What We Forgot to Bury

My Best Friends Good Taste

While I love a good mystery, this is not something I would have found on my own. My best friend just bought a kindle oasis so she has been reading lots more. This is one of the ones she was reading and since I trust her judgement, I figured this would be one to try since she was loving on it so much. Good choice for us both I loved it as well.

This book is told between the alternating viewpoints of the two lead characters. Elle is troubled teen, close to flunking out her senior year of high school. She has a terrible home life, living in a filth-infested apartment with a drunk foster parent who gambles away her assistance checks. Elle's father, a man with a history of domestic abuse, is in prison for a crime he says he didn't commit.

Charlotte has a beautiful home in a gated community. Her workaholic husband is often absent, and her own dark past has left her wary of others. During a horrible storm, Elle knocks on Charlotte's door for shelter. She knows all about Charlotte's past, convinced that it contributed to ruining her life. Once Charlotte allows Elle into her house and her life, the reader is treated to both sides of the coin, and no one is who they seem. I loved that this book had a spooky feeling all the way through and I devoured it all in a matter of a two day period.

Charlotte and Elle dance around each other, never fully trusting, while maintaining all the earmarks of a growing friendship. Soon Elle is left questing everything she thought she knew. In addition, she finds herself in an unexpected situation that leaves her vulnerable, her future uncertain. Again, Charlotte is there to help, solicitous, while still maintaining an underlying edge of distrust.

Occasionally, the behaviors of both characters require a stretch of the imagination, but the plot is twisty and engaging. There are HUGE surprises in store at the end. My only issue is that I feel like the end felt a bit rushed. However, this is definitely worth the time and energy to read.