Book Review: What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

Title: What Lies Between Us
Author: John Marrs
Pages: 380 pages
Expected publication: May 15th 2020 by Thomas & Mercer
Source: NetGalley
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/2S5vkiN

GoodReads Description: "Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.

They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.

Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.

But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.

Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies."


MY REVIEW:
Holy dysfunction, Batman! That was dark! This novel is not for the faint of heart. There is so much sickness and dysfunction in this family. It's pretty bleak.

Nina and her mother, Maggie, have a ... complicated relationship. That much is evident from the first page. As the story goes on, we unpack the "why" and "how." How did they get to this dark and awful place?

I thought it was very interesting (that's the Psych major in me). A really compelling case for why it is never a good idea to protect your children from the natural consequences of their actions. Of course, everything in this novel was extreme and Maggie was thus in emotional duress. However, I found myself wondering was she also a psychopath (or somewhere on the spectrum), due to her own upbringing, or was she just reacting impulsively (and unwisely) to a really bad situation? (That's an understatement).

Anyways, I felt like the mental illness in this story was not used as a easy explanation for a plot twist (which I hate), but was a main part of the plot. As such, it felt genuine instead of forced. It also left me feeling hugely sad for Nina.

MY RATING:
Characters: 4
Story: 4
Overall: 4 stars

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.