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Reese’s August 2021 book club pick is a great one!
Before we get into the August selection, did you all read Paper Palace (Reese’s July pick)? I was already on the fence but I have since heard some mixed things about it. Someone even said the entire book should come with a trigger warning (yikes). That said, if you have read it or your book club is planning to, let me know and I’ll get questions together for it.
Reese’s August 2021 Pick
Ahh, I’m so excited about Reese’s August 2021 book club pick—We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz! For one, I already read it and I think it’s fantastic (more on that below). But two, she picked an author I’m a huge fan of—Andrea Bartz!
If you’re not familiar with Andrea’s writing, her novels tackle the psychological thriller/suspense genre from a fresh perspective. While there is some type of crime/murder in each of her novels, she adds much more depth, which rises her novels above others in the genre. I highly recommend you also check out her other novels The Lost Night and The Herd. Here’s the synopsis for We Were Never Here:
Emily is having the time of her life—she’s in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of the trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she brought back to their room attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense. Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year’s trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can’t believe it’s happened again—can lightning really strike twice?
Back home in Wisconsin, Emily struggles to bury her trauma, diving headfirst into a new relationship and throwing herself into work. But when Kristen shows up for a surprise visit, Emily is forced to confront their violent past. The more Kristen tries to keep Emily close, the more Emily questions her motives. As Emily feels the walls closing in on their cover-ups, she must reckon with the truth about her closest friend. Can Emily outrun the secrets she shares with Kristen, or will they destroy her relationship, her freedom—even her life?
Initial Thoughts
So as I mentioned, I already read this one (you can find my full review here) and I loved it. The setting is fantastic, the friendship is interesting (it takes unexpected turns), the premise is engaging and also scary at times. There is such a realistic feel to this story where it’s lends itself to ask yourself, what would you do? This one also covers competition, power, obsession, and more.
This a great pick from Reese! Once you finish the book, check out my discussion questions here (remember my questions are full of spoilers!).
Click here to order We Were Never Here on Amazon.
