Title: Everything That Follows
Author: Meg Little Reilly
Published: May 2018, MIRA
Format: ARC E-copy, 320 pages
Source: Netgalley
Summary:
CAUGHT IN THE BACKWASH, THEY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES…
For
fans of Megan Abbott and Chris Bohjalian comes a novel of moral
complexity about friends who must choose between self-preservation and
doing the right thing in the wake of a fatal boating accident. Set in
the moody off-season of Martha’s Vineyard, Everything That Follows is a
plunge into the dark waters of secrets and flexible morals. The truth
becomes whatever we say it is…
Around midnight, three friends
take their partying from bar to boat on a misty fall evening. Just as
the weather deteriorates, one of them suddenly and confusingly goes
overboard. Is it an accident? The result of an unwanted advance? His
body disappears quickly, silently, into the dark water. The
circumstances are murky, but what is clear is that the other two need to
notify the authorities. Minutes become hours become days as they
hesitate, caught up in their guilt and hope that their friend has
somehow made it safely to shore. As valuable time passes, they find
themselves deep in a moral morass with huge implications as they
struggle to move forward and live with their dark secret.
My thoughts: This is this first book I’ve read by Meg Little Reilly and I found it be to captivating and intriguing all the way through. I love books like that – ones that hold my interest and keep me guessing as to where it is going to end up.
This book was a very quick, easy read. It is one that is chock full of secrets – and we learn about the main secret that drives most of this book right off the bat. This is definitely a character-driven novel and we see how the characters have to live with the consequences of their actions. These characters are certainly flawed and watching them struggle with their choices is what makes this book that much more realistic.
I liked the way the mystery was played out. You think you know what happened, but do you really? Even the characters aren’t quite sure. And let’s not forget that both Kat and Hunter come from very different backgrounds, so when all is said and done, and they don’t report the accident right away, they are left with different perceptions of what happens next. Hunter after all has his family’s name to help protect him, while Kat has no one. Perception is everything, is it not?
This book is definitely not what is outwardly appears to be. You might think you have it all figured out, but think again. You might think you have all the characters figured out, but think again. This book plays on your everything instinct and it plays on everything you think you know. It’s a fun little book that’s not quite as simple as it appears to be.
