Seventeen-year-old Rachel and her friend Caroline were on the trip of a lifetime. They were nearly ready to return home when they visited a Greek Isle. The scenery was spectacular, but so were the lavish parties where drugs and alcohol were abundant. Then for Rachel, there was Alistair, a charismatic older man who she feel deeply in love with and has been unable to forget.
Now fifteen years later she is married to Tom, a mild man quite different from Alistair. Their marriage is rocky and this trip to the same Greek island is an attempt to see if it can be saved. On the island she reconnects with a girl she knew that fateful summer. The island brings memories and a desire to reconnect with Alistair, but not all the memories are good and Rachel’s life begins to unravel.
This debut novel addresses interesting issues of young love, manipulation, and memory. I did not like Rachel’s character. I thought she was a woman trapped in the romantic fantasies of a young girl. However, that was what made the plot of the story. She was still trapped and still making the same bad decisions she’s made as a teen.
The descriptions of the island are wonderful. In fact, I thought they were the best part of the book. The plot is suitably atmospheric with a building awareness that things are not exactly as Rachel remembers. The pace is good. If you enjoy psychological novels, you may enjoy this one.
I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.
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