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When She Was Me
10 hours, 33 minutes
There's only one way out of these woods…
Ever since that night, twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable. As the sole permanent residents of Cabin Two, their refuge on an isolated Tennessee campground, they manage to stay away from prying eyes, probing questions, and true crime junkies. Just the two of them, Cassie and Lenora against the world. The peace and quiet is almost enough to make them forget what happened all those years ago. Almost.
Until a teenage girl camping at the neighboring cabin goes missing, and the memories come rushing back. As the crime becomes ever more recognizable—they know better than anyone that so-called 'happy families' can be anything but—each sister suspects the other knows more than she's letting on….
Trapped in the isolating, claustrophobic wilderness, Cassie and Lenora must piece together the truth of what happened—and the sinister truth lurking in their own pasts—before it's too late.
There's only one way out of these woods…
Ever since that night, twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable. As the sole permanent residents of Cabin Two, their refuge on an isolated Tennessee campground, they manage to stay away from prying eyes, probing questions, and true crime junkies. Just the two of them, Cassie and Lenora against the world. The peace and quiet is almost enough to make them forget what happened all those years ago. Almost.
Until a teenage girl camping at the neighboring cabin goes missing, and the memories come rushing back. As the crime becomes ever more recognizable—they know better than anyone that so-called 'happy families' can be anything but—each sister suspects the other knows more than she's letting on….
Trapped in the isolating, claustrophobic wilderness, Cassie and Lenora must piece together the truth of what happened—and the sinister truth lurking in their own pasts—before it's too late.
Audiobook
First published May 7, 2024
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About the author
Marlee Bush
2 books409 followersMARLEE BUSH lives in Alabama with her husband and children.
With degrees in Criminology and English, she’s obsessed with true crime and documentaries. Her favorite stories to tell are the kind that make you double check the locks on your door at night.
When She Was Me is her debut novel.
With degrees in Criminology and English, she’s obsessed with true crime and documentaries. Her favorite stories to tell are the kind that make you double check the locks on your door at night.
When She Was Me is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,792 reviews
February 23, 2024
I just found out this is a debut, which is crazy cos it is SO good and reads perfectly!!
When she was me follows the lives of two identical twins, Cassie and Lenora. Cassie is convinced that they were once the same person in the womb, split apart by ruthless fate, whereas Lenora always thinks they were separated by Cassie’s ability to shine whilst she stays hidden in the shadows.
They are currently living in a mini home in the middle of no where, surrounded by woods and far away from any other people. They have been bonded for life by childhood traumas. Cassie channels her traumas into working on a video channel where she talks about the victims of killers, bringing the focus onto the life of the victim, Whereas Lenora is barely coping and spends her life locked behind closed doors, too anxious to spend time outside or around other people.
When a new family show up in the cabin next door for a weekend getaway, their 15y/o daughter Tilly goes missing in the dead of night. The only other person outside that night was Lenora, but the problem is she can’t remember what happened as she was sleepwalking.
I fully immersed myself into this story right from the beginning. I found the contrasting personalities of the twins combined with their undying loyalty to each other to be so interesting. I really enjoyed each chapter switching between their POVs as well as occasional glimpses from the past.
The lack of people present when Tilly went missing made for a short list of suspects, which made the mystery even more interesting. With so little to go on except for gut feeling and suspicion, I wasn’t at all sure where this one was headed.
I thought Cassie’s job was an intriguing addition to the plot, blurring the lines when work crosses with real life events playing out in person and the similarities are too much to swallow.
I definitely recommend this book! Thank you to Marlee Bush, Poisened Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
When she was me follows the lives of two identical twins, Cassie and Lenora. Cassie is convinced that they were once the same person in the womb, split apart by ruthless fate, whereas Lenora always thinks they were separated by Cassie’s ability to shine whilst she stays hidden in the shadows.
They are currently living in a mini home in the middle of no where, surrounded by woods and far away from any other people. They have been bonded for life by childhood traumas. Cassie channels her traumas into working on a video channel where she talks about the victims of killers, bringing the focus onto the life of the victim, Whereas Lenora is barely coping and spends her life locked behind closed doors, too anxious to spend time outside or around other people.
When a new family show up in the cabin next door for a weekend getaway, their 15y/o daughter Tilly goes missing in the dead of night. The only other person outside that night was Lenora, but the problem is she can’t remember what happened as she was sleepwalking.
I fully immersed myself into this story right from the beginning. I found the contrasting personalities of the twins combined with their undying loyalty to each other to be so interesting. I really enjoyed each chapter switching between their POVs as well as occasional glimpses from the past.
The lack of people present when Tilly went missing made for a short list of suspects, which made the mystery even more interesting. With so little to go on except for gut feeling and suspicion, I wasn’t at all sure where this one was headed.
I thought Cassie’s job was an intriguing addition to the plot, blurring the lines when work crosses with real life events playing out in person and the similarities are too much to swallow.
I definitely recommend this book! Thank you to Marlee Bush, Poisened Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
August 2, 2024
Listen. I have yet to DNF a NetGalley book, because if I commit to something I like to do the damn thing, but this one had me actively like "time to continue reading this book I don't like" every time I picked it back up. I pretty much never check out an excerpt before requesting a book, and this is the novel that's going to change that.
I cannot overstate how much I did not vibe with the awkward staccato sentence structure that infested this book like termites in the walls. I get my hackles up as it is when a thriller fails to gracefully breadcrumb terrible past events (oooooh, something awful happened that you don't want to think about even though you keep thinking about it? guess you better repeatedly brood about it without specifically naming the event, that is for sure how real human thought patterns work), but when it's done poorly AND the style is like "I think of it again. That night. When it happened. No. I can't think about it. I won't think about it," I have to mentally start replacing all the punctuation with relevant emojis just so I can begin to stand it.
(I think of it again 🤔💬 That night 🌙 When it happened 🥺 No 😩‼️ I can't think about it 😔🙅♀️ I won't think about it 😖👎🏻🚫🥺)
A stone cold banger of a plot line could have maybe distracted me, but unlike my own emoji-strewn stream of consciousness life update paragraph texts to my dad, this book didn't have that either. I will not harp further because I'm just grateful this obligation is out of my life, except to also highlight that it is a WILD narrative choice to have one of the two MCs be a true crime YouTuber, with a massively popular channel focusing on victims, and then when there's a murder victim practically on her doorstep, she...doesn't really seem to think about the victim at all, does no investigating, and makes no content about it (I'm sorry, you got to a million subscribers while being completely indifferent to the opportunity of your goddamned CAREER?!). This is her full-time job, which obviously came about due to her deep interest and dedication to the subject, but with the complete lack of effect this seems to have on her thought processes this character might as well have been making like, soap cutting ASMR videos. Weird choices in this book. Weird choices!!! ❌😒
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
I cannot overstate how much I did not vibe with the awkward staccato sentence structure that infested this book like termites in the walls. I get my hackles up as it is when a thriller fails to gracefully breadcrumb terrible past events (oooooh, something awful happened that you don't want to think about even though you keep thinking about it? guess you better repeatedly brood about it without specifically naming the event, that is for sure how real human thought patterns work), but when it's done poorly AND the style is like "I think of it again. That night. When it happened. No. I can't think about it. I won't think about it," I have to mentally start replacing all the punctuation with relevant emojis just so I can begin to stand it.
(I think of it again 🤔💬 That night 🌙 When it happened 🥺 No 😩‼️ I can't think about it 😔🙅♀️ I won't think about it 😖👎🏻🚫🥺)
A stone cold banger of a plot line could have maybe distracted me, but unlike my own emoji-strewn stream of consciousness life update paragraph texts to my dad, this book didn't have that either. I will not harp further because I'm just grateful this obligation is out of my life, except to also highlight that it is a WILD narrative choice to have one of the two MCs be a true crime YouTuber, with a massively popular channel focusing on victims, and then when there's a murder victim practically on her doorstep, she...doesn't really seem to think about the victim at all, does no investigating, and makes no content about it (I'm sorry, you got to a million subscribers while being completely indifferent to the opportunity of your goddamned CAREER?!). This is her full-time job, which obviously came about due to her deep interest and dedication to the subject, but with the complete lack of effect this seems to have on her thought processes this character might as well have been making like, soap cutting ASMR videos. Weird choices in this book. Weird choices!!! ❌😒
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
June 23, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
When She Was Me is an enticing, and compulsively-readable Psychological Thriller centered around twin sisters.
Cassie and Lenora are permanent residents at a campground in rural Tennessee, Cabin Two to be exact. For the most part, their day-to-day life is peaceful, and they can almost...almost...forget the events of their troubled past.
After the death of the long-time campground owner, a new woman, Sarah, takes ownership and charge. Cassie and Lenora are initially concerned that Sarah will want to change things, thus disrupting their quiet life.
Much to their surprise, she actually seems pretty cool, implementing only minor changes, and Cassie, in particular, ends up interacting with Sarah more. Their life does end up disrupted though, after a teen girl, who'd checked into the cabin next door with her family, goes missing.
The girl, and the unsettling circumstances under which she disappeared, brings back a lot of memories for the mysterious sisters. Both Cassie and Lenora suspects that the other may know more about the events surrounding the disappearance then they're letting on.
The narrative cycles between the two sisters, filtering in a past perspective as well and with a past that eerily mirrors the present, and everyone's motivations a little unclear, this story is rife with unreliable narrators.
Both sisters try to figure out what happened to the missing girl, but it feels like a helpless race against the clock, as well as their own personal demons.
When She Was Me is a very promising debut from Marlee Bush. Even though the writing style wasn't great for me, I still found the story to be incredibly compelling; I couldn't stop. The characters were well done and I appreciated the way Bush delivered the twists!
When I mention writing style, it's no shade against the author, it's just preference. It was more obscure, more stream of consciousness narrative than I tend to prefer.
Nevertheless, the content and the character work kept me flying through. The atmospheric setting was fantastic as well. I loved the isolating feel, not just of the campground itself, but also of the sisters' way of life.
They had essentially cut themselves off from the outside world and as the intensity increased, you could really truly feel their solitude.
The characters were all so interesting. I had a ton of theories over the course of the story about what was really going on; some panned out, others didn't. I always appreciate it when an author can keep me on my toes.
Ultimately, I didn't see the final resolution coming by a mile. It was clever and unexpected, leaving me with a big, sinister grin on my face. I had fun and definitely recommend the audiobook as the format for taking in this story. The narration fit it so well.
Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm really looking forward to reading more from Marlee Bush!
When She Was Me is an enticing, and compulsively-readable Psychological Thriller centered around twin sisters.
Cassie and Lenora are permanent residents at a campground in rural Tennessee, Cabin Two to be exact. For the most part, their day-to-day life is peaceful, and they can almost...almost...forget the events of their troubled past.
After the death of the long-time campground owner, a new woman, Sarah, takes ownership and charge. Cassie and Lenora are initially concerned that Sarah will want to change things, thus disrupting their quiet life.
Much to their surprise, she actually seems pretty cool, implementing only minor changes, and Cassie, in particular, ends up interacting with Sarah more. Their life does end up disrupted though, after a teen girl, who'd checked into the cabin next door with her family, goes missing.
The girl, and the unsettling circumstances under which she disappeared, brings back a lot of memories for the mysterious sisters. Both Cassie and Lenora suspects that the other may know more about the events surrounding the disappearance then they're letting on.
The narrative cycles between the two sisters, filtering in a past perspective as well and with a past that eerily mirrors the present, and everyone's motivations a little unclear, this story is rife with unreliable narrators.
Both sisters try to figure out what happened to the missing girl, but it feels like a helpless race against the clock, as well as their own personal demons.
When She Was Me is a very promising debut from Marlee Bush. Even though the writing style wasn't great for me, I still found the story to be incredibly compelling; I couldn't stop. The characters were well done and I appreciated the way Bush delivered the twists!
When I mention writing style, it's no shade against the author, it's just preference. It was more obscure, more stream of consciousness narrative than I tend to prefer.
Nevertheless, the content and the character work kept me flying through. The atmospheric setting was fantastic as well. I loved the isolating feel, not just of the campground itself, but also of the sisters' way of life.
They had essentially cut themselves off from the outside world and as the intensity increased, you could really truly feel their solitude.
The characters were all so interesting. I had a ton of theories over the course of the story about what was really going on; some panned out, others didn't. I always appreciate it when an author can keep me on my toes.
Ultimately, I didn't see the final resolution coming by a mile. It was clever and unexpected, leaving me with a big, sinister grin on my face. I had fun and definitely recommend the audiobook as the format for taking in this story. The narration fit it so well.
Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm really looking forward to reading more from Marlee Bush!
April 23, 2024
"She was me. I was her. We were the same."
Identical twin sisters, Cassie and Lenora, live permanently in a cabin at a almost deserted campground. Lenora never leaves the cabin due to a past trauma leaving her agoraphobic. Cassie will do anything for her sister. Love, protect, cherish....always.
After the death of their landlord a new owner takes over and she rents out the third cabin to a family. Mother and father along with their teenage daughter. It's not often Cassie and Lenora see many people so they do what they do best. Observe.
Then the teenage daughter goes missing leaving Cassie and Lenora terrified and paranoid. The safety net they so carefully built around their lives slowly begins to shatter revealing hard truths they have spent their lives running from.
"They don't warn you about this in school. They warn you about men in vans offering you treats to get inside. They warn you of drug use and STD's. But no one ever warned me about the dangers of my own thoughts. No one ever told me that there could come a time when trusting myself would be difficult and hating myself would be easy.
What to do when the monster is you."
An odd story, even odder characters, and oddly compelling. These sisters were absolutely fascinating and I just had to know what happened to them to make them how they were. How their relationship became so strange and co-dependent.
This book does something I normally don't like and that's rehashing the same thoughts time and time again but for some reason it did not bother me here. I was so wrapped up in the lives of these sisters that I simply didn't care. If anything, it made me more curious, wondering and waiting, for that AHA moment.
And when that AHA moment came I assure it's a doozy. I had in no way predicted this and it turned this story inside out and upside down. I freaking love when an author does that.
This book probably won't be for everyone due to the slow burn and circling thoughts but it entertained me thoroughly and I was 100% invested in the outcome. This is a very promising debut from an author that I'll be eager to check out again in the future. 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press from my complimentary copy.
Identical twin sisters, Cassie and Lenora, live permanently in a cabin at a almost deserted campground. Lenora never leaves the cabin due to a past trauma leaving her agoraphobic. Cassie will do anything for her sister. Love, protect, cherish....always.
After the death of their landlord a new owner takes over and she rents out the third cabin to a family. Mother and father along with their teenage daughter. It's not often Cassie and Lenora see many people so they do what they do best. Observe.
Then the teenage daughter goes missing leaving Cassie and Lenora terrified and paranoid. The safety net they so carefully built around their lives slowly begins to shatter revealing hard truths they have spent their lives running from.
"They don't warn you about this in school. They warn you about men in vans offering you treats to get inside. They warn you of drug use and STD's. But no one ever warned me about the dangers of my own thoughts. No one ever told me that there could come a time when trusting myself would be difficult and hating myself would be easy.
What to do when the monster is you."
An odd story, even odder characters, and oddly compelling. These sisters were absolutely fascinating and I just had to know what happened to them to make them how they were. How their relationship became so strange and co-dependent.
This book does something I normally don't like and that's rehashing the same thoughts time and time again but for some reason it did not bother me here. I was so wrapped up in the lives of these sisters that I simply didn't care. If anything, it made me more curious, wondering and waiting, for that AHA moment.
And when that AHA moment came I assure it's a doozy. I had in no way predicted this and it turned this story inside out and upside down. I freaking love when an author does that.
This book probably won't be for everyone due to the slow burn and circling thoughts but it entertained me thoroughly and I was 100% invested in the outcome. This is a very promising debut from an author that I'll be eager to check out again in the future. 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press from my complimentary copy.
July 12, 2024
Ahhhh... ok, 2.5⭐️ rounded up
I don't like giving books low ratings, but figured I would share my thoughts at least.
This was very well written, and I can see some people loving this book. But it was not for me. Very character driven, almost TOO character driven at times. Multi POVs, whodunit, cabin in the woods, sounds promising. It was so incredibly slow, with little happening for most of the book. Everything was made to seem mysterious, but I just found it boring. There was a really good twist at the end, but it was a bit of a stretch imo. I think it just wasn't for me.
I don't like giving books low ratings, but figured I would share my thoughts at least.
This was very well written, and I can see some people loving this book. But it was not for me. Very character driven, almost TOO character driven at times. Multi POVs, whodunit, cabin in the woods, sounds promising. It was so incredibly slow, with little happening for most of the book. Everything was made to seem mysterious, but I just found it boring. There was a really good twist at the end, but it was a bit of a stretch imo. I think it just wasn't for me.
July 15, 2024
This book was sooooo slow. Super repetitive too - same sentences over and over like “my sister” “my sister my sister” over and over again.
I wish we knew more about the characters but all we got was flashbacks into their past that never solved any of the questions we had.
I was 231 pages in until I realized I really didn’t like this book and absolutely nothing was happening. If you asked me what I read I would tell you I have no clue.
Super slow and super confusing book. I didn’t like it but maybe you will!
I wish we knew more about the characters but all we got was flashbacks into their past that never solved any of the questions we had.
I was 231 pages in until I realized I really didn’t like this book and absolutely nothing was happening. If you asked me what I read I would tell you I have no clue.
Super slow and super confusing book. I didn’t like it but maybe you will!
February 24, 2024
Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable ever since “that” night. As permanent residents of Cabin Two, they law low and stay below the radar. The solace that they experience almost allows them to forget what happened all those years ago, almost.
When a teenager goes missing at a neighboring cabin, the memories of that night come rushing back. As the crime becomes more recognizable, the twins know better than anyone that “happy” families can be anything but.
Cassie and Lenora must piece together the truth of what happened, and the truth lurking in their own pasts before it’s too late.
This was an interesting debut thriller with the twin trope front and center. Twins always fascinate me, and this book was no different, though notably Cassie and Lenora had very contrasting personalities. I found the pacing to be on the slow side, which was a struggle for me because I prefer my thrillers to have a faster pace. I did enjoy the past and present timeline, and how they came together in the end. I always enjoy it when books do this well, and that was the case here. In the end, I did find this book to be predictable, the twist wasn’t very twisty. I do think that this book was creepy, but not spooky and I did enjoy the setting. Books set in wooded areas are always favorites of mine. For a debut, I think that this was great, and I’m excited to see what the author comes out with next.
3.5 stars rounded to 4
When a teenager goes missing at a neighboring cabin, the memories of that night come rushing back. As the crime becomes more recognizable, the twins know better than anyone that “happy” families can be anything but.
Cassie and Lenora must piece together the truth of what happened, and the truth lurking in their own pasts before it’s too late.
This was an interesting debut thriller with the twin trope front and center. Twins always fascinate me, and this book was no different, though notably Cassie and Lenora had very contrasting personalities. I found the pacing to be on the slow side, which was a struggle for me because I prefer my thrillers to have a faster pace. I did enjoy the past and present timeline, and how they came together in the end. I always enjoy it when books do this well, and that was the case here. In the end, I did find this book to be predictable, the twist wasn’t very twisty. I do think that this book was creepy, but not spooky and I did enjoy the setting. Books set in wooded areas are always favorites of mine. For a debut, I think that this was great, and I’m excited to see what the author comes out with next.
3.5 stars rounded to 4
January 2, 2025
Where do I even begin? This book was TWISTY as fuck (to put it bluntly). It constantly had me thinking one thing and in the next chapter it had me thinking another. The narrators are unreliable, which I personally loved! The ending itself is 5 out of 5 stars. If you're looking for a good thriller or mystery - I would HIGHLY recommend reading this. I can promise you won't be disappointed. What a great way to kick off my 2025 reading goal 🎉
June 26, 2024
Audiobook for this one. First off, the women reading this book wouldn’t stick to the voices she had for each character, so I never knew which character was which. The first couple of chapters were decent, but then the author decided to throw every scenario ever into the last 10 chapters. Ideally would like to give this book another go, but I need to recover from that audiobook.
April 22, 2024
This was a promising debut from Marlee Bush. A slow burning mystery with a shocking ending. I do enjoy a story about sisters, and twin sisters are even more interesting.
These sisters couldn’t be much different, but the one thing they had in common was their love for each other and the lengths that they would go to for each other. Both were battling demons, with dark and messed up secrets from the past. We are drip fed information about that night very slowly. They live in a cabin in a secluded campground and very rarely see other people.
While ai enjoyed this story, I did feel that it dragged in some places. I am more of a reader of fast paced thrillers, but it was nice for a change for things to be dragged out and build the suspense.
Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press for the early copy to read and Dreamscape Media for the listening copy. Publishes on May 7th.
These sisters couldn’t be much different, but the one thing they had in common was their love for each other and the lengths that they would go to for each other. Both were battling demons, with dark and messed up secrets from the past. We are drip fed information about that night very slowly. They live in a cabin in a secluded campground and very rarely see other people.
While ai enjoyed this story, I did feel that it dragged in some places. I am more of a reader of fast paced thrillers, but it was nice for a change for things to be dragged out and build the suspense.
Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press for the early copy to read and Dreamscape Media for the listening copy. Publishes on May 7th.
February 12, 2024
The story of Cassie and Lenora immediately intrigued me and I was excited to read about how they got where they did and what transpired beforehand to make them want to live in the woods. The story jumps back and forth between POV's and timelines and slowly builds up to the end which I did not see coming. I did enjoy this book but did find myself distracted a bit while reading it but I'm glad I stuck with it. Great book for a debut author and I look forward to reading more from them in the future.
Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Marlee Bush for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Marlee Bush for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2024
Y’all… THE TWIST 🤯 the language, the setting, the characters, wonderful. The twist, though!!! This is top-notch popcorn thriller!
July 17, 2024
Two sisters rent a cabin in the woods to escape from something unknown. The sisters are twins and inseparable. Something happened in their past that they are hiding from.
When a camper goes missing Cassie and Lenora want to investigate and piece together what happened.
This book is good for people that like a slow burn mystery about sisters and true crime podcasts.
I wasn’t a fan because i thought the plot moved to slow but a lot of people will probably enjoy it.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this arc.
When a camper goes missing Cassie and Lenora want to investigate and piece together what happened.
This book is good for people that like a slow burn mystery about sisters and true crime podcasts.
I wasn’t a fan because i thought the plot moved to slow but a lot of people will probably enjoy it.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this arc.
November 22, 2023
Wow! I can't believe this is a debut! This was fantastic! I loved the (twin) sister bond, the need to protect your sister no matter what. I loved the creepy atmosphere of being in the middle of nowhere, the dark forest, the slow unraveling of the past. Piecing together how these sisters got to where they are literally and figuratively. One of the best books I've read this year!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.
May 15, 2024
This was an interesting debut. I liked the characters and that helped keep me intrigued enough to keep reading. While I wasn’t sure what was happening I wasn’t totally caught off guard with the twists. The book is told from two perspectives of two sisters Cassie and Lenora and then present tense and a past tense perspective. Leona and Cassie live in a remote cabin with two neighbor cabins one for the owner and one that gets rented. They both have trauma but Leona struggles to leave the cabin. When a family with a teenager stays in the third cabin everything is fine until she goes missing and turns up dead. This isn’t a on the edge of your seat thriller but it was definitely intriguing. I thought it was a little repetitive at times and I think it could have been cut down a little. I also felt like the author tried to up the twisty factor by being intentionally confusing at times.
May 28, 2024
THIS BOOK WAS JUST OKAY. ITS VERY SLOW. I REALLY DID LOVE THE WRITING AND LANGUAGE THE AUTHOR USED. THE ENDING WAS REALLY GOOD AND I THINK SAVED THE ENTIRE BOOK, AND WE FINALLY FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MOM & DAD
January 9, 2024
Leave me guessing until the very end, why don’t you?! This book is a great read for fans of isolated thrillers!
Cassie & Lenora are twins, living in a cabin in a small campground. When their only neighbor (and landlord) suddenly dies, they are wary of the new owner. She quickly welcomes new guests to the campground, but then one of them ends up dead. Who is responsible? What happened in the twins past to send them into isolation?
I would recommend this if you want a twisted tale/dual timeline & POV/sister dynamics.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC
Cassie & Lenora are twins, living in a cabin in a small campground. When their only neighbor (and landlord) suddenly dies, they are wary of the new owner. She quickly welcomes new guests to the campground, but then one of them ends up dead. Who is responsible? What happened in the twins past to send them into isolation?
I would recommend this if you want a twisted tale/dual timeline & POV/sister dynamics.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC
December 1, 2023
I was shocked to find out this was a debut. The writing was that of a well seasoned author, and the story was delivered so meticulously, leaving me beyond impressed. This book had it all. Dual P.O.V's between twin sisters, both with an unbreakable bond and love so strong for one another while also suspecting something may not be right with the other. An atmospheric setting in the woods with suspicious characters in the neighboring cabins. A mysterious past timeline containing dangerous behavior. I personally love a slow burn like this when the author takes their time telling you the story and building the suspense, but for those of you who don't, the twisty ending will make it all worth your while. I loved this one and cannot wait to see what this author has in store next. Four stars.
Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.
Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.
August 7, 2024
When She Was Me by Marlee Bush
iv+393-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Mystery Thriller Suspense
Featuring: Post Traumatic Event, Identical Twins, Cabins, Maryville, Tennessee; True Crime Podcast, Long Chapters, Crime Investigations, Sex - Low Details, Slow Burn
Rating as a movie: R for adult content
Songs for the soundtrack: "Troublemaker" by Weezer, "Your Favorite Thing" by Sugar, "We’re Goin Down" by Fall Out Boy
Books and Authors mentioned: Stephen King
My rating: ⭐️¾🏠🪟
My thoughts: 🔖Page 23 of 393 Chapter Three Cassie - Too slow. I'm just going to keep on trying stories till one sticks. This one also has a Daphne in it, a minor character.
🔖160 Chapter Fifteen Then - I don't like it. I don't hate it, but the story is just not flowing well. It's choppy and confusing, and the second-persin narrative is unnecessary. I'm guessing this is for reveal purposes, but nothing is exciting about any of it.
🔖171 Chapter Sixteen Cassie - I guess I'm not spending my evening with this book.
🔖285 Chapter Thirty-One Lenora - 🥱 I'm not sure what the point of this story is, but everyone who said it was 5 stars needs to give reasons because I haven't come across one yet.
It took 37 chapters to become a thriller and I was still disappointed. It was okay but the first 35 chapters made it not worth it for me. If it wasn't for book club and all of the people who claimed it was a 5 (book club has two 2s so far) I definitely would have abandoned this book early on.
Recommend to others: Not unless you really like crime stories.
iv+393-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Mystery Thriller Suspense
Featuring: Post Traumatic Event, Identical Twins, Cabins, Maryville, Tennessee; True Crime Podcast, Long Chapters, Crime Investigations, Sex - Low Details, Slow Burn
Rating as a movie: R for adult content
Songs for the soundtrack: "Troublemaker" by Weezer, "Your Favorite Thing" by Sugar, "We’re Goin Down" by Fall Out Boy
Books and Authors mentioned: Stephen King
My rating: ⭐️¾🏠🪟
My thoughts: 🔖Page 23 of 393 Chapter Three Cassie - Too slow. I'm just going to keep on trying stories till one sticks. This one also has a Daphne in it, a minor character.
🔖160 Chapter Fifteen Then - I don't like it. I don't hate it, but the story is just not flowing well. It's choppy and confusing, and the second-persin narrative is unnecessary. I'm guessing this is for reveal purposes, but nothing is exciting about any of it.
🔖171 Chapter Sixteen Cassie - I guess I'm not spending my evening with this book.
🔖285 Chapter Thirty-One Lenora - 🥱 I'm not sure what the point of this story is, but everyone who said it was 5 stars needs to give reasons because I haven't come across one yet.
It took 37 chapters to become a thriller and I was still disappointed. It was okay but the first 35 chapters made it not worth it for me. If it wasn't for book club and all of the people who claimed it was a 5 (book club has two 2s so far) I definitely would have abandoned this book early on.
Recommend to others: Not unless you really like crime stories.
June 17, 2024
I'm sad to say that I had to DNF this book about 25% in. And it felt like the longest 25% I've ever read. I actually thought I was much further into the book than I actually was.
I had high hopes after reading the synopsis for the story. Two twins living in a cabin in a small, rustic compound. Both have severe childhood trauma, but both handle it in different ways. A new family moving in and a missing teenage daughter. It all sounded thrilling!
Unfortunately, it felt very repetitive and didn't really keep my attention.
I had high hopes after reading the synopsis for the story. Two twins living in a cabin in a small, rustic compound. Both have severe childhood trauma, but both handle it in different ways. A new family moving in and a missing teenage daughter. It all sounded thrilling!
Unfortunately, it felt very repetitive and didn't really keep my attention.
May 1, 2024
WHEN SHE WAS ME started out a little slow but just left me intrigued enough to continue. I did like the different POV's and alternating time-lines. But it was a little confusing at times and a bit repetitive. This was not an edge of your seat thriller. So don't expect that going into it. Overall, I found this to be a decent debut and would try another book by this new author.
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my gifted ALC.
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my gifted ALC.
March 11, 2024
This book seriously sounded good. It sounded like it was going to be an "unput-downable" thriller. I found it very hard to keep engaged in. It drug on. The characters weren't really likeable and the twin thing was really creepy which I guess was part of the whole premise. Either way, not impressed. Not saying people won't love it. I just didn't.
January 16, 2025
When She Was Me is an excellent debut from Marlee Bush and I will probably be counting down the days until her sophomore novel is released. This was such a refreshing look at the isolated location thriller, and I loved that the stars of the show were twin sisters Cassie and Lenora. The flips between the past and present timelines kept things exceptionally absorbing, and the fact that the past is left intentionally ambiguous until the end blow my mind just a little. I was listening to the audio and have to admit it did confuse me for a bit, but once I understood what was going on, I was even more curious to learn what happened in the sister’s past that led them to a secluded campground in Tennessee.
I do think it would have been helpful to have multiple narrators for this book, but I still really enjoyed Imani Jade Powers’ narration. I can partially understand why they would choose not to have three, but two still would have been nice and I do think it amped up my confusion a bit by only having one narrator. I was completely thrown for a loop by the ending, and I don’t think I completely understand how it all tied together, but I got the general gist of it and 😳 Tensions ran high for multiple reasons throughout the story and it was sad, disturbing, and spellbinding all at the same time.
Read this if you are looking for a slower paced thriller, a deep dive into the character’s minds, and true crime podcast elements with an interesting twist.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I do think it would have been helpful to have multiple narrators for this book, but I still really enjoyed Imani Jade Powers’ narration. I can partially understand why they would choose not to have three, but two still would have been nice and I do think it amped up my confusion a bit by only having one narrator. I was completely thrown for a loop by the ending, and I don’t think I completely understand how it all tied together, but I got the general gist of it and 😳 Tensions ran high for multiple reasons throughout the story and it was sad, disturbing, and spellbinding all at the same time.
Read this if you are looking for a slower paced thriller, a deep dive into the character’s minds, and true crime podcast elements with an interesting twist.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 19, 2024
When She was Me is such a confusing, psychologically draining and frustrating tale in so many amazing ways! This story is about two sisters that have suffered a very intense tragedy when they were younger and now their future mirrors their past forcing them to take a good hard look at themselves and each other.
This story is about devotion, the strength of blood, connection, truth vs perception. It touches on so many prolific themes while sending the reader on the biggest mind f@#$ journey that was honestly enjoyable and fascinating to be put through. The writing was brilliant. The world building and character creation was phenomenal. I can not say enough good things to do it justice.
When She was Me is a MUST READ! DO IT! I dare you... 😉😉😉😉 5 solid stars ✨🌟⭐💫☀️
This story is about devotion, the strength of blood, connection, truth vs perception. It touches on so many prolific themes while sending the reader on the biggest mind f@#$ journey that was honestly enjoyable and fascinating to be put through. The writing was brilliant. The world building and character creation was phenomenal. I can not say enough good things to do it justice.
When She was Me is a MUST READ! DO IT! I dare you... 😉😉😉😉 5 solid stars ✨🌟⭐💫☀️
August 12, 2024
The plot of this book had so much potential, unfortunately the pacing just killed it for me. The pacing was just fast enough to keep me from DNFing.
November 7, 2024
This book was a fun, twisty read! I honestly enjoyed it, even though half the time I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening—which, weirdly, kind of added to the thrill. Even after finishing, I’m still piecing things together, but I loved the sibling dynamic and how it explores the lengths we’ll go to protect the people we love.
Set deep in the woods (because, of course, isolation is essential), the setting really got to me. There were some genuinely creepy moments where I found myself looking over my shoulder! I always love that classic “cabin in the woods” vibe. I needed a change of pace, and this thriller was the perfect palate cleanser.
Set deep in the woods (because, of course, isolation is essential), the setting really got to me. There were some genuinely creepy moments where I found myself looking over my shoulder! I always love that classic “cabin in the woods” vibe. I needed a change of pace, and this thriller was the perfect palate cleanser.
April 18, 2024
Lenora and Cassie are twins. They have been living in a small cabin at a campground for the last few years. Running from a terrible night fifteen years ago, unable to move on in the present, their lives are upended once again when a family arrives at the campsite and a teenage girl goes missing. What really happened all those years ago and what is happening now?
When She Was Me has a unique isolated setting. A campsite where Lenora and Cassie are allowed to permanently stay with only two other cabins, just one of which is rented out to new campers. It makes for a claustrophobic yet somehow peaceful setting. And creepy. Definitely creepy.
The story is told by both Lenora and Cassie. We also get chapters from fifteen years ago but we don't know who is narrating. All of them are unreliable narrators, and the pool of suspects is small. You go back and forth trying to figure out what is going on. What is the twins' secret? What happened to the girl? The need to know was intense, a lingering question as I learned more about the characters.
Nothing made sense until it did.
Marlee Bush's writing placed me in the characters' shoes. I felt the dirt beneath my feet like Cassie did as she wandered in the dark. I felt the blistering cold as they visited the bathhouse in the middle of the night. I heard the trees shaking as shadows moved among them. I felt every bit of anguish as Cassie and Lenora struggled with their thoughts and emotions.
Marlee Bush, you managed to scare me with that shower scene. That's not easy to do. What an excellent debut.
Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read!
When She Was Me has a unique isolated setting. A campsite where Lenora and Cassie are allowed to permanently stay with only two other cabins, just one of which is rented out to new campers. It makes for a claustrophobic yet somehow peaceful setting. And creepy. Definitely creepy.
The story is told by both Lenora and Cassie. We also get chapters from fifteen years ago but we don't know who is narrating. All of them are unreliable narrators, and the pool of suspects is small. You go back and forth trying to figure out what is going on. What is the twins' secret? What happened to the girl? The need to know was intense, a lingering question as I learned more about the characters.
Nothing made sense until it did.
Marlee Bush's writing placed me in the characters' shoes. I felt the dirt beneath my feet like Cassie did as she wandered in the dark. I felt the blistering cold as they visited the bathhouse in the middle of the night. I heard the trees shaking as shadows moved among them. I felt every bit of anguish as Cassie and Lenora struggled with their thoughts and emotions.
Marlee Bush, you managed to scare me with that shower scene. That's not easy to do. What an excellent debut.
Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read!
March 22, 2025
In Marlee Bush’s gripping psychological thriller, “When She Was Me,” the unsettling world of adult identical twin sisters, Cassie and Lenora, unfolds amidst the isolation of a remote camping park, where only two other cabins break the silence. Things take a dark turn when the teenage daughter of a tenant is discovered murdered—suddenly, accusations seep into the air, trust crumbles, and lifelong promises fall apart.
Cassie, haunted by recollections from their childhood traumas, strives to shield her agoraphobic sister Lenora, who confines herself to the cabin, constantly peering out from the window as the mysterious events of their tiny universe unfold before her.
With flashbacks to their turbulent adolescence—filled with angst, trauma, vivid dreams, and haunting memories—“When She Was Me” often blurs the lines between past and present, complicating the sisters' already tangled lives.
Though the novel spans a lengthy 400 pages and can feel slow or repetitive at times, don’t let that deter you! Stick with it; and you’ll uncover a diabolical twisted-sister of a murder myster that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely loved this psychological ride!
A big thank you to NetGalley, author Marlee Bush, and publisher Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an Advanced Reader’s Copy Electronic Edition to review!
https://www.goodreads.com/joyreadergirl1
Cassie, haunted by recollections from their childhood traumas, strives to shield her agoraphobic sister Lenora, who confines herself to the cabin, constantly peering out from the window as the mysterious events of their tiny universe unfold before her.
With flashbacks to their turbulent adolescence—filled with angst, trauma, vivid dreams, and haunting memories—“When She Was Me” often blurs the lines between past and present, complicating the sisters' already tangled lives.
Though the novel spans a lengthy 400 pages and can feel slow or repetitive at times, don’t let that deter you! Stick with it; and you’ll uncover a diabolical twisted-sister of a murder myster that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely loved this psychological ride!
A big thank you to NetGalley, author Marlee Bush, and publisher Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an Advanced Reader’s Copy Electronic Edition to review!
https://www.goodreads.com/joyreadergirl1
February 3, 2025
What can I say? It was 100% the cover of When She Was Me that made me want to read this debut from Marlee Bush!
The fabrication of an unsettling plot with unreliable characters instantly created a world of mistrust! With three perspectives (from both twin sisters and an undetermined third), two timelines, and a setting that was isolated yet felt exposed, this was one dark thriller!
Although I figured out a major twist at the 75% mark, I enjoyed the guessing game this third perspective created! The last reveal makes this setting even creepier, which I loved discovering!
Imani Jade Powers did a great job with this audiobook narration! I really appreciated the differences in tone between main characters Cassie and Lenora, as well as the many other female characters within this story; it made it easy to differentiate which point of view was happening at any given time! I went back and forth on whether two narrators would have been better, but in the end, I decided only having one helped link the twins together, as well as helped play on the books title!
I'm looking forward to reading Bush's forthcoming book, Whispers Of Dead Girls, set to publish this May!
Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary copies to read and review.
The fabrication of an unsettling plot with unreliable characters instantly created a world of mistrust! With three perspectives (from both twin sisters and an undetermined third), two timelines, and a setting that was isolated yet felt exposed, this was one dark thriller!
Although I figured out a major twist at the 75% mark, I enjoyed the guessing game this third perspective created! The last reveal makes this setting even creepier, which I loved discovering!
Imani Jade Powers did a great job with this audiobook narration! I really appreciated the differences in tone between main characters Cassie and Lenora, as well as the many other female characters within this story; it made it easy to differentiate which point of view was happening at any given time! I went back and forth on whether two narrators would have been better, but in the end, I decided only having one helped link the twins together, as well as helped play on the books title!
I'm looking forward to reading Bush's forthcoming book, Whispers Of Dead Girls, set to publish this May!
Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary copies to read and review.
December 23, 2023
Cassie and Lenora are sisters, twins who developed in one sac (hence the title.) They live in an isolated cabin is n the woods of Tennessee with two other cabins immediately adjacent. One cabin was inhabited my a man named Wayne until his recent death, the other is available for rent. Now a woman named Sarah Hill has moved into Wayne’s cabin. Lenora never leaves the cabin except to visit the small bathhouse and hasn’t done so for about fifteen years. The book has alternating chapters between Cassie and Lenora and then chapters from the point of view of one twin from many years ago, but the reader cannot tell from whose perspective it is written.
One weekend, not long after Sarah moves in a family with a teenage daughter, Tilly, comes to stay. Tilly disappears in the night and is later found dead. Who killed Tilly, and why?
This wasn’t a bad book and it will likely have lots of fans but it just wasn’t for me. I don’t know why, but whenever I was reading it I found myself wanting to do something else. But don’t take that as an objection about quality. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood.
One weekend, not long after Sarah moves in a family with a teenage daughter, Tilly, comes to stay. Tilly disappears in the night and is later found dead. Who killed Tilly, and why?
This wasn’t a bad book and it will likely have lots of fans but it just wasn’t for me. I don’t know why, but whenever I was reading it I found myself wanting to do something else. But don’t take that as an objection about quality. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood.
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