Malin is in her first year at a remote Maine college and she’s finally making friends. It isn’t easy when she isn’t much of a social butterfly, but she’s doing her best. The group of 6 friends has grown close over their college career, and this story is told in the present, starting with the Freshman year, and the past, with them in their final year of college. We also get a timeline of Malin growing up, and while that isn’t consistent throughout the book, it’s definitely a very revealing timeline. Revealed in tiny increments, you feel the tension building, and you know Malin is keeping a big secret from the others.
The only drawback in the book was the level of depth to the characters. I would have liked to see more of Max. He is Malin’s best friend, but he doesn’t come out of his shell until senior year, and even those interactions with her are minimal at best. I think with the amount of time spent on Malin, John, and Ruby, some of that time could have been more devoted to the rest of the group.
I have to be fairly vague with my review because I don’t want to spoil things. While I had a good idea of what was going on well before the reveal, it didn’t detract from how good the book is. The murder that is mentioned in the blurb doesn’t happen until we’re practically done with the book, but the tension leading up to it is really good, the writing is excellent. While the book is told in Malin’s point of view, she’s a bit of an unreliable narrator. While she prides herself on her ability to read people (and we do learn just how sneaky she is), things aren’t always as she sees them. This turned into a super fun read that was hard to put down.
You can read my review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub, give it a “like” while you’re there. You can purchase Tell Me Everything on Amazon for $13.99.
Rae's Reading Lounge 