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Poppy & Serena #1
The Ice Cream Girls
For fans of Jodi Picoult, a heart-pounding novel about a notorious murder that sets two teen girls on radically different life paths.As teenagers Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe were the only witnesses to a high-profile murder. Amid heated public debate, the two seemingly glamorous teens were dubbed "The Ice Cream Girls" by the press and were dealt with by the courts-Poppy headed to prison after being convicted for murder and Serena was set free. Years later, after having led very different lives, Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what really happened. The only problem is she has no one to turn to and no clue where to begin her hunt for Serena. Meanwhile, Serena is married with children and wants no one in her present to find out about her past. Constantly looking over her shoulder, Serena knows she should come clean to her husband, however, she can't seem to find the words. With Poppy determined to salvage what's left of her reputation, Serena may not have a choice in reopening a can of worms that may threaten both their lives . . . again.
431 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
419 people are currently reading
9163 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Koomson
50 books3,251 followersHello, my name's Dorothy Koomson and I'll try to make this bit that's all about me as interesting as possible.
I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.
I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my masters degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.
Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.
Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK for because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug
I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.
I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my masters degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.
Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.
Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK for because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,169 reviews
May 30, 2022
Don't be fooled by the cover, this is far from the pastel fluff the cover is portraying. This is deep, dark and I loved it all and I'm so excited to read the sequel.
Five stars.
Five stars.
April 29, 2015
Don’t be fooled by the cute pastel cover on this one. It isn’t the light summery girly friendship story that I was expecting. In fact, it is probably one of the darkest reads I have read in a long time and Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe are certainly not friends but love rivals. The object of their love is Marcus, an older man and Serena’s teacher.
This is a story of two young naïve girls who are reeled in by Marcus, a predator of the first order in this story of seduction, first love, manipulation, control, domestic violence and murder. When Marcus is stabbed to death one night the two girls are tried for murder. Serena is found innocent but Poppy is sentenced to life imprisonment, but now she is out and determined to clear her name. It is a story that really gripped me and that I found hard to put down as we delved from the present day back to the late 1980s and watched the relationships with Marcus unfold. It would be so easy to sit and read it and say “why didn’t they just walk away”, but these girls had been deliberately chosen and groomed by Marcus for their loneliness, naivety and lack of experience. We all remember our first loves and the agonies of “If I don’t do what he likes, he will dump me” etcetera, and that is with teenagers, up against the sophistication of an older man, these girls didn’t stand a chance.
For the most part, I loved the story and couldn’t put the book down, but there were parts of the book that didn’t seem realistic at all, in particular the court case itself. In reality, the girls would have been dealt with as victims due to their age, and not seductive murdering temptresses. I also couldn’t understand how the girls managed to keep their injuries secret, especially broken ribs which really do hurt and restrict your movement. Why did their families not notice? However, putting all my niggles aside, this is a very good, gripping read that really captured my imagination. In fairness, I would say 3.5 out of 5.
This is a story of two young naïve girls who are reeled in by Marcus, a predator of the first order in this story of seduction, first love, manipulation, control, domestic violence and murder. When Marcus is stabbed to death one night the two girls are tried for murder. Serena is found innocent but Poppy is sentenced to life imprisonment, but now she is out and determined to clear her name. It is a story that really gripped me and that I found hard to put down as we delved from the present day back to the late 1980s and watched the relationships with Marcus unfold. It would be so easy to sit and read it and say “why didn’t they just walk away”, but these girls had been deliberately chosen and groomed by Marcus for their loneliness, naivety and lack of experience. We all remember our first loves and the agonies of “If I don’t do what he likes, he will dump me” etcetera, and that is with teenagers, up against the sophistication of an older man, these girls didn’t stand a chance.
For the most part, I loved the story and couldn’t put the book down, but there were parts of the book that didn’t seem realistic at all, in particular the court case itself. In reality, the girls would have been dealt with as victims due to their age, and not seductive murdering temptresses. I also couldn’t understand how the girls managed to keep their injuries secret, especially broken ribs which really do hurt and restrict your movement. Why did their families not notice? However, putting all my niggles aside, this is a very good, gripping read that really captured my imagination. In fairness, I would say 3.5 out of 5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2019
“I did not know that when you drop a stone of a stupid choice in the pool of your life, it can cause a tidal wave to surge outwards, destroying everyone and everything in its path.”
― Dorothy Koomson, The Ice Cream Girls
Everyone has heard of them. Have you? The notorious young "Ice Cream girls". Not more then kids really. So young. They are flashy, they are wild and rebellious.
And they are murderers.
At least one of them is according to the courts. Poppy and Selena were tried. One was sent to jail. One was not.
But the reputation, the STIGMA has never left. Oh the shame of it all! How could those young girls DO what they did? Murder and in such a chilling way? Don't get close to those Ice cream girls! Who knows what they are capable of?
Such gossip. Such lascivious behavior. Such a pack of BULLSHIT.
(But hey..it does make for good media copy).Unless you happen to BE one of the Ice Cream Girls. One of the frightened broken girls, whose actual story is of coarse nothing like the blood sucking media makes it out to be.
Dorothy Koomson maybe one of the best writers in the world today. I do not say that lightly. I have read many of her books, my favorite being the masterpiece "The Rose Petal beach". But this one is up there.
The Ice Cream Girls is written with such heart. It is NOT a light and fluffy read. People may think it is, because of the light and fluffy cover, but this is a serious and intense book that explores the lives of two ladies, who, as children were accused of murder. This book explores their lives as adults.
Trigger warning: and spoilers:
There are some Sex abuse triggers.
Like all of Koomson's books, the characters are fresh and realistic and go through heart breaking situations. There is brutal terror in this book but it is not the Ice Cream girls who are doing the evil. They are the victims.
This book is dark..so dark..wonderfully written and I'd highly recommend it. It is an evisceration of the media, the courts, the perceptions that so many of us hold without knowing the real story. But most of all it is a character study of two fascinating and inherently strong females and how they move on from traumas that nobody should ever have to go through.
4.5 stars. Read this!
― Dorothy Koomson, The Ice Cream Girls
Everyone has heard of them. Have you? The notorious young "Ice Cream girls". Not more then kids really. So young. They are flashy, they are wild and rebellious.
And they are murderers.
At least one of them is according to the courts. Poppy and Selena were tried. One was sent to jail. One was not.
But the reputation, the STIGMA has never left. Oh the shame of it all! How could those young girls DO what they did? Murder and in such a chilling way? Don't get close to those Ice cream girls! Who knows what they are capable of?
Such gossip. Such lascivious behavior. Such a pack of BULLSHIT.
(But hey..it does make for good media copy).Unless you happen to BE one of the Ice Cream Girls. One of the frightened broken girls, whose actual story is of coarse nothing like the blood sucking media makes it out to be.
Dorothy Koomson maybe one of the best writers in the world today. I do not say that lightly. I have read many of her books, my favorite being the masterpiece "The Rose Petal beach". But this one is up there.
The Ice Cream Girls is written with such heart. It is NOT a light and fluffy read. People may think it is, because of the light and fluffy cover, but this is a serious and intense book that explores the lives of two ladies, who, as children were accused of murder. This book explores their lives as adults.
Trigger warning: and spoilers:
There are some Sex abuse triggers.
Like all of Koomson's books, the characters are fresh and realistic and go through heart breaking situations. There is brutal terror in this book but it is not the Ice Cream girls who are doing the evil. They are the victims.
This book is dark..so dark..wonderfully written and I'd highly recommend it. It is an evisceration of the media, the courts, the perceptions that so many of us hold without knowing the real story. But most of all it is a character study of two fascinating and inherently strong females and how they move on from traumas that nobody should ever have to go through.
4.5 stars. Read this!
October 28, 2016
A minha opinião em vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iiprl...
Mais um grande livro da Dorothy Koomson!
Um livro grande mas que flui tão bem que foi lido em 3 dias. Uma histórica polémica mas muito real. Adorei!
Mais um grande livro da Dorothy Koomson!
Um livro grande mas que flui tão bem que foi lido em 3 dias. Uma histórica polémica mas muito real. Adorei!
March 18, 2012
I like Dorothy Koomson but this one was tricky! The whole premise of two teenage girls being independently seduced by their teacher and how that relationship was brought to an end was fine. The legalities of it - not fine. I found it impossible to accept that neither girls' parents didn't notice changes in behaviour, bruises etc, that any judge or jury in the UK would accept that this man was a gentle soul and that the girls were evil when he'd been abusing them since they were 15, that one girl would go to prison and the other wouldn't, that the wife would never even be asked about her ex-husband's character, that the girls didn't speak out and say more, that the truth didn't come out sooner - well I could go on. The plot just didn't work for me.
BUT - I did like the writing, the relationships etc and it was a book that kept me reading. Yes, the real culprit was obvious though I think Ms Koomson could have muddied the water better by letting a sister find out what was happening and suggest they did the deed. (Trying not to spoil the plot here. Not her best but still compelling in its way.
BUT - I did like the writing, the relationships etc and it was a book that kept me reading. Yes, the real culprit was obvious though I think Ms Koomson could have muddied the water better by letting a sister find out what was happening and suggest they did the deed. (Trying not to spoil the plot here. Not her best but still compelling in its way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2022
Dorothy Koomson's masterpiece! I fell in love with her writing with "My Best Friend's Girl" I and was acquiring Serbian editor of that novel...
This title, despite the chick-lit covers, is serious book, having serious theme of child abuse, murder, and impact on lives of two girls and their families... Perfectly researched topic and masterfully written!
#mustread
This title, despite the chick-lit covers, is serious book, having serious theme of child abuse, murder, and impact on lives of two girls and their families... Perfectly researched topic and masterfully written!
#mustread
July 12, 2025
Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson all i can say is dayuuuuum! What a misleading beautiful cover!
June 7, 2010
I could NOT put this book down.
So different to Dorothy Koomson's other books but her best book in my opinion.
I love the characters of Serena and Poppy, and is a shame they couldnt stand each other because they are so alike.
Serena was a very strong character, much stronger than Poppy at times. But I did prefer Poppy. She went through a lot despite being innocent. And in the end it was good to see her "catch a break" as far as her personal life went.
Marcus was scum of the earth and he deserved what he got, but I did guess who killed him, I was hopeful that person would come clean but I guess it would have tied the ending up too nicely.
I hope Dorothy Koomson writes another one like this because it was a brilliant book. And I most definately look forward to her next book.
So different to Dorothy Koomson's other books but her best book in my opinion.
I love the characters of Serena and Poppy, and is a shame they couldnt stand each other because they are so alike.
Serena was a very strong character, much stronger than Poppy at times. But I did prefer Poppy. She went through a lot despite being innocent. And in the end it was good to see her "catch a break" as far as her personal life went.
Marcus was scum of the earth and he deserved what he got, but I did guess who killed him, I was hopeful that person would come clean but I guess it would have tied the ending up too nicely.
I hope Dorothy Koomson writes another one like this because it was a brilliant book. And I most definately look forward to her next book.
March 29, 2013
My first Dorothy Koomson book but definitely not my last! I loved her style of writing and I could not put this book down. I think I may have discovered another favourite author. Her style reminds me of another favourite of mine, Diane Chamberlain. The book tells the story of Serena and Poppy who at 15 years old "fell in love" with the same man. He was much older and a sexual predator. Their time with him ends with his murder and Poppy is sent to prison for 20 years. After her release she tries to find Serena and set straight what happened the night of the murder. This story brings to light so many facets of sexual, emotional and physical abuse. The chapters flick back and forth between Serena and Poppy and their struggles. Seems as the author really exposed their heart and soul.
March 31, 2025
Probably this novel is one of the most misleading ones when we speak about titles, as I've seldom seen such a tough, rough and sad book, almost to its ultimate letters.
The story is about little mistakes which are paid too dearly, about life in couples, about truth and more or less innocent lies, and most of all, about fear. The characters are alive, their moves are the consequence of their former mishaps, the final sweetens somehow the state of affairs, but some questions remain to be answered.
Surprisingly or not, my favourite passage is Poppy's mother confession, about how she and her husband have survived the shame of her daughter's imprisonment. I would say at least this is a must read...
The story is about little mistakes which are paid too dearly, about life in couples, about truth and more or less innocent lies, and most of all, about fear. The characters are alive, their moves are the consequence of their former mishaps, the final sweetens somehow the state of affairs, but some questions remain to be answered.
Surprisingly or not, my favourite passage is Poppy's mother confession, about how she and her husband have survived the shame of her daughter's imprisonment. I would say at least this is a must read...
April 21, 2013
The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson was an interesting and easy to read novel.
As School girls Poppy and Serena were the only witnesses to a tragic event. They both end up in different ways paying the price and become known as the Ice Cream Girls. Years later Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what happened while Serena wants no one in her present life to find out about her past. But secrets have a habit of coming back to haunt and this is certainly the case for the Ice Cream Girls.
This is my first Koomson Novel and I have to say I enjoyed the story and the characters. I found myself happily turning the pages to find out more. The story is set in the present time with flashbacks to the 1980s and I thought that the author did a great job switching between time frames and at no stage did I find it confusing. I did however have issues with the fact that the plot was not creditable. There was so much I questioned while reading that it spoiled the story a little for me.
I don't want to go into detail here as it would spoil the book for others.
An interesting read and I will certainly read something else by this author.
As School girls Poppy and Serena were the only witnesses to a tragic event. They both end up in different ways paying the price and become known as the Ice Cream Girls. Years later Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what happened while Serena wants no one in her present life to find out about her past. But secrets have a habit of coming back to haunt and this is certainly the case for the Ice Cream Girls.
This is my first Koomson Novel and I have to say I enjoyed the story and the characters. I found myself happily turning the pages to find out more. The story is set in the present time with flashbacks to the 1980s and I thought that the author did a great job switching between time frames and at no stage did I find it confusing. I did however have issues with the fact that the plot was not creditable. There was so much I questioned while reading that it spoiled the story a little for me.
I don't want to go into detail here as it would spoil the book for others.
An interesting read and I will certainly read something else by this author.
August 26, 2010
The plot in this book has more holes than Swiss cheese. Does that sound cliché? Well, this book is full of them. I wish I can get the hours back that I wasted. All this book left me with was questions.
What upset me the most about reading this book was not only how Serena and her family never managed to tell Evan that she had been on trial for murder 20 years ago BUT that he never read or heard about the 'infamous' trial that took place in the same country they lived and met in!!! England isn't big, y'all. A high profile case will be part of headline news for ages. So why didn't Evan know? Why hadn't a family member let it slip during an argument? Come. On.
And the idea that a judge could actually believe two young girls of seducing and killing a teacher who had sexually and physically abused them is highly unbelievable. Watching the news tells you that chances are a sexually preyed on underage girl will be seen as the victim, not as the perpetrator.
And how had Poppy and Serena's parents not seen the bruises (Marcus was very keen on splitting lips and slapping faces) on their daughters' faces for the 2 to 3 years this abusive relationship was taking place. I mean, really? Really?
I'm sure there are more holes I can talk about but I'd rather spend the next few minutes finding a good read rather than spending my time remembering a bad one.
Dorothy Koomson, never again.
What upset me the most about reading this book was not only how Serena and her family never managed to tell Evan that she had been on trial for murder 20 years ago BUT that he never read or heard about the 'infamous' trial that took place in the same country they lived and met in!!! England isn't big, y'all. A high profile case will be part of headline news for ages. So why didn't Evan know? Why hadn't a family member let it slip during an argument? Come. On.
And the idea that a judge could actually believe two young girls of seducing and killing a teacher who had sexually and physically abused them is highly unbelievable. Watching the news tells you that chances are a sexually preyed on underage girl will be seen as the victim, not as the perpetrator.
And how had Poppy and Serena's parents not seen the bruises (Marcus was very keen on splitting lips and slapping faces) on their daughters' faces for the 2 to 3 years this abusive relationship was taking place. I mean, really? Really?
I'm sure there are more holes I can talk about but I'd rather spend the next few minutes finding a good read rather than spending my time remembering a bad one.
Dorothy Koomson, never again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2017
The cover and title, which both suggest a fluffy chick-lit book, didn't attract me to this (I'm really annoyed that I now have to have those hated pastel colours messing up my 2011 Reading Challenge page); but I'd gathered from several sources that it was actually a gripping thriller, and from all I'd heard and read about it, I was intrigued enough to pick it up when I spotted it in the library. The Ice Cream Girls - the title referring to a nickname bestowed upon the main characters by the tabloid press - tells the story of Serena and Poppy, two girls involved in the torture and murder of a teacher who had manipulated, seduced and abused them as young teenagers. In the present day, Poppy, who was convicted, has just been released from prison, while Serena, who walked free, has built a happy life with her husband Evan and two children. The twist is that Poppy is convinced of her own innocence and determined to see justice done, while Serena appears to be dogged by guilt and is constantly paranoid that the evils of her past will catch up with her. In flashbacks, we slowly discover what really happened between Serena, Poppy and the teacher - the detestable Marcus, who maintained an abusive relationship with both girls - to lead to the murder in 1988. Meanwhile, back in the present day, Poppy searches for Serena and vows to confront her about the crime.
The book is a page-turner, but the writing isn't good; there are lots of sentences that just sound clumsy, or appear to have words or punctuation missing. The mystery/thriller element is compelling, but the book often gets much too bogged down in the interactions between various family members rather than focusing on the main subject, which can be frustrating. However, Koomson has done a wonderful (if that word's appropriate) job of replicating both the behaviour of an abuser and the mindset of the victim. The author has obviously done some serious, committed research on the subject, because in parts it's one of the most realistic depictions of an abusive relationship I've ever encountered. The fact that the girls realise their involvement with Marcus is destructive and are aware that he is the one in the wrong, but still continue tolerating his abuse and feel trapped by their feelings and the isolation he has imposed on them, is particularly striking.
What I didn't find so realistic was the fact that Marcus was able to carry on physically abusing the girls so severely while they were still living at home with their families. We learn that Marcus beats Serena and Poppy so badly that he regularly has to take them to hospital - wouldn't their parents have been informed, since they were 15 at the time? Wouldn't their families (who are portrayed as caring and protective) have noticed the injuries, the constant pain; wouldn't they at least have noticed the girls were away from home so often? And, given the extent of the abuse, wouldn't there have been plenty of physical evidence against Marcus when it came to the trial? As well as eyewitnesses who would have seen him taking them into the hospitals, doctors and nurses who might have wondered why these middle-class teenage girls were covered in bruises and cuts... and if Marlene was seeking a restraining order against him, would this not have been at least brought up in court, even if she refused to testify? It's not the extent of the abuse I find unrealistic, nor the fact that neither Serena nor Poppy walks away - sadly, these details are all too believable - but the idea that everyone would automatically believe two underage girls had 'seduced' and killed a man who was rarely allowed to see his own son, apparently without even asking why they had so many mysterious broken bones and scars. Even if the girls held back on telling the whole truth out of residual love for Marcus, their parents and defence lawyers would surely have been able to piece together a damning case against him without very much difficulty at all. Poppy even mentions that during her prison sentence she received letters from six other girls who had been abused by Marcus. Why wouldn't these girls have come forward, or been sought out by the police/the girls' solicitors? What about all the sexy underwear and clothes he was constantly buying them - he must have been into shops to get them, had receipts - wouldn't that have cast a bit of a different light on the 'they seduced him' story? I could go on.
I'm not a great lover of this genre - the chick/family-lit meets crime thriller sort of thing - and I always seem to end up giving them 3 stars at the most, yet I keep reading them anyway. What can I say? Maybe this is the true definition of a 'guilty pleasure'. I really don't think the plot of this book is up to much at all (there were numerous other plot holes as well as what I've outlined above), but I think it deserves recognition for the author's obvious commitment to her subject matter and the fact that, through writing this book, she is clearly trying to help raise awareness of abusive relationships and domestic violence. Koomson impresses on her readers the importance of 'spotting the signs' through both the narrative itself (towards the end, present-day Serena reaches out to help a neighbour she suspects is a victim) and an author's note at the end. I find this very commendable, particularly in a book aimed at the chick-lit market - even if I didn't love the book itself.
The book is a page-turner, but the writing isn't good; there are lots of sentences that just sound clumsy, or appear to have words or punctuation missing. The mystery/thriller element is compelling, but the book often gets much too bogged down in the interactions between various family members rather than focusing on the main subject, which can be frustrating. However, Koomson has done a wonderful (if that word's appropriate) job of replicating both the behaviour of an abuser and the mindset of the victim. The author has obviously done some serious, committed research on the subject, because in parts it's one of the most realistic depictions of an abusive relationship I've ever encountered. The fact that the girls realise their involvement with Marcus is destructive and are aware that he is the one in the wrong, but still continue tolerating his abuse and feel trapped by their feelings and the isolation he has imposed on them, is particularly striking.
What I didn't find so realistic was the fact that Marcus was able to carry on physically abusing the girls so severely while they were still living at home with their families. We learn that Marcus beats Serena and Poppy so badly that he regularly has to take them to hospital - wouldn't their parents have been informed, since they were 15 at the time? Wouldn't their families (who are portrayed as caring and protective) have noticed the injuries, the constant pain; wouldn't they at least have noticed the girls were away from home so often? And, given the extent of the abuse, wouldn't there have been plenty of physical evidence against Marcus when it came to the trial? As well as eyewitnesses who would have seen him taking them into the hospitals, doctors and nurses who might have wondered why these middle-class teenage girls were covered in bruises and cuts... and if Marlene was seeking a restraining order against him, would this not have been at least brought up in court, even if she refused to testify? It's not the extent of the abuse I find unrealistic, nor the fact that neither Serena nor Poppy walks away - sadly, these details are all too believable - but the idea that everyone would automatically believe two underage girls had 'seduced' and killed a man who was rarely allowed to see his own son, apparently without even asking why they had so many mysterious broken bones and scars. Even if the girls held back on telling the whole truth out of residual love for Marcus, their parents and defence lawyers would surely have been able to piece together a damning case against him without very much difficulty at all. Poppy even mentions that during her prison sentence she received letters from six other girls who had been abused by Marcus. Why wouldn't these girls have come forward, or been sought out by the police/the girls' solicitors? What about all the sexy underwear and clothes he was constantly buying them - he must have been into shops to get them, had receipts - wouldn't that have cast a bit of a different light on the 'they seduced him' story? I could go on.
I'm not a great lover of this genre - the chick/family-lit meets crime thriller sort of thing - and I always seem to end up giving them 3 stars at the most, yet I keep reading them anyway. What can I say? Maybe this is the true definition of a 'guilty pleasure'. I really don't think the plot of this book is up to much at all (there were numerous other plot holes as well as what I've outlined above), but I think it deserves recognition for the author's obvious commitment to her subject matter and the fact that, through writing this book, she is clearly trying to help raise awareness of abusive relationships and domestic violence. Koomson impresses on her readers the importance of 'spotting the signs' through both the narrative itself (towards the end, present-day Serena reaches out to help a neighbour she suspects is a victim) and an author's note at the end. I find this very commendable, particularly in a book aimed at the chick-lit market - even if I didn't love the book itself.
February 14, 2010
The Ice Cream Girls is one of the most cleverly crafted novels that I have read for a long time. It would be so easy to judge this book by it's cover and assume that it's going to be frothy chick-lit - don't fall for the cover - this is a psychological thriller that gripped me from page one and kept me hooked until the very last page.
The story is narrated in turns by Serena and Poppy - the 'Ice Cream Girls' of the title. Serena and Poppy were never friends but their lives have been linked together by a tragic event that happened over twenty years ago. This event shaped their lives and their futures - moulding both of them into the adults they have become.
With flash-backs to the event and alternately narrated chapters, this story twists and turns on each page. The story covers some very emotive and often horrific events, it is a novel about growing up, about falling in love and about betrayal and hate.
Poppy and Serena are two excellently written characters, both have their faults but both have been shaped by falling in love with the wrong man and it is this man that is so central to the story line.
A compelling and often breathtaking read with a unique storyline and fantastic characters - I cant recommend this highly enough.
The story is narrated in turns by Serena and Poppy - the 'Ice Cream Girls' of the title. Serena and Poppy were never friends but their lives have been linked together by a tragic event that happened over twenty years ago. This event shaped their lives and their futures - moulding both of them into the adults they have become.
With flash-backs to the event and alternately narrated chapters, this story twists and turns on each page. The story covers some very emotive and often horrific events, it is a novel about growing up, about falling in love and about betrayal and hate.
Poppy and Serena are two excellently written characters, both have their faults but both have been shaped by falling in love with the wrong man and it is this man that is so central to the story line.
A compelling and often breathtaking read with a unique storyline and fantastic characters - I cant recommend this highly enough.
September 13, 2013
Two and a half stars. I debated for a long while over a rating for this. In the end I gave it two and a half stars because it was okay but I couldn’t say I liked it. That no doubt has a lot to do with the subject matter. Serena and Poppy stand trial for the torture and murder of Marcus, an ex teacher. Poppy is convicted of the murder and gets sentenced while Serena does not. However she still lives each day with what happened and the secret she has kept from her husband.
While it kept me reading, I have to say at times it left an uneasy taste in my mouth. Felt like a voyeur as the novel flashed back to the way Marcus seduced and then abused Serena and Poppy. Thankfully these flashbacks were done in small bursts. Marcus was a perverted creature. I won’t say human being, and there was part of me, I admit, that felt he got what he deserved. Awful to say I know, but that was how I felt.
The other thing I struggled with was that once he revealed his true nature, that the girls would still stay with him and subject themselves to such behaviour. A lot of the details don’t come out in the trial and are kept hidden by the girls. That I also found hard to believe. Claiming to be in love or only 15 years old to me is not enough of a reason to put up with treatment such as they were subjected to. I can’t believe parents didn’t notice either that something was up with their daughters, while they were with Marcus. But maybe that says as much about the parents as anything else. I don’t handle books about abuse, particularly sexual abuse well, so I’m surprised I even finished it. Maybe that says something about the writing. l will certainly read something lighter after this.
While it kept me reading, I have to say at times it left an uneasy taste in my mouth. Felt like a voyeur as the novel flashed back to the way Marcus seduced and then abused Serena and Poppy. Thankfully these flashbacks were done in small bursts. Marcus was a perverted creature. I won’t say human being, and there was part of me, I admit, that felt he got what he deserved. Awful to say I know, but that was how I felt.
The other thing I struggled with was that once he revealed his true nature, that the girls would still stay with him and subject themselves to such behaviour. A lot of the details don’t come out in the trial and are kept hidden by the girls. That I also found hard to believe. Claiming to be in love or only 15 years old to me is not enough of a reason to put up with treatment such as they were subjected to. I can’t believe parents didn’t notice either that something was up with their daughters, while they were with Marcus. But maybe that says as much about the parents as anything else. I don’t handle books about abuse, particularly sexual abuse well, so I’m surprised I even finished it. Maybe that says something about the writing. l will certainly read something lighter after this.
July 30, 2020
Poppy e Serena quando tinham 15 anos foram julgadas pela morte do seu ex professor Marcus, que abusava sexualmente das suas alunas. Uma é condenada e jura inocência, a outra não.
Não é uma história fácil de ler. Um tema que não me agrada e fujo a sete pés. Mas algo não me cativou nesta história. Ficaram muitas dúvidas e “pontas soltas”. Um livro que lida há alguns anos teria desfrutado melhor da sua leitura.
Não deixem de ler se gostam se gostam do género e da autora. Vale sempre a pena tentar.
Não é uma história fácil de ler. Um tema que não me agrada e fujo a sete pés. Mas algo não me cativou nesta história. Ficaram muitas dúvidas e “pontas soltas”. Um livro que lida há alguns anos teria desfrutado melhor da sua leitura.
Não deixem de ler se gostam se gostam do género e da autora. Vale sempre a pena tentar.
August 31, 2018
Izvrsna Koomson, ali ovaj put preteška tema...
May 9, 2021
Įdomiai susiskaite 🤔 Iš pradžių buvo "nieko ypatingo", bet autorė taip puikiai plėtojo siužetą, kad mane tikrai suintrigavo. Knygos pabaiga išvis buvo netikėta, todėl knyga vertinu 4 ⭐
Tikrai skaitysiu ir kitas Koomson knygas 💯
Tikrai skaitysiu ir kitas Koomson knygas 💯
June 1, 2020
First comes love,
then comes murder ...
❤️🔪
“Sei bem a facilidade com que tudo nos pode ser tirado. É tudo tão frágil quando se é como eu. Quase nada é permanente. Vivo à beira do precipício do meu passado, em risco constante de cair, de que descubram aquilo que eu fui acusada, o rótulo que o público me atribuiu, e de que voltem a querer julgar-me pelo mesmo crime. Vivo num medo constante de que algo ou alguém me empurre para o precipício.”
*
“I know how easily everything can be taken away. Everything is fragile, when you’re like me. Very few things are permanent. I live on a precipice of falling into my past, of people finding out what I have been accused of, how I was publicly branded, and being judged all over again on that. I live with the constant fear that someone or something is going to tip me over the edge.”
- Serena Gillmare
-——-
“O silêncio pode ter muitas explicações, e pode desculpar-se com uma só palavra, mas as palavras erradas, ditas na hora errada, no momento menos oportuno, podem mandar-nos para o inferno. Ou pelo menos para a prisão.”
*
“Silence can always be explained away, erased almost with a single word; the wrong words in the wrong combination at the wrong time can damn you to hell. Or, at least, to prison.”
- Serena Gillmare
-—-
“O amor não pode ser assim tão cruel.”
*
“Love is not meant to be this painful.”
- Poppy Carlisle
-—-
“Se não podes ser minha não serás de mais ninguém.”
*
“if I can’t have you, no one else will either.”
- Marcus Halnsley
-—-
“Fazia tudo o que ele me mandava fazer. Começara por pedir, depois, sugerir que fizesse e, finalmente, ordenar. Tudo uma espécie de preparação para aquele momento, em que me pediria para fazer o impensável e em que eu obedeceria sem pensar. Fá-lo-ia porque era o que fazia sempre.”
*
“Everything he told me to do I did. It had started with asking me, then telling me, then ordering me. It had all been leading up to this moment; it had all been pushing and dragging me to this moment when he would order me to do the unthinkable and I would do it without question. I would do it because that’s what I did.”
- Poppy Carlisle
then comes murder ...
❤️🔪
“Sei bem a facilidade com que tudo nos pode ser tirado. É tudo tão frágil quando se é como eu. Quase nada é permanente. Vivo à beira do precipício do meu passado, em risco constante de cair, de que descubram aquilo que eu fui acusada, o rótulo que o público me atribuiu, e de que voltem a querer julgar-me pelo mesmo crime. Vivo num medo constante de que algo ou alguém me empurre para o precipício.”
*
“I know how easily everything can be taken away. Everything is fragile, when you’re like me. Very few things are permanent. I live on a precipice of falling into my past, of people finding out what I have been accused of, how I was publicly branded, and being judged all over again on that. I live with the constant fear that someone or something is going to tip me over the edge.”
- Serena Gillmare
-——-
“O silêncio pode ter muitas explicações, e pode desculpar-se com uma só palavra, mas as palavras erradas, ditas na hora errada, no momento menos oportuno, podem mandar-nos para o inferno. Ou pelo menos para a prisão.”
*
“Silence can always be explained away, erased almost with a single word; the wrong words in the wrong combination at the wrong time can damn you to hell. Or, at least, to prison.”
- Serena Gillmare
-—-
“O amor não pode ser assim tão cruel.”
*
“Love is not meant to be this painful.”
- Poppy Carlisle
-—-
“Se não podes ser minha não serás de mais ninguém.”
*
“if I can’t have you, no one else will either.”
- Marcus Halnsley
-—-
“Fazia tudo o que ele me mandava fazer. Começara por pedir, depois, sugerir que fizesse e, finalmente, ordenar. Tudo uma espécie de preparação para aquele momento, em que me pediria para fazer o impensável e em que eu obedeceria sem pensar. Fá-lo-ia porque era o que fazia sempre.”
*
“Everything he told me to do I did. It had started with asking me, then telling me, then ordering me. It had all been leading up to this moment; it had all been pushing and dragging me to this moment when he would order me to do the unthinkable and I would do it without question. I would do it because that’s what I did.”
- Poppy Carlisle
October 28, 2010
Este foi, sem qualquer dúvida, o melhor livro que li de Dorothy Koomson. Com uma estória cativante desde o início, “Um erro inocente” conta como duas jovens de 15 anos foram ludibriadas por um homem sem escrúpulos, pelo qual se apaixonaram e se entregaram avassaladoramente. Por detrás de um disfarce de professor de história bem comportado, Marcus leva uma vida de pedófilo sem que ninguém se aperceba. Consegue atrair a sua aluna Serena para aulas extracurriculares e daí até esta se apaixonar por ele ao ponto de se entregar totalmente, perdendo a virgindade com ele e sofrendo maus tratos físicos, foi um passo.
Pelo meio surge ainda Poppy uma outra jovem de 15 anos que Marcus encontra num parque a comer gelado. Desde logo fica fascinado e tal como acontece com Serena, também esta jovem insegura cai nos braços de Marcus que, inventando desculpas atrás de desculpas acaba por andar com as duas ao mesmo tempo.
O problema é quando Marcus aparece esfaqueado e as jovens são acusadas de assassínio. Uma delas é condenada, mas jura que está inocente. A outra é ilibada e jura também que está inocente.
É a vida destas duas jovens, passado praticamente 30 anos que vivemos neste “um erro inocente”. O que este tempo as transformou, como modificou as suas vidas e como a tentativa de uma delas de provar que, apesar de ter sido presa, é inocente, vai causar no seu futuro.
Este livro fala sobretudo de relações. Na relação de Marcus com as duas jovens, na relação de Serena com o seu marido e os dois filhos, na de Poppy com os pais, na das irmãs de Serena que vivem relações conturbadas.
Um livro a não perder apesar do final previsível.
Pelo meio surge ainda Poppy uma outra jovem de 15 anos que Marcus encontra num parque a comer gelado. Desde logo fica fascinado e tal como acontece com Serena, também esta jovem insegura cai nos braços de Marcus que, inventando desculpas atrás de desculpas acaba por andar com as duas ao mesmo tempo.
O problema é quando Marcus aparece esfaqueado e as jovens são acusadas de assassínio. Uma delas é condenada, mas jura que está inocente. A outra é ilibada e jura também que está inocente.
É a vida destas duas jovens, passado praticamente 30 anos que vivemos neste “um erro inocente”. O que este tempo as transformou, como modificou as suas vidas e como a tentativa de uma delas de provar que, apesar de ter sido presa, é inocente, vai causar no seu futuro.
Este livro fala sobretudo de relações. Na relação de Marcus com as duas jovens, na relação de Serena com o seu marido e os dois filhos, na de Poppy com os pais, na das irmãs de Serena que vivem relações conturbadas.
Um livro a não perder apesar do final previsível.
July 26, 2021
Nežinau ar dėl to likau nusivylus, kad pastaruoju metu turiu labai mažai laiko skaitymui ir jį labai vertinu, ar ši knyga iš tikrųjų tokia prasta.. Gal kitomis aplinkybėmis nebūčiau buvus tokia kritiška. Dvi jaunos merginos tiek laiko yra daužomos, trankomos per veidą, vaikšto su mėlynėmis ir prakirstomis lūpomis ir niekas iš artimųjų nieko nepastebi? Tikrai? Jos ne kartą ir ne du papuola į ligoninę dėl lūžių ar žaizdų, kurias reikia siūti, ir niekam nekyla joks įtarimas? WTF? Juk tai tęsiasi ne dieną ir ne dvi! Niekam nekyla jokių klausimų? Kažkaip neįtikėtina. Būna situacijų, kai tiek viena, tiek kita, atrodo ir elgiasi kaip protingos, stiprios paauglės, o vėliau ir moterys, na bet didžiąją knygos dalį tik prunkščiojau ir varčiau akis iš jų bukumo. Jis - tikras dominantas, valdovas, o jos - jo vergės, nuolankiai su viskuo sutinkančios ir jam pataikaujančios. Jau vien tik iš jo žvilgsnio ar kūno kalbos žinančios, kaip reikia elgtis. Taip, aš žinau apie priklausomus santykius, nesugebėjimą pasipriešinti, išsivaduoti iš jų, apie savęs kaltinimą dėl tokio vyro elgesio su savimi, jo garbinimą ir tikėjimą, kad jis pasikeis ir panašius dalykus, tačiau čia man pasirodė visko jau per daug, taip viskas išpūsta! Per daug netikroviškai ir neįtikinamai susiskaitė didžioji knygos dalis.
October 25, 2016
Mais um livro de uma autora que rapidamente se está a tornar a minha favorita.
Serena é uma mulher atormentada por um acontecimento trágico de á 20 anos atrás. Poppy também. As duas mulheres estão com as suas vidas destroçadas por esse evento. Uma de uma maneira e a outra, de outra maneira. Mas a conclusão é sempre a mesma: por mais que se corra, o passado tem o mau hábito de nos apanhar e fazer-nos encará-lo.
Os temas tratados são duros, tal como esta autora já me habituou. Neste é focado o abuso de menores, violência entre casais de namorados e o que acontece quando se aponta o dedo sem se ver a quem. É também uma história de preconceitos e aparências.
A escrita como sempre agarra, não consegui descansar enquanto não cheguei ao final. E que final - major twist no fim. Mas de um modo muito bem feito.
Serena é uma mulher atormentada por um acontecimento trágico de á 20 anos atrás. Poppy também. As duas mulheres estão com as suas vidas destroçadas por esse evento. Uma de uma maneira e a outra, de outra maneira. Mas a conclusão é sempre a mesma: por mais que se corra, o passado tem o mau hábito de nos apanhar e fazer-nos encará-lo.
Os temas tratados são duros, tal como esta autora já me habituou. Neste é focado o abuso de menores, violência entre casais de namorados e o que acontece quando se aponta o dedo sem se ver a quem. É também uma história de preconceitos e aparências.
A escrita como sempre agarra, não consegui descansar enquanto não cheguei ao final. E que final - major twist no fim. Mas de um modo muito bem feito.
September 15, 2020
Este livro foi uma leitura conjunta do Clube de leitura da @mantadehistorias
Poppy e Serena foram consideradas suspeitas de terem assassinado o seu ex professor Marcus quando tinham 15 anos.
Uma foi considerada culpada e condenada a prisão perpétua, a outra foi considerada inocente.
Vinte anos mais tarde, a condenada saiu em liberdade condicional e vai procurar a outra para a obrigar a confessar a sua culpa.
É uma história que aborda um assuntos difíceis e polémicos: violência física e sexual. E por isso tem algumas passagens que não são nada fáceis de ler.
Gostei desta leitura, é um daqueles livros que nos prende desde cedo e que só queremos acabar para saber o que se passou.
Foi das raras vezes que descobri o autor do crime 😁.
Achei que algumas pontas ficaram soltas, por isso quero ler a sequela, Vidas Roubadas.
Poppy e Serena foram consideradas suspeitas de terem assassinado o seu ex professor Marcus quando tinham 15 anos.
Uma foi considerada culpada e condenada a prisão perpétua, a outra foi considerada inocente.
Vinte anos mais tarde, a condenada saiu em liberdade condicional e vai procurar a outra para a obrigar a confessar a sua culpa.
É uma história que aborda um assuntos difíceis e polémicos: violência física e sexual. E por isso tem algumas passagens que não são nada fáceis de ler.
Gostei desta leitura, é um daqueles livros que nos prende desde cedo e que só queremos acabar para saber o que se passou.
Foi das raras vezes que descobri o autor do crime 😁.
Achei que algumas pontas ficaram soltas, por isso quero ler a sequela, Vidas Roubadas.
September 19, 2020
Adoro a escrita desta autora e este livro não é exceção....e a temática abordada nele sobre um professor que abusa de alunas menores e as domina de uma forma assustadora cativou-me do início até ao fim do livro.
Este livro começa com um pedido de casamento de Evan a Serena a sua atual mulher, tudo parece ser um conto de fadas não fosse o passado que Serena tenta esconder de todos e que a atormenta interiormente. E é através de capítulos alternados contados na primeira pessoa de Serena e Poppy (as meninas do gelado) que descobrimos um passado marcado por um assassino de um professor onde estas foram ambas acusadas.
Aos poucos a autora vai revelando vários promenores da relação abusiva , controladora e violenta que o professor Marcus foi tendo com estas 2 alunas de 15 anos .Adorei a forma como a autora consegue descrever de forma tão genuína a inocência da Poppy e da Serena perante o que passam com este professor e a forma como tentam desculpar as suas atitudes. E até que ponto este professor obsessivo pode ir ?
O certo é que ele aparece morto e elas foram as únicas suspeitas mas quem mais poderia querer um ajuste de contas com ele?
Um livro muito emocionante que adorei e super recomendo. Já tenho a continuação para ler ,fiquei super curiosa...😍.
Este livro começa com um pedido de casamento de Evan a Serena a sua atual mulher, tudo parece ser um conto de fadas não fosse o passado que Serena tenta esconder de todos e que a atormenta interiormente. E é através de capítulos alternados contados na primeira pessoa de Serena e Poppy (as meninas do gelado) que descobrimos um passado marcado por um assassino de um professor onde estas foram ambas acusadas.
Aos poucos a autora vai revelando vários promenores da relação abusiva , controladora e violenta que o professor Marcus foi tendo com estas 2 alunas de 15 anos .Adorei a forma como a autora consegue descrever de forma tão genuína a inocência da Poppy e da Serena perante o que passam com este professor e a forma como tentam desculpar as suas atitudes. E até que ponto este professor obsessivo pode ir ?
O certo é que ele aparece morto e elas foram as únicas suspeitas mas quem mais poderia querer um ajuste de contas com ele?
Um livro muito emocionante que adorei e super recomendo. Já tenho a continuação para ler ,fiquei super curiosa...😍.
February 23, 2024
Adorei 👏
Recomendo!
Logo que possível vou ler o segundo livro de continuação.
Recomendo!
Logo que possível vou ler o segundo livro de continuação.
November 24, 2012
À primeira vista, este livro parece ser um docinho... mas é muito mais do que isso. É intenso e dramático também!!
Este livro conta a história de 2 jovens: Serena Gorringe e Poppy Carlisle, que têm como ponto comum terem cometido "um erro inocente" ao apaixonarem-se por um professor de história, de nome Marcus. Por detrás de uma óptima reputação, Marcus é tudo menos o que fazem dele!
Aproveitando-se do facto das 2 jovens se terem apaixonado por ele e através de vários esquemas e agressões físicas, Marcus consegue andar com as 2 "meninas do gelado" ao mesmo tempo!
Contudo, o verdadeiro problema surge quando Marcus é assassinado e uma das jovens é condenada, enquanto a outra é absolvida! Ambas juram estar inocentes!!!
Para mim, e dos livros que li dela (que foram apenas "A filha da minha melhor amiga" e "Pedaços de ternura") este é, sem dúvida, o melhor! Adorei-o! :)
Com um final surpreendente, este é um livro que recomendo sem qualquer reserva para os apreciadores do género Romance!!
Este livro conta a história de 2 jovens: Serena Gorringe e Poppy Carlisle, que têm como ponto comum terem cometido "um erro inocente" ao apaixonarem-se por um professor de história, de nome Marcus. Por detrás de uma óptima reputação, Marcus é tudo menos o que fazem dele!
Aproveitando-se do facto das 2 jovens se terem apaixonado por ele e através de vários esquemas e agressões físicas, Marcus consegue andar com as 2 "meninas do gelado" ao mesmo tempo!
Contudo, o verdadeiro problema surge quando Marcus é assassinado e uma das jovens é condenada, enquanto a outra é absolvida! Ambas juram estar inocentes!!!
Para mim, e dos livros que li dela (que foram apenas "A filha da minha melhor amiga" e "Pedaços de ternura") este é, sem dúvida, o melhor! Adorei-o! :)
Com um final surpreendente, este é um livro que recomendo sem qualquer reserva para os apreciadores do género Romance!!
March 20, 2017
Este foi o meu primeiro contacto com a autora e não poderia ter escolhido melhor. Adorei a escrita e a construção das personagens. O enredo é fantástico e apesar de ter adivinhado o final, nada me tirou o prazer da leitura. Fiquei viciada e não vejo a hora de ler mais obras da Dorothy. Fiquei mesmo fã!
July 14, 2011
Uau! Adorei! A história prendeu.me do inicio até ao fim! E sempre estive muito cursiosa e ansiosa por saber quem afinal tinha matado Marcus. O final foi surpreendente.
June 29, 2013
Dorothy Koomson é sem dúvida uma excelente contadora de histórias, engendra sempre tramas de uma maneira credível e que nos deixa a pensar sobre as possíveis situações em que coloca as suas personagens.
Neste livro isso não é diferente.
A história gira à volta de duas meninas de 15 anos que têm a infelicidade de se cruzar com um professor que não tem apenas o ensino na cabeça. . . um professor que usa a sua profissão para ter acesso directo e com facilidade a miúdas frágeis, inseguras, tímidas e reservadas.
Assim, a história desenvolve-se e ficamos a conhecer as facetas deste dito professor que está divorciado e que tem um filho.
Assistimos impotentes, atrás das páginas de um livro, à queda de adolescentes não no sentido físico mas no sentido emocional. Adolescentes que têm famílias que se preocupam com elas. Adolescentes que vão aprendendo a esconder nódoas negras como gente grande. . .
O livro encontra-se dividido em partes e cada capítulo conta a parte da história vivida por uma das adolescentes, ou seja, num, Serena conta a sua vida e no seguinte é Poppy a dizer o que lhe está a acontecer. A história passa-se no presente, passados vinte anos, mas ao longo dos capítulos e dentro dos mesmos temos vislumbres dos anos 80. . . altura em que tudo aconteceu. . .
No presente, temos duas mulheres amarguradas pela vida que não são livres e que vivem atormentadas pelo passado. . . pelos segredos que ficaram enterrados e que só elas sabem. . . ou assim pensam. . .
Ao longo do livro, o leitor está constantemente a pensar o que aconteceu. . . quem tem a culpa pelo que aconteceu. . . Será uma será outra?!
Só mesmo no fim, nas últimas três páginas temos acesso VERDADEIRO ao que andamos a perseguir desde o início. . . Nós temos acesso, Serena e Poppy nunca o terão. . .
Apesar de tudo, para mim foi um pouco previsível, não fui surpreendida, tendo em conta o homem que me foi descrito ao longo de 400 páginas. . .
Uma história escrita brilhantemente a descrever todos os factos e todo o sofrimento por que uma pessoa é capaz de passar. Toda a tortura até ao nível de ruptura. . .
Um livro que recomendo a quem aprecia romance com uma pitada de suspense policial. . .
Neste livro isso não é diferente.
A história gira à volta de duas meninas de 15 anos que têm a infelicidade de se cruzar com um professor que não tem apenas o ensino na cabeça. . . um professor que usa a sua profissão para ter acesso directo e com facilidade a miúdas frágeis, inseguras, tímidas e reservadas.
Assim, a história desenvolve-se e ficamos a conhecer as facetas deste dito professor que está divorciado e que tem um filho.
Assistimos impotentes, atrás das páginas de um livro, à queda de adolescentes não no sentido físico mas no sentido emocional. Adolescentes que têm famílias que se preocupam com elas. Adolescentes que vão aprendendo a esconder nódoas negras como gente grande. . .
O livro encontra-se dividido em partes e cada capítulo conta a parte da história vivida por uma das adolescentes, ou seja, num, Serena conta a sua vida e no seguinte é Poppy a dizer o que lhe está a acontecer. A história passa-se no presente, passados vinte anos, mas ao longo dos capítulos e dentro dos mesmos temos vislumbres dos anos 80. . . altura em que tudo aconteceu. . .
No presente, temos duas mulheres amarguradas pela vida que não são livres e que vivem atormentadas pelo passado. . . pelos segredos que ficaram enterrados e que só elas sabem. . . ou assim pensam. . .
Ao longo do livro, o leitor está constantemente a pensar o que aconteceu. . . quem tem a culpa pelo que aconteceu. . . Será uma será outra?!
Só mesmo no fim, nas últimas três páginas temos acesso VERDADEIRO ao que andamos a perseguir desde o início. . . Nós temos acesso, Serena e Poppy nunca o terão. . .
Apesar de tudo, para mim foi um pouco previsível, não fui surpreendida, tendo em conta o homem que me foi descrito ao longo de 400 páginas. . .
Uma história escrita brilhantemente a descrever todos os factos e todo o sofrimento por que uma pessoa é capaz de passar. Toda a tortura até ao nível de ruptura. . .
Um livro que recomendo a quem aprecia romance com uma pitada de suspense policial. . .
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