Brooke Nelson

I listened to the You Are Not Alone audiobook, and wow, am I impressed. A couple months back, I happened to pick up a copy of The Wife Between Us, penned by the same two women, and absolutely adored it. Truthfully, this one is even better.

I am generally a big fan of the gigantic sector of thrillers surrounding thirty-something-year-old women getting caught up in creepy situations they have to dig their way out of. I used to read them a lot, but I took a break and now I’m back. Though it’s a huge segment of the genre, I tend to shy away from the books that follow the story of an eternally drunk MC. Barf. That might be one of the reasons why I like this story so much. Shay, our rather delightful MC, goes through this entirely crazy storyline without being bombed at all times.

Which leads me into something else I adored about our MC. She actually made me like her, right off the bat. I genuinely cared for Shay and her well being, and as you may know if you have read my reviews in the past, developing feelings for at least some of the characters in the story is vital to my enjoyment of a book. But nothing compares to having a well-written main character. That is almost an instant good rating from me, and this story is no exception.

I sympathized with Shay on so many levels: her quest to fill her life with trustworthy people; her happiness after meeting her new friends, the Moore sisters; her digging just a tiny bit too deep into a person’s story that interests her. But let’s be honest… We’ve all engaged in a bit of social media stalking at one point or another. Hopefully not to the level the You Are Not Alone characters did. Not scary level. Just a bit.

Then, there is the lack of romance in the plot, a massive win for me. Couples are cute and all, but every once in a while what I can really use is a convoluted stalker-murder mystery. Which brings me to my next point: everybody’s least favorite book boyfriend. Joe Goldberg.

Deep down, You Are Not Alone certainly has a bit of You vibe, what with all the over-the-top following, stalking, and intermittent deaths. If you want to see those aspects of You played out with a female-filled cast, then definitely go for this book. But please be advised, you’re not going to get any romantic side of the story like with You.

It’s every bit as creepy though, just in a different way. I had chills until the very end and then some. The resolution is truly something to behold. I never would have guessed it, yet it’s not an absolutely crazy leap in logic. It makes perfect sense, and it blew my mind. Happy Tuesday and happy reading!