I have a confession… well, two confessions, really. The first is that I took a few weeks off from #MySummerOfMysteries to read some new literary fiction. It’s true. I took time to read some Alejandro Zambra, some Emma Cline, some Han King. If we’re being honest, all books are mysteries, if not thrillers.
The second confession is that I’ve become a complete fangirl for Megan Abbott. After reading The Fever and now Dare Me, I find myself completely drawn into her writing and the depths of teen-girl-ness that she explores. There’s a familiarity that I’d guess most women feel when reading Abbott’s characters and actions that are as dark as they are innocent. We all inhabited a milder version of these worlds in our youth, and it’s utterly transfixing to have the skin peeled back from them and lovingly dissected through Abbott’s words.
To be honest, the cheerleader narrative had me nervous at first, worried that it would all be a bit too much like Bring It On but with a murder. Instead, the narrative unraveled layer after layer of the teen-girl psyche in all its violence, deceit, and devotion. Abbott didn’t disappoint, not by a long shot.
Though my goal was to read a diverse range of mystery/thriller authors this summer (which I still plan to continue doing), this calls for a small detour, a deeper dive into one author. I’m just going to give into the inclination to binge on the rest of Abbott’s recent work. I’m already part of the way into The End of Everything. More on that soon. Next up after that: You Will Know Me, Abbott’s latest.
This post is part of #MySummerOfMysteries, a project to immerse myself in mysteries, thrillers, crime writing, and whodunits. For each book I finish, I’m posting brief thoughts and reflections here. Please note that these are not intended as full reviews. To view my reading progress throughout the summer, click here.