Review by Booklist Review
Math teacher Eve Bennett is married to English teacher Nate, but the relationship has lost its spark. Nate is beloved by his students, and he says all the right things to Eve, but she feels more of a connection to her expensive shoe collection. Addie Severson is a 16-year-old junior who is struggling in Mrs. Bennett's trigonometry class, though she is thriving in Mr. Bennett's poetry class. When Mr. Bennett invites her to join the school poetry magazine, she thinks it is her chance to make some new friends and shake her bad reputation, the one she earned by getting math teacher Mr. Tuttle fired the year before. Addie is troubled, Arthur Tuttle warns Eve, but Nate is convinced she is gifted. Then he is convinced she is something more. McFadden (The Housemaid, 2022) piles on the secrets and lies, slowly doling out the truth until the explosive conclusion, and then, once the dust has settled, she reveals one more bombshell that changes everything. Give this to fans of Lisa Jewell and Joy Fielding.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
At the start of the superb latest from McFadden (The Coworker), frumpy math teacher Eve Bennett is preparing for a new year at Caseham High School with her handsome husband and fellow teacher, Nate. Eve is dismayed to learn that Addie Severson, a student who allegedly had an affair with math teacher Art Tuttle (who's since resigned) last year, has been assigned to one of her classes. While Addie insists nothing inappropriate happened with Tuttle, her classmates bully her about the rumors, and the school's staff remain split on whether to believe her. As the school year progresses, Addie finds refuge from the constant scrutiny in Nate's class, developing a bond with him over their mutual love of poetry. One night, after hosting a dinner party, Eve catches Addie lurking in the bushes near her and Nate's home. Nate's passive response to the discovery irks Eve and leads her to suspect his relationship with Addie might be edging into illicit territory. As Eve investigates, McFadden rolls out a series of jaw-dropping twists that recast the power dynamic between her central trio over and over again. The frequent rug-pulling will thrill readers who've initially pinned the story as run-of-the-mill domestic suspense. This rivets. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Feb.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
On the surface, high school math teacher Eve Bennett is the envy of women everywhere. She has a career she loves, a beautiful home, and a gorgeous, kind, and mild-mannered husband, Nate, who teaches English at her school. However, with a growing emotional distance and a lack of affection from Nate, Eve feels unfulfilled. Even adding to the designer shoe collection she attempts to hide from her husband doesn't help her dissatisfaction. When the school year begins and troubled teen Addie Severson is in both Nate's and Eve's classes, the tension between the couple intensifies. Addie had been in the middle of a scandal that ruined the career of a beloved teacher. While Nate insists she deserves a second chance, Eve feels Addie can't be trusted. Although rumors about the scandal circulate wildly, nobody knows what really happened, and vulnerable Addie is determined to keep it that way. In fact, she might do just anything to keep things quiet. VERDICT Told from the alternating viewpoints of Eve and Addie, this dark page-turner from McFadden ("The Housemaid" series) has an unexpected, brilliantly executed twist at the end. It's a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.--Lucinda Ward
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
