obsessive about 'keeping Sullivan safe.'

At one point mature Kelly's behavior tips over to the outrageous, and one wonders about her mental health.

I thought I knew where all this was going, then the twists started coming hard and fast. This is an excellent psychological thriller, clever and original.

Rating: 4 stars

2 comments:

Carla Loves to ReadNovember 11, 2020 at 5:17 PM
I loved this one as well Barb. I was in the same boat, thought I knew what was going on, until I realized I didn't. I do like when that happens. Nice review.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Featured Post

Marya Sklodowska Curie (b. 1867), known as Marie Curie, was a Polish-French physicist and chemist. Marie is probably best remembered for being the only woman to win two Nobel Prizes: in 1903, Marie and her husband Pierre Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics, for their studies of radiation; and in 2011, Marie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, for her discovery of the radioactive elements polonium and radium. Marie Curie Marie's scientific accomplishments at a time when it was very difficult for women to climb the ladder of success were truly remarkable. Equally impressive was Marie's determination to help other female researchers achieve their goals. In this book, award-winning science writer Dava Sobel provides an in-depth overview of Marie Curie's life and work, and highlights the women whose lives Marie touched. Marya, the youngest of five children, was born into a scholarly family in Poland. Marya's father, Wladislaw, taught math and physics, and her mother, Bronislawa, was headmistress of an academy for girls. Marya loved to enjoy the outdoors and dance and party, but when her family was in financial need, young Marya gave private lessons in French, arithmetic, and geometry and worked as a governess......all while continuing her own studies in chemistry. Wladislaw Sklodowski with his daughters Marya, Bronya, and Helena Marya moved to Paris in 1891, and enrolled in the Faculté des Sciences, signing in as Marie Sklodowska. Marie went on to study the magnetic properties of steel, at which time she met a young physicist who was already well-grounded in the subject. The scientist was Pierre Curie, "a tall young man with auburn hair and large limpid eyes." It was kismet, because Marie and Pierre wed in 1895, then "rode off on bicycles to honeymoon among the fishing villages of Brittany.".....

Featured Post

In this 24th book in the 'Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito' series, Officer Bernadette Manuelito juggles police investigations and family problems. The book can be read as a standalone but familiarity with the characters is a plus. ***** Dr. Steve Jones is an astronomer at New Mexico's Very Large Array (VLA) astronomical observatory, which studies the skies and listens for radio waves that could emanate from alien life forms. Jones recently relocated from Hawaii to New Mexico, and hopes to reconcile with his estranged wife Maya Kelsey, a Navajo woman who took the couple's son Junior and returned to her New Mexico reservation years ago. Steve now has good relations with Junior, and wants to be a family again. Jones takes Maya out for dinner, planning to woo her back. Instead Maya presents Steve with divorce papers. This leads to angry words and threats, and Steve is found in his car the next day, shot in the head. Officer Tara Williams of the Socorro County Sheriff’s Department gets the case, and begins her investigation......

Featured Post

In this 23rd book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series - set in Gaborone, Botswana - Mma Precious Ramotswe's concerns include a problem in the office; a furniture store's cutthroat business practices; and a rebellious teen. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus. ***** As the story opens Mma Ramotswe is musing about Mma Grace Makutsi - her employee at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Over the years Mma Makutsi has promoted herself from secretary, to assistant detective, to co-detective, to co-director....and Mma Makutsi seems on the verge of upgrading herself once again. This is demonstrated by Mma Makutsi making her name more conspicuous on the firm's letterhead; buying a brass nameplate for herself; hiring a carpenter to enlarge her desk; and referring to herself as managing director. Mma Ramotswe discusses this with her husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, during the special half-hour when the sun is setting and the spouses are relaxing on their verandah. Mr. Matekoni suggests Mma Makutsi is trying to make herself more important because she's insecure. Mr. Matekoni heard that Mma Makutsi's husband, Mr. Phuti Radiphuti, who owns the Double Comfort Furniture Store - is being driven out of business. The furniture store's best selling items are chairs........

Featured Post

Donald G. McNeil Jr. was a New York Times science and health reporter for twenty-five years. In that time, McNeil became an expert on pandemics, and he shares his insights in this book. The treatise is divided into four parts: Initial Reflections on Pandemics; The Tangled Roots of Pandemics; The Human Factors That Spread Pandemics; and Some Ways to Head Off Future Pandemics. 🧬 Initial Reflections on Pandemics Since it's so recent, the Covid pandemic is well-known around the globe. Many plagues have come and gone, however, most of which are not in the world's collective consciousness. McNeil is more conversant with global contagions than most, his first 'up close' experience being in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1998, at an orphanage full of HIV-positive children doomed to die. South African AIDS Orphanage Triple-therapy antiretroviral cocktails for HIV were available, but they were expensive, and South Africa couldn't afford them. There were negotiations and patent wars and so on, and in time, pharmaceutical companies were (essentially) pressured into selling the drugs to poor countries for reduced prices. McNeil observes, "The world was changing its attitude toward the dying poor." This is important for many reasons, one being that - in our interconnected world - ANY reservoir for contagious diseases is a potential threat to everyone......

Featured Post

In this 6th book in the humorous 'Andy Carpenter' series, the Paterson, New Jersey defense attorney tries to get a new trial for a man convicted of murder. ***** Ever since he inherited a large fortune, defense lawyer Andy Carpenter takes very few cases. Instead, Andy likes to hang out with his golden retriever Tara; watch sports; schmooze with his friends; help run a canine rescue operation called 'The Tara Foundation'; and so on. Andy would normally hang out with his girlfriend Laurie as well, but she's taken a job as Police Chief in a Wisconsin town, so they have a long distance romance at present....with visits back and forth. As the book opens, Andy rescues a golden retriever named 'Yogi', who's headed for euthanasia. Turns out Yogi is really a dog named Reggie, who supposedly died five years ago. Half a decade ago Reggie's owner, a man named Richard Evans, was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Stacy, and getting rid of Reggie at the same time.....

Featured Post

RuPaul is an American drag queen, singer, television personality, fashion icon, and writer. Among other accomplishments, RuPaul produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition 'RuPaul's Drag Race', which began airing in 2009 and is still going strong. In this memoir, RuPaul writes about his family; his life; his struggles; and his road to becoming a successful entertainer. RuPaul Andre Charles RuPaul judging 'RuPaul's Drag Race' RuPaul was born in 1960 in San Diego, where he lived in a little house with his parents, Ernestine (Toni) and Irving, and his three sisters. As a boy RuPaul liked to watch television, which was "a window into something greater, a portal to new worlds." Inspired by television programs, RuPaul would put on shows for his mother, impersonating Tina Turner, or Carol Burnett, or LaWanda Page (who played Aunt Esther on Sanford and Son). RuPaul's parents Ernestine and Irving Young RuPaul RuPaul with his sisters Renae, Rozy, and Renatta.....

Featured Post

This is the first book in the Cajun Country Mystery series, featuring amateur sleuth Maggie Crozat. ***** After a bad breakup, artist Maggie Crozat moves from New York City to her home town of Pelican, Louisiana. There Maggie shares a shotgun house with her Grand-mere; helps her parents run the Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast; and is a paid docent at a tourist attraction that was once the Doucet Plantation. The Crozat B&B is full up for Fête de l'été (summer festival), the guests being an elderly newlywed couple; a young techie couple; three frat boys from Georgia; a family from Australia; a man from Texas; and four women who call themselves Cajun Cuties. Things go smoothly until the elderly newlywed couple drops dead. The medical examiner determines that the husband had a heart attack and the wife was murdered. Everyone at the B&B - owners and guests - are suspects in the woman's homicide. Sheriff Rufus Durand is a good ol' boy with a grudge against the Crozats, whose status as 'southern royalty' is far above his working class roots. Moreover, Rufus believes an ancestral Crozat put a curse on the Durands, dooming their romantic relationships forever. 🙄 Because of Rufus's antagonism - and poor policing skills - Maggie fears he'll pin the crime on a member of her family. Thus she decides to investigate herself, and scores an unlikely ally. The Pelican Police Department has a new detective, Rufus's divorced cousin Bo Durand, who just moved to town......

Featured Post

Lara Flynn began her acting career as a teenager in New Hampshire, when she starred as Emily Webb in a community theater production of Thornton Wilder's play 'Our Town.' Lara went on to do a Hollywood movie and take other roles before she portrayed Emily Webb once again, in a summer stock production of 'Our Town' in Tom Lake, Michigan. That season, 24-year-old Lara had a torrid romance with her co-star, handsome charismatic Peter Duke, who went on to become an Oscar-winning, tinseltown superstar. Jump ahead 30+ years to 2020, and 57-year-old Lara and her husband Joe Nelson own and run a cherry orchard in northern Michigan, not far from Tom Lake. The farm also grows apples and pears, and is a year-round enterprise. Lara and Joe have three grown daughters, all of whom have come home, to stay together during the Covid pandemic quarantine.....

Featured Post

Patrick Stewart, born in 1940, is an English actor whose career has spanned seven decades in theater, film, television and more. Stewart is perhaps best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies. Stewart grew up in the town of Mirfield, in the north of England. Mirfield was an industrial and agricultural enclave, and most of its residents - including Patrick's family - struggled financially. Stewart's father Alfred was a decorated army officer, and his mother Gladys worked in a textile mill. Mirfield After leaving the military, Alfred Stewart had a hard time adjusting to civilian life, and he drank and beat his wife, behavior that profoundly affected Patrick and his older brother Trevor. Still, young Patrick was a tough lad. Stewart writes, "I was not a softy as a boy. I couldn't afford to be. Where I came from, if you weren't tough on the playground, you became a target for bullying." Young Patrick Stewart (right) with his mother Gladys and brother Trevor.....

Featured Post

This is the first book in Mick Herron's 'Slough House' (Slow Horses) series, about British MI5 agents who've botched up a mission or made some other egregious mistake. These spooks are cast out of spy headquarters at Regents Park and sent to dilapidated Slough House, where they're called 'slow horses.' The slow horses are assigned mind-numbingly boring paperwork in hopes they'll resign. However, most of the slow horses hang in there, dreaming they'll get back to Regents Park some day. (Note: Slow Horses is now a television series.) The Slough House books are thrillers laced with humor, and the series has great characters that you'll love.....or love to hate. The man in charge of Slough House is former spy master Jackson Lamb, an offensive slob who insults his underlings, smokes too much, eats constantly, and disgustingly (and purposely) passes gas. Lamb's subordinates speculate he's the boss because 'he knows where the bodies are buried', and this may well be true. However, Lamb is also intuitive, smart, and capable....and despite everything, he looks out for his crew.....

Barb's Book Reviews

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Review of "When I Was You: A Novel of Suspense" by Amber Garza

2 comments:

Blog Archive

Netgalley

Netgalley Challenge

Goodreads

Contact Form

Netgalley

Netgalley

Blog Archive