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The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway
The truth is not an option.All Eve Ellaway wants is to escape to college, start a life of her own, and finally sever the connection to her twin sister Gen who disappeared when they were babies. Because while the rest of the world moved on from the kidnapping, Gen’s still very much alive at home.
Most families would grieve their missing child. Some families might create a shrine for their lost daughter. But the Ellaways are not most families.
Every night, Eve pretends to be Gen to protect her mother's delicate grasp on reality — dividing her life, her stories, and her dreams so there’s enough for two sisters. Eve’s forced to maintain her father’s lie to ease his guilt over Gen’s disappearance, but is she sacrificing the last threads of her identity and any hope for a normal future?
As the lies propping up Eve’s life start to crumble, she no longer knows what she wants. But Gen does, and she’s ready to take it.
Older YA. Content warnings for language and sexual situations.
Most families would grieve their missing child. Some families might create a shrine for their lost daughter. But the Ellaways are not most families.
Every night, Eve pretends to be Gen to protect her mother's delicate grasp on reality — dividing her life, her stories, and her dreams so there’s enough for two sisters. Eve’s forced to maintain her father’s lie to ease his guilt over Gen’s disappearance, but is she sacrificing the last threads of her identity and any hope for a normal future?
As the lies propping up Eve’s life start to crumble, she no longer knows what she wants. But Gen does, and she’s ready to take it.
Older YA. Content warnings for language and sexual situations.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 25, 2025
About the author
Melanie Hooyenga
18 books183 followersMulti-award winning young adult author Melanie Hooyenga first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. She has lived in Washington DC, Chicago, and Mexico, but has finally settled down in her home state of Michigan.
When not writing books, you can find Melanie enjoying the great outdoors and playing every sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy.
**Awards**
Flicker
–> 1st Place Winner (MG/YA) of the 3rd Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published eBook Awards (2015)
The Slope Rules
–> Gold Winner (YA General Fiction) 2017, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
–> Silver Winner (High School Romance) 2017, Children's Literary Classics
–> Bronze Winner (YA Romance) 2017, Readers' Favorite
The Trail Rules
–> Gold Winner (Special Interest: Sports) 2018, Children's Literary Classics
–> Silver Winner (YA Romance) 2018, Readers' Favorite
–> Silver Winner (YA General Fiction) 2018, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
The Edge Rules
–> Gold Winner (Special Interest: Sports) 2019 — Children’s Literary Classics
–> Winner (YA) 2019 – Orange County RWA BBB Awards
–> Finalist / YA/MG Winner 2019 – BookLife Prize
–> Bronze Winner (YA Romance) 2019 — Readers’ Favorite
Chasing the Sun
–> Gold Winner (YA General Fiction) 2020, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
–> Quarter-Finalist / YA/MG 2020 – BookLife Prize
When not writing books, you can find Melanie enjoying the great outdoors and playing every sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy.
**Awards**
Flicker
–> 1st Place Winner (MG/YA) of the 3rd Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published eBook Awards (2015)
The Slope Rules
–> Gold Winner (YA General Fiction) 2017, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
–> Silver Winner (High School Romance) 2017, Children's Literary Classics
–> Bronze Winner (YA Romance) 2017, Readers' Favorite
The Trail Rules
–> Gold Winner (Special Interest: Sports) 2018, Children's Literary Classics
–> Silver Winner (YA Romance) 2018, Readers' Favorite
–> Silver Winner (YA General Fiction) 2018, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
The Edge Rules
–> Gold Winner (Special Interest: Sports) 2019 — Children’s Literary Classics
–> Winner (YA) 2019 – Orange County RWA BBB Awards
–> Finalist / YA/MG Winner 2019 – BookLife Prize
–> Bronze Winner (YA Romance) 2019 — Readers’ Favorite
Chasing the Sun
–> Gold Winner (YA General Fiction) 2020, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
–> Quarter-Finalist / YA/MG 2020 – BookLife Prize
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January 22, 2026Source of book: NG
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
***
Gosh, this was intense. Admittedly, I don’t read a tonne of YA, nor thrillers, so I’m not the best audience for a YA thriller. But the absolutely whacked-out premise caught my attention and, err, the book did not disappoint on that score.
Content warnings for, like, child abduction, parental neglect, mental ill-health etc.
The deal here is that Eve Ellaway’s sister, Gen, was abducted when they were both tiny babies, while their father was supposed to be watching over them in the park. For the last eighteen years he has coerced and manipulated Gen into helping him maintain the fiction that both girls are still alive to Eve’s mother, whose grip on reality has been slipping since the original abduction. Eve herself is simply trying to escape to college, a future that is a hundred thirty-something days away from her when the book opens - except, it’s becoming harder and harder to keep the family secret, especially with Gen’s voice increasingly in Eve’s head, Eve’s mum consistently preferring Gen to Eve (despite the fact Eve is playing both), and Eve’s own dreams and desires increasingly beginning to take centre stage.
As a thriller this is almost unbearably tense at times. The juxtaposition of normal life stuff with this absolutely unhinged family situation had me tearing through the book like it was on fire or I was. Eve is a fascinating protagonist, complicated, traumatised, messy, selfish, almost constantly making bad decisions but I found it impossible not sympathise with her and root for her, partly because the adults in her life have let her down so tremendously, but also because she’s always the first condemn her own behaviour. The writing is voicey but precise, sweeping you along into Eve’s fractured world:
And if the side characters are a little less well-defined beyond their roles in Eve’s life (the best friend, the boy who wants to be with her, the new boy), it makes a degree of sense because this is Eve’s story told from Eve’s perspective, and she is deliberately holding herself back from them. And possibly for good reason:
So basically, there was a lot I admired about The Quiet Unravelling of Eve Ellaway and it certainly kept me reading. By the end, though, I was pretty convinced that YA thriller is not a genre for me. As I said above, I’m not a massive adult thriller reader, but I am sometimes in the mood for one, especially if I’m travelling or my brain is desperately in need of pure engagement. But the thing is, with an adult thriller I can take a certain amount of glee in the twists and turns, and the baroque manoeuvrings, whether that’s the despair of an ordinary person caught up in something outrageously weird, or the unreliable narrator who is manipulating the reader as much as they are their fictional world. When it’s a young person? I think my teacher instincts kick in and I’m mostly just aware of their vulnerability, and then I get all sad and angry. Which I’m aware is completely daft because it’s not like Eve is a real person, and the whole setup here depends on some convenient-beyond-the-bounds-of-plausibility factors (like the mother never asking to see her two daughters simultaneously).
To be fair, that’s partially explained away by Eve’s conviction that her mother is semi-complicit in fiction with them, because she simply can’t face the reality. And also this is a book about identity--the slipperiness of teenage identity in particular--(and there’s a really lovely queer-awakening subplot in here too) so there’s a large extent to which “would this actually happen” is not a relevant question.
But I think, for me as a reader, I almost wish the book hadn’t been a thriller. Again, I really want to emphasise this isn’t a problem with the book, it’s a problem with me as a reader for this book. I was so invested in Eve--so desperate for to somehow escape the trauma of her upbringing--that the inevitable other shoe dropping that the thriller format requires just left me feeling depressed, and tremendously sorry for her. It didn’t shock me or change how I saw her; it’s pretty clear from the outset (so I don’t think this can possibly be a spoiler) that she has DID and CPTSD, from having spent her life pretending to be two people for the sake of a weak, manipulative father, and a deeply damaged mother who said weak, manipulative father should have sought help for. To be fair, the book does end on a semi-hopeful note. Eve tells us:
And, y’know, maybe I have to believe her, just like I have to believe her that her father’s “personal torment is better than anything the justice system could have decreed” (although, with that one, why not both?). But, going back to Eve’s statement that she’s finally free, I honestly couldn’t tell if I was meant to read it sincerely, or see it as a final cruelly ironic reflection of Eve’s teenage incapacity to see things clearly. Since, from a certain perspective, given the events that precede this, she’s just kind of swapped one shadow for another.
For me--and again, I’m talking purely about my personal preferences as a reader, this would have been the stronger book if it could have “stopped” at the first twist. If the final third of the book, rather than setting up the twist on the twist--the final twist--could have been pure aftermath. An emotional reckoning and re-examination of the relationships established in the first part of the book. As it is, Eve’s not-quite-boyfriend moves on without a word and Wes, who seemed so important for Eve getting to be Eve, just vanishes. I also, and I’ll tread carefully here because I don’t want to move any further into spoiler territory, don’t super like the idea of someone with DID and CPTSD turning violent. It makes sense in thriller-world because mental illness is a thriller trope in the same way that going mad is a Shakespearean trope. But I once again run up against the YA of it all, where leaning into the worst cliches about people--especially young people--suffering from trauma codes differently to me. I’m not saying I wanted Eve to skip into the sunset, hand in hand with a cute girl, but I still wished for a different outcome for her. Because I ended up feeling like she went from being a victim of tragedy and parental abuse to a victim of genre coding. And that didn’t feel too great.
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
***
Gosh, this was intense. Admittedly, I don’t read a tonne of YA, nor thrillers, so I’m not the best audience for a YA thriller. But the absolutely whacked-out premise caught my attention and, err, the book did not disappoint on that score.
Content warnings for, like, child abduction, parental neglect, mental ill-health etc.
The deal here is that Eve Ellaway’s sister, Gen, was abducted when they were both tiny babies, while their father was supposed to be watching over them in the park. For the last eighteen years he has coerced and manipulated Gen into helping him maintain the fiction that both girls are still alive to Eve’s mother, whose grip on reality has been slipping since the original abduction. Eve herself is simply trying to escape to college, a future that is a hundred thirty-something days away from her when the book opens - except, it’s becoming harder and harder to keep the family secret, especially with Gen’s voice increasingly in Eve’s head, Eve’s mum consistently preferring Gen to Eve (despite the fact Eve is playing both), and Eve’s own dreams and desires increasingly beginning to take centre stage.
As a thriller this is almost unbearably tense at times. The juxtaposition of normal life stuff with this absolutely unhinged family situation had me tearing through the book like it was on fire or I was. Eve is a fascinating protagonist, complicated, traumatised, messy, selfish, almost constantly making bad decisions but I found it impossible not sympathise with her and root for her, partly because the adults in her life have let her down so tremendously, but also because she’s always the first condemn her own behaviour. The writing is voicey but precise, sweeping you along into Eve’s fractured world:
Now there’s an ebb and flow in our house, the years of resentment acting like magnets that push Dad and me to opposite corners of the house to suffer through our existence in solitude.
And if the side characters are a little less well-defined beyond their roles in Eve’s life (the best friend, the boy who wants to be with her, the new boy), it makes a degree of sense because this is Eve’s story told from Eve’s perspective, and she is deliberately holding herself back from them. And possibly for good reason:
Everything inside me freezes as my words glide into her ears and worm into her brain and alter how she thinks of me. Her face shifts from concern to horror to something unrecognizable, something dark and unfamiliar. Another Before and After. Then she blinks and the Ember I know is back.
So basically, there was a lot I admired about The Quiet Unravelling of Eve Ellaway and it certainly kept me reading. By the end, though, I was pretty convinced that YA thriller is not a genre for me. As I said above, I’m not a massive adult thriller reader, but I am sometimes in the mood for one, especially if I’m travelling or my brain is desperately in need of pure engagement. But the thing is, with an adult thriller I can take a certain amount of glee in the twists and turns, and the baroque manoeuvrings, whether that’s the despair of an ordinary person caught up in something outrageously weird, or the unreliable narrator who is manipulating the reader as much as they are their fictional world. When it’s a young person? I think my teacher instincts kick in and I’m mostly just aware of their vulnerability, and then I get all sad and angry. Which I’m aware is completely daft because it’s not like Eve is a real person, and the whole setup here depends on some convenient-beyond-the-bounds-of-plausibility factors (like the mother never asking to see her two daughters simultaneously).
To be fair, that’s partially explained away by Eve’s conviction that her mother is semi-complicit in fiction with them, because she simply can’t face the reality. And also this is a book about identity--the slipperiness of teenage identity in particular--(and there’s a really lovely queer-awakening subplot in here too) so there’s a large extent to which “would this actually happen” is not a relevant question.
But I think, for me as a reader, I almost wish the book hadn’t been a thriller. Again, I really want to emphasise this isn’t a problem with the book, it’s a problem with me as a reader for this book. I was so invested in Eve--so desperate for to somehow escape the trauma of her upbringing--that the inevitable other shoe dropping that the thriller format requires just left me feeling depressed, and tremendously sorry for her. It didn’t shock me or change how I saw her; it’s pretty clear from the outset (so I don’t think this can possibly be a spoiler) that she has DID and CPTSD, from having spent her life pretending to be two people for the sake of a weak, manipulative father, and a deeply damaged mother who said weak, manipulative father should have sought help for. To be fair, the book does end on a semi-hopeful note. Eve tells us:
I’m in control now. I choose who I am and what people think of me. Counting down the days until I left for college was really a countdown to the day I could step out of Mom and Dad and Gen’s shadow and truly become myself. And that day has arrived.
And, y’know, maybe I have to believe her, just like I have to believe her that her father’s “personal torment is better than anything the justice system could have decreed” (although, with that one, why not both?). But, going back to Eve’s statement that she’s finally free, I honestly couldn’t tell if I was meant to read it sincerely, or see it as a final cruelly ironic reflection of Eve’s teenage incapacity to see things clearly. Since, from a certain perspective, given the events that precede this, she’s just kind of swapped one shadow for another.
For me--and again, I’m talking purely about my personal preferences as a reader, this would have been the stronger book if it could have “stopped” at the first twist. If the final third of the book, rather than setting up the twist on the twist--the final twist--could have been pure aftermath. An emotional reckoning and re-examination of the relationships established in the first part of the book. As it is, Eve’s not-quite-boyfriend moves on without a word and Wes, who seemed so important for Eve getting to be Eve, just vanishes. I also, and I’ll tread carefully here because I don’t want to move any further into spoiler territory, don’t super like the idea of someone with DID and CPTSD turning violent. It makes sense in thriller-world because mental illness is a thriller trope in the same way that going mad is a Shakespearean trope. But I once again run up against the YA of it all, where leaning into the worst cliches about people--especially young people--suffering from trauma codes differently to me. I’m not saying I wanted Eve to skip into the sunset, hand in hand with a cute girl, but I still wished for a different outcome for her. Because I ended up feeling like she went from being a victim of tragedy and parental abuse to a victim of genre coding. And that didn’t feel too great.
December 29, 2024
This was slow with plenty of melodrama-in-the-mundane alongside the heartbreaking and strange, but I think that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. If you enjoy psychological tension, fractured family dynamics, and YA romance, you may really like this—just be prepared for a slower middle section and a few unanswered questions by the end.
Energy: Vacillating. Affected. Ingenuous.
🐺 Growls: The writing gets repetitive going over the character’s plans and the realizations. Some of the dramatic musing on things like romance, friendships, and the future fit the tone at first, but eventually it felt tedious and more like filler.
🐕 Howls: It was often ambiguous when the main character was pretending to be her twin vs imagining hearing her voice. I liked the ending in theory, but the execution felt a little written-into-a-corner and sudden.
🐩 Tail Wags: How the ending made me re-examine everything in hindsight. The YA romance was a mix of swooning and cheesy lines, but I know that’s because I’m an adult - I can imagine it as sweet and hopeful to my younger self.
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in small town on the shore of Lake Michigan, USA
Perspective: A twin whose sibling was kidnapped as a baby and never found. To stave off the complete mental breakdown of their mother, our main character has been pretending to be both themselves and their twin sibling, but they’re questioning the health of this charade.
Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s). Spring. Linear.
🔥 Fuel: What happened to the twin sister kidnapped as a baby? Is she alive? What will happen to the mother if they get her to understand reality? Who will our main character choose as a romantic partner?
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief to plausible.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Friends TV show. Crashing waves. Knitted scarf. Treehouse. Beach jogs. Baseball game. Sweatshirt. Prom.
• Separated at birth sibling loss
• Dysfunctional family drama and tragedy
• Long chapters, heavy on reflecting and ‘telling’
• Multiple romantic interests trying to win over the main character
• Conflicted feelings teen romance
• One-sided relationships
• Twisty ends
• YA romantic suspense
• Unhinged situations
• Deep in the character’s mind getting their tunnel vision perspective and thoughts/interpretations
Content Heads-Up:
Abduction (child). Abusive parent (emotional abuse, distant; physically abusive brief recall). Agoraphobia. Bullying (outing, passive aggressive, gaslighting). Homophobia (parental disapproval). Loss of child (as baby). Mental illness (dissociation, C-PTSD, delusions). Murder. Outing. Trafficking (human; discussion, class project).
Rep: American. Second generation Honduran American, Indian-American peripheral character. Queer. Hetero. Lesbian.
📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Left-Handed Mitten Publications, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles and NetGalley.
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
Energy: Vacillating. Affected. Ingenuous.
🐺 Growls: The writing gets repetitive going over the character’s plans and the realizations. Some of the dramatic musing on things like romance, friendships, and the future fit the tone at first, but eventually it felt tedious and more like filler.
🐕 Howls: It was often ambiguous when the main character was pretending to be her twin vs imagining hearing her voice. I liked the ending in theory, but the execution felt a little written-into-a-corner and sudden.
🐩 Tail Wags: How the ending made me re-examine everything in hindsight. The YA romance was a mix of swooning and cheesy lines, but I know that’s because I’m an adult - I can imagine it as sweet and hopeful to my younger self.
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in small town on the shore of Lake Michigan, USA
Perspective: A twin whose sibling was kidnapped as a baby and never found. To stave off the complete mental breakdown of their mother, our main character has been pretending to be both themselves and their twin sibling, but they’re questioning the health of this charade.
Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s). Spring. Linear.
🔥 Fuel: What happened to the twin sister kidnapped as a baby? Is she alive? What will happen to the mother if they get her to understand reality? Who will our main character choose as a romantic partner?
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief to plausible.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Friends TV show. Crashing waves. Knitted scarf. Treehouse. Beach jogs. Baseball game. Sweatshirt. Prom.
• Separated at birth sibling loss
• Dysfunctional family drama and tragedy
• Long chapters, heavy on reflecting and ‘telling’
• Multiple romantic interests trying to win over the main character
• Conflicted feelings teen romance
• One-sided relationships
• Twisty ends
• YA romantic suspense
• Unhinged situations
• Deep in the character’s mind getting their tunnel vision perspective and thoughts/interpretations
Content Heads-Up:
Abduction (child). Abusive parent (emotional abuse, distant; physically abusive brief recall). Agoraphobia. Bullying (outing, passive aggressive, gaslighting). Homophobia (parental disapproval). Loss of child (as baby). Mental illness (dissociation, C-PTSD, delusions). Murder. Outing. Trafficking (human; discussion, class project).
Rep: American. Second generation Honduran American, Indian-American peripheral character. Queer. Hetero. Lesbian.
📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Left-Handed Mitten Publications, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles and NetGalley.
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
March 15, 2025
I devoured this in one gulp. The writing is propulsive.
This isn't a book solely about child abduction or the bond between long-lost twins. 'The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway' also offers us a tender illustration of a teen discovering their queer identity.
Our titular high-school-senior protagonist is the kind of engrossing character that I love to read about in YA General Fiction, and it was a pleasure to find a young, empathetic protagonist navigating that moment of surprise when conformist identity begins to unravel as same-sex attraction materialises.
The other unravelling, of course, is that of Eve's fragile psyche, under the pressure of lifelong psychological and emotional abuse that reaches crisis, after our mc has spent the trajectory of the narrative demonstrating heart-wrenching, tear-jerking fortitude of mind.
Melanie Hooyenga has written a bittersweet, genuinely moving demonstration of a young woman's struggle to recognise and acknowledge her real self, right up until that cataclysmic moment when she. just. can't.
This is perfectly pitched for readers of Holly Jackson thrillers, woven with the heart of Rachael Lippincott. 'The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway' is a heartrending love letter to the self worthy of the likes of Becky Albertalli.
Many thanks to Left-Handed Mitten Publications for the eARC via NetGalley.
This isn't a book solely about child abduction or the bond between long-lost twins. 'The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway' also offers us a tender illustration of a teen discovering their queer identity.
Our titular high-school-senior protagonist is the kind of engrossing character that I love to read about in YA General Fiction, and it was a pleasure to find a young, empathetic protagonist navigating that moment of surprise when conformist identity begins to unravel as same-sex attraction materialises.
The other unravelling, of course, is that of Eve's fragile psyche, under the pressure of lifelong psychological and emotional abuse that reaches crisis, after our mc has spent the trajectory of the narrative demonstrating heart-wrenching, tear-jerking fortitude of mind.
Melanie Hooyenga has written a bittersweet, genuinely moving demonstration of a young woman's struggle to recognise and acknowledge her real self, right up until that cataclysmic moment when she. just. can't.
This is perfectly pitched for readers of Holly Jackson thrillers, woven with the heart of Rachael Lippincott. 'The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway' is a heartrending love letter to the self worthy of the likes of Becky Albertalli.
Many thanks to Left-Handed Mitten Publications for the eARC via NetGalley.
November 10, 2024
The strength of this book is its premise. The whole idea for it is, frankly, insane. Reading this felt like I was witnessing something so unthinkable you can’t really believe it but also… you know it’s real. I was hooked. It was exactly the sort of messed up story I adore reading. The main character, Eve, was pretentious beyond belief and quite unbearable but I don’t think we were supposed to like her? Parts of this book felt like I’m reading her psychotic break, and it wasn’t clear if I was supposed to be reading it with that interpretation.
But the plot, that I liked. In fact, there was a twist that actually made me gasp. And if you’ve been reading my reviews here for a while (or know me in real life!) you know I am not often shocked by books. Alas, this one managed to!
I would definitely recommend this if you want a twisted and puzzling YA read.
Thank you to NetGallery for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review
But the plot, that I liked. In fact, there was a twist that actually made me gasp. And if you’ve been reading my reviews here for a while (or know me in real life!) you know I am not often shocked by books. Alas, this one managed to!
I would definitely recommend this if you want a twisted and puzzling YA read.
Thank you to NetGallery for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review
January 18, 2025
As an adult I would rate this a 3.5 but as I'm not the target audience I bumped it up to 4.
The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway follows Eve who senior in highschool and dreams of becoming a journalist. She only has one friend and a not boyfriend and tries to stay far away from people because when she is at home she has to pretend she is both her and her twin sister who was abducted as an infant.
This story deals with abuse in a way that is not often depicted but I find that it could have insisted more on what makes it abuse and how devastating it can be.
I think it is strong psychological thriller adjacent young adult fiction. I liked how it balanced between the harrowing task of being Gen and also how Eve is just a teenager wanting to live her life. I really liked the importance the book gives to Eve's social life and her discovering herself in the midst of it all. As an adult it seems a bit cheesy and maybe superfluous but I think it can really resonate with the younger target audience.
The plot is mostly predictible but not in a bad way. It follows the beats of this kind of story and it is reliable.
A good read for teenagers wanting to try thrillers or books focusing on mental health.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book.
The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway follows Eve who senior in highschool and dreams of becoming a journalist. She only has one friend and a not boyfriend and tries to stay far away from people because when she is at home she has to pretend she is both her and her twin sister who was abducted as an infant.
This story deals with abuse in a way that is not often depicted but I find that it could have insisted more on what makes it abuse and how devastating it can be.
I think it is strong psychological thriller adjacent young adult fiction. I liked how it balanced between the harrowing task of being Gen and also how Eve is just a teenager wanting to live her life. I really liked the importance the book gives to Eve's social life and her discovering herself in the midst of it all. As an adult it seems a bit cheesy and maybe superfluous but I think it can really resonate with the younger target audience.
The plot is mostly predictible but not in a bad way. It follows the beats of this kind of story and it is reliable.
A good read for teenagers wanting to try thrillers or books focusing on mental health.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book.
January 14, 2025
This just wasn’t it for me. I don’t think any review I leave would be a fair representation because I just didn’t enjoy or love this.
January 31, 2025
Thank you to Melanie Hooyenga, Left-Handed Mitten Publications, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4.5/5
I really liked this book, and felt really drawn into the story. There was a bit at the end where I did feel like it started to slow down and drag, but overall this was a really interesting story about a teenage girl in a horrible situation who loses her grip on reality. I don’t think we’re necessarily meant to like the main character, especially not as the story progresses.
You stay inside the mind of the main character the whole time, and follow her through her journey, not entirely sure the whole time whether or not she’s a reliable narrator. Some twists I saw coming, some I didn’t.
This was a unique, interesting YA thriller. Not the most realistic, but what is? I loved reading this and would recommend it to anyone else.
4.5/5
I really liked this book, and felt really drawn into the story. There was a bit at the end where I did feel like it started to slow down and drag, but overall this was a really interesting story about a teenage girl in a horrible situation who loses her grip on reality. I don’t think we’re necessarily meant to like the main character, especially not as the story progresses.
You stay inside the mind of the main character the whole time, and follow her through her journey, not entirely sure the whole time whether or not she’s a reliable narrator. Some twists I saw coming, some I didn’t.
This was a unique, interesting YA thriller. Not the most realistic, but what is? I loved reading this and would recommend it to anyone else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2024
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE QUIET UNRAVELING OF EVE ELLAWAY by Melanie Hooyenga in exchange for my honest review.***
3.5 STARS
What a wild premise. At age two months Gen Ellaway is kidnapped while her twin Eve sleeps. Because the twins’ recluse mother couldn’t deal with the loss of Gen, their father convinces her that Eve is both twins. This continues for eighteen years unbeknownst to Eve’s mother. Then things become complicate with the discovery of Gen, named Sky by her adoptive parents.
Set aside the fact that the cure for mental illness is not having a child play her missing/presumed dead twin and what type of Mengelian husband does that to his wife and child—the situation is absurd and disturbing.
I had a bit of difficulty following when Eve was Eve and Eve was pretending to be Gen and when Eve thought she was talking to her ghost twin. Eve was a difficult character to embrace. I couldn’t understand why she was so cold and standoffish to Sky.
Hoovenga’s writing, while adequate, didn’t evoke feelings in places where my heart should have palpitated or seized in suspense.
I did enjoy THE QUIET UNRAVELING OF EVE ELLAWAY, just not enough to bump to four stars.
3.5 STARS
What a wild premise. At age two months Gen Ellaway is kidnapped while her twin Eve sleeps. Because the twins’ recluse mother couldn’t deal with the loss of Gen, their father convinces her that Eve is both twins. This continues for eighteen years unbeknownst to Eve’s mother. Then things become complicate with the discovery of Gen, named Sky by her adoptive parents.
Set aside the fact that the cure for mental illness is not having a child play her missing/presumed dead twin and what type of Mengelian husband does that to his wife and child—the situation is absurd and disturbing.
I had a bit of difficulty following when Eve was Eve and Eve was pretending to be Gen and when Eve thought she was talking to her ghost twin. Eve was a difficult character to embrace. I couldn’t understand why she was so cold and standoffish to Sky.
Hoovenga’s writing, while adequate, didn’t evoke feelings in places where my heart should have palpitated or seized in suspense.
I did enjoy THE QUIET UNRAVELING OF EVE ELLAWAY, just not enough to bump to four stars.
February 25, 2025
The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway is an unsettling psychological thriller that drew me in right away.
When twin sisters Gen and Eve Ellaway were infants, Gen was abducted from the park that their father took them to. Because of their mother's fragile mental health, the girl's father hatched a plan to have Eve pretend to be Gen as well as herself, even incorporating different clothes and separate interests. But the longer that Eve takes on Gen's identity, the more of herself she loses.
This book was absolutely wild in the best way possible! It was a bit of a slow buildup to a jaw dropping twist which I personally don't mind. I really liked the perspective of Eve and Gen. One criticism I have is that there are a lot of side characters to keep track of. Some are integral to the story but some others felt like they were just added in. But that didn't stop me from enjoying this twisted and gripping novel. Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Melanie Hooyenga, and Left Handed Mitten Publications for this ARC. Expected publication date is February 25th 2025.
When twin sisters Gen and Eve Ellaway were infants, Gen was abducted from the park that their father took them to. Because of their mother's fragile mental health, the girl's father hatched a plan to have Eve pretend to be Gen as well as herself, even incorporating different clothes and separate interests. But the longer that Eve takes on Gen's identity, the more of herself she loses.
This book was absolutely wild in the best way possible! It was a bit of a slow buildup to a jaw dropping twist which I personally don't mind. I really liked the perspective of Eve and Gen. One criticism I have is that there are a lot of side characters to keep track of. Some are integral to the story but some others felt like they were just added in. But that didn't stop me from enjoying this twisted and gripping novel. Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Melanie Hooyenga, and Left Handed Mitten Publications for this ARC. Expected publication date is February 25th 2025.
January 24, 2025
I received an ARC for this book from Netgally.
I thought this thriller was okay, but not amazing. I'm not really into stories set in high school anymore, so maybe I shouldn't have picked it up.
The story felt a bit unrealistic to me. I couldn't believe that Eve's mom wouldn't see a doctor, and it was strange that they never found her "Twin" (Read the book and you will know.) The whole book had a kind of sad vibe, which I'm not a huge fan of. But of course, I should have expected that from a thriller.
I skimmed through a lot of it, and I don't think I missed much. The writing was fine, but the story just wasn't for me. I think it could make a decent movie though.
I thought this thriller was okay, but not amazing. I'm not really into stories set in high school anymore, so maybe I shouldn't have picked it up.
The story felt a bit unrealistic to me. I couldn't believe that Eve's mom wouldn't see a doctor, and it was strange that they never found her "Twin" (Read the book and you will know.) The whole book had a kind of sad vibe, which I'm not a huge fan of. But of course, I should have expected that from a thriller.
I skimmed through a lot of it, and I don't think I missed much. The writing was fine, but the story just wasn't for me. I think it could make a decent movie though.
January 21, 2025
Let me start by saying that YA usually isn’t my go-to genre, but “The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway” sucked me right in. The story is an engaging psychological thriller with well-developed characters, and themes around mental illness, self-discovery, and family trauma. The complexity of the situation that Eve faces really makes you think about how we define who we are and what face we show the world. As you watch Eve’s world unravel, the writing keeps you on the edge of your seat.
This was my first book from this author but definitely won’t be my last!
This was my first book from this author but definitely won’t be my last!
March 18, 2025
Twins, kidnapping, a mom who’s lost touch with reality – this book is packed with edge-of-your-seat drama. Melanie Hooyenga’s latest novel has high school senior Eve forced to play the role of her long disappeared twin sister Gen in order to keep their mom from completely falling apart. You’ll struggle to catch your breath as you race through this story, desperate to find out if Gen is still alive or if Eve will spend the rest of her mom’s life pretending that she is. Hang on for a wild and shocking ride! Thanks to Net Galley and the author for an advanced copy of this novel.
April 22, 2025
Knowing you’re reading an unreliable narrator doesn’t actually make it any easier to predict where things will end up. I had ideas of what was truly going on in this book from start to finish, but that’s the fun about an unreliable narrator… They won’t confirm a single suspicion until that very last page. What a ride!
And what a ridiculously vague review. But I don’t want to give anything away!!! Well done, Hooyenga!
And what a ridiculously vague review. But I don’t want to give anything away!!! Well done, Hooyenga!
March 3, 2025
Wow. That ending blew my mind..
YA isn't my go-to genre and I did find all of the teenage melodrama a bit boring. I would have loved a deeper dive into the schism of Eve/Gen, it felt very surface level. Also would love a second POV or more background story. That aside I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I blew through the last 100 pages or so, found myself saying WTF (out loud) a few times. My jaw and my kindle literally dropped at the end. Solid 4 stars!
YA isn't my go-to genre and I did find all of the teenage melodrama a bit boring. I would have loved a deeper dive into the schism of Eve/Gen, it felt very surface level. Also would love a second POV or more background story. That aside I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I blew through the last 100 pages or so, found myself saying WTF (out loud) a few times. My jaw and my kindle literally dropped at the end. Solid 4 stars!
January 17, 2025
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE QUIET UNRAVELING OF EVE ELLAWAY by Melanie Hooyenga in exchange for my honest review.***
From the moment I picked up The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway I was hooked and did not want to put it down. Melanie Hoovenga masterfully balances foreshadowing and suspense, giving just enough clues to make you think you know where the story is headed, but keeping the ultimate resolution hidden until the very end.
The characters are rather interesting. While I have seen other reviews state they could not dictate which character was talking sometimes, I feel that it was easy to follow along and I personally knew who was speaking at which time.
Then there’s the ending—what a payoff! I had pieced together parts of the puzzle along the way, but the final twist completely caught me off guard. It’s rare to find a story that gives you just enough breadcrumbs to keep you guessing but still delivers a resolution that feels fresh, shocking, and entirely earned.
If I had to sum up this book in two words, it would be rabbit hole. I started the book and could not put it down because I wanted to know more about what is happening and the ending!
I would definitely read another book by Melanie Hoovenga.
From the moment I picked up The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway I was hooked and did not want to put it down. Melanie Hoovenga masterfully balances foreshadowing and suspense, giving just enough clues to make you think you know where the story is headed, but keeping the ultimate resolution hidden until the very end.
The characters are rather interesting. While I have seen other reviews state they could not dictate which character was talking sometimes, I feel that it was easy to follow along and I personally knew who was speaking at which time.
Then there’s the ending—what a payoff! I had pieced together parts of the puzzle along the way, but the final twist completely caught me off guard. It’s rare to find a story that gives you just enough breadcrumbs to keep you guessing but still delivers a resolution that feels fresh, shocking, and entirely earned.
If I had to sum up this book in two words, it would be rabbit hole. I started the book and could not put it down because I wanted to know more about what is happening and the ending!
I would definitely read another book by Melanie Hoovenga.
February 5, 2025
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an arc
Spoiler warning from this point on
I really wanted to love this book. And for the most part, I actually did! The missing twin trope is a common one, but I thought Hooyenga put a unique spin on it. I really enjoyed the premise of Eve playing both herself and Gen and the impacts of that on her psyche... though more on that later.
I just, unfortunately, didn't really connect with any of the characters. I did like Ember, Wes, and Cal, however. They are all really good friends to Eve, even when she probably didn't deserve it. She treats Cal pretty poorly, which I get; she's going through a difficult situation, but he puts up with a lot with very little explanation. Ember has an interesting storyline with her coming out and dealing with her parents' not-so-positive reaction. Wes is a really good guy as well who supports Eve and is the only one she tells her secret to. He was abused by his father in the past so he is empathetic and understanding.
Eve's dad is the real villain here. It's hard because you actually feel bad for him. He was the one who fell asleep, which led to Gen's kidnapping. However, forcing Eve to play both roles is genuinely insane behavior (which I know was the point!). At the end, Eve briefly discusses pressing charges against her father, but nothing ever comes of that, which I can accept, though she does continue to have a positive relationship with him.
In the same vein that Eve's dad is the bad guy but I still somewhat like him, I felt the opposite about her mom. She's a victim in this situation, but Hooyenga does a good job of making her feel unlikeable from Eve's perspective. That's the hallmark of good writing when the reader can know something but still feel differently. I felt bad for her mom, she really should've been given the help she needed from the very beginning (which again circles back to the dad being very wrong in this situation).
There were too many side characters who I think had a lot of page time and ended up being relatively unimportant. Both of Eve's partners for the project, Willow and Noah, only serve the purpose of helping her complete the project -- which also has no real bearing on the plot other than the competition is where Eve and Sky meet.
I'm gonna briefly talk about the project and then get back to the characters --
It seemed like the project was going to have a greater meaning, such as the note in the margin of Eve's information for the project and the locked folder on her computer she was working on, but nope, we never figure out why those were relevant. I understand that it's to make it clear (in the end) that Eve has multiple personalities, but -- for example -- the note encouraging her to look up missing persons cases is irrelevant, 1. because Eve ignores it, and 2. because it wouldn't have provided her any new information anyway. Sorry, that was my brief rant about that. However, I think Hooyenga successfully executed this idea she was going for much better with the bookmark situation. That was a twist that actually got me and had me rethinking things.
Back to the characters --
Noah does have the point of taking pictures of Sky that they use in the project, which was an interesting twist, though pretty easily guessable once Eve notices their similarities in the photos. Unfortunately, after the competition, Eve never talks to him or Willow again. Mariela also suffers the same fate. She and Eve have a cute little moment at a baseball game, which leads to a good period of self-discovery for Eve as she realizes she also likes girls. Unfortunately, after she and Mariela hook up, she never sees her again or even talks to her. That's not too big of a deal because she did serve a purpose at least, and a moment like that doesn't have to lead to a relationship. I was just personally rooting for them, LOL.
Well, since we got on the romance train, I think it's time to address it. If you've read the book, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Eve talks to Sky online before they meet and starts to develop feelings for her. Lo and behold, Sky is actually her sister. Obviously, neither of them could have known, but what I did find minorly uncomfortable was the repeated mentions throughout of how she did have feelings before. It's like maybe Hooyenga was really trying to emphasize that those feelings are gone, but did it in a way that comes off a little weird. I think it's an interesting dynamic to include and one that I haven't seen explored in other books, but I feel like there was a bit of an overcorrection that ended up drawing more attention to it, and it just didn't read right to me.
As I mentioned earlier, I really did enjoy the premise of Eve playing both roles. Her diagnosis of a multiple personality disorder was also interesting, especially since she feels like she hears Gen in her mind and they have a connection. I liked the distinction between Sky and Gen and how that impacts Eve. She has created a Gen in her mind that she's had to make real for 18 years, and the consequences of that are severe. I think the portrayal of mental health throughout was strong and pretty realistic.
I guess we have to talk about the end now. "Why?" is the first thing I'm going to say. I thought the first part of the book was really interesting, and it even makes the reader feel emotionally drained by Eve's need to act and be Gen (a good thing). After the Sky reveal, the drama amps up even more. I was flying through those chapters. Towards the end, it slows down a little, and I'll admit I wanted a bit more to just happen. It was a lot of Eve running on the beach, haha! I avoided talking too much about Sky earlier so I could discuss her here, but I really wish we got more from her. We never learn who kidnapped her, her real feelings on the situation- such as whether she wants a relationship with her bio parents- Eve and her dad meeting her adopted parents happens off-page, and we know very little about who she is as a person. And then Eve kills her!!! Like, what?!? I truly was not expecting that at all and I don't think I was surprised in a good way, more like "Why did they do that?"
I understand it was "Gen" doing it, not Eve, but it just did not make sense to me. I can understand the rationale of choosing that sort of ending -- if you set it up from the start -- but it didn't feel earned. Maybe some people will like it but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it.
I did, however, really like that Eve's story, when you reflect on it, seems to mirror her mother's. Despite her resentment for her mom, they end up being quite similar, with both having versions of Gen that are real inside their heads. They also both end up having to go to in-patient mental hospitals. I also really enjoyed the end, where Eve tells the group her name is Genevieve. It was a good call back to a mention in the beginning and really the heart of the story.
I know I had quite a few criticisms, but I want to say that I actually did like this book!! I feel like the idea was interesting, and while it didn't work for me, I don't think it is a bad book by any stretch of the word. There are probably a lot of people who would love and really enjoy it. While I had fun reading it, I just think it didn't work totally for me personally.
2.5 stars rounded up
Spoiler warning from this point on
I really wanted to love this book. And for the most part, I actually did! The missing twin trope is a common one, but I thought Hooyenga put a unique spin on it. I really enjoyed the premise of Eve playing both herself and Gen and the impacts of that on her psyche... though more on that later.
I just, unfortunately, didn't really connect with any of the characters. I did like Ember, Wes, and Cal, however. They are all really good friends to Eve, even when she probably didn't deserve it. She treats Cal pretty poorly, which I get; she's going through a difficult situation, but he puts up with a lot with very little explanation. Ember has an interesting storyline with her coming out and dealing with her parents' not-so-positive reaction. Wes is a really good guy as well who supports Eve and is the only one she tells her secret to. He was abused by his father in the past so he is empathetic and understanding.
Eve's dad is the real villain here. It's hard because you actually feel bad for him. He was the one who fell asleep, which led to Gen's kidnapping. However, forcing Eve to play both roles is genuinely insane behavior (which I know was the point!). At the end, Eve briefly discusses pressing charges against her father, but nothing ever comes of that, which I can accept, though she does continue to have a positive relationship with him.
In the same vein that Eve's dad is the bad guy but I still somewhat like him, I felt the opposite about her mom. She's a victim in this situation, but Hooyenga does a good job of making her feel unlikeable from Eve's perspective. That's the hallmark of good writing when the reader can know something but still feel differently. I felt bad for her mom, she really should've been given the help she needed from the very beginning (which again circles back to the dad being very wrong in this situation).
There were too many side characters who I think had a lot of page time and ended up being relatively unimportant. Both of Eve's partners for the project, Willow and Noah, only serve the purpose of helping her complete the project -- which also has no real bearing on the plot other than the competition is where Eve and Sky meet.
I'm gonna briefly talk about the project and then get back to the characters --
It seemed like the project was going to have a greater meaning, such as the note in the margin of Eve's information for the project and the locked folder on her computer she was working on, but nope, we never figure out why those were relevant. I understand that it's to make it clear (in the end) that Eve has multiple personalities, but -- for example -- the note encouraging her to look up missing persons cases is irrelevant, 1. because Eve ignores it, and 2. because it wouldn't have provided her any new information anyway. Sorry, that was my brief rant about that. However, I think Hooyenga successfully executed this idea she was going for much better with the bookmark situation. That was a twist that actually got me and had me rethinking things.
Back to the characters --
Noah does have the point of taking pictures of Sky that they use in the project, which was an interesting twist, though pretty easily guessable once Eve notices their similarities in the photos. Unfortunately, after the competition, Eve never talks to him or Willow again. Mariela also suffers the same fate. She and Eve have a cute little moment at a baseball game, which leads to a good period of self-discovery for Eve as she realizes she also likes girls. Unfortunately, after she and Mariela hook up, she never sees her again or even talks to her. That's not too big of a deal because she did serve a purpose at least, and a moment like that doesn't have to lead to a relationship. I was just personally rooting for them, LOL.
Well, since we got on the romance train, I think it's time to address it. If you've read the book, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Eve talks to Sky online before they meet and starts to develop feelings for her. Lo and behold, Sky is actually her sister. Obviously, neither of them could have known, but what I did find minorly uncomfortable was the repeated mentions throughout of how she did have feelings before. It's like maybe Hooyenga was really trying to emphasize that those feelings are gone, but did it in a way that comes off a little weird. I think it's an interesting dynamic to include and one that I haven't seen explored in other books, but I feel like there was a bit of an overcorrection that ended up drawing more attention to it, and it just didn't read right to me.
As I mentioned earlier, I really did enjoy the premise of Eve playing both roles. Her diagnosis of a multiple personality disorder was also interesting, especially since she feels like she hears Gen in her mind and they have a connection. I liked the distinction between Sky and Gen and how that impacts Eve. She has created a Gen in her mind that she's had to make real for 18 years, and the consequences of that are severe. I think the portrayal of mental health throughout was strong and pretty realistic.
I guess we have to talk about the end now. "Why?" is the first thing I'm going to say. I thought the first part of the book was really interesting, and it even makes the reader feel emotionally drained by Eve's need to act and be Gen (a good thing). After the Sky reveal, the drama amps up even more. I was flying through those chapters. Towards the end, it slows down a little, and I'll admit I wanted a bit more to just happen. It was a lot of Eve running on the beach, haha! I avoided talking too much about Sky earlier so I could discuss her here, but I really wish we got more from her. We never learn who kidnapped her, her real feelings on the situation- such as whether she wants a relationship with her bio parents- Eve and her dad meeting her adopted parents happens off-page, and we know very little about who she is as a person. And then Eve kills her!!! Like, what?!? I truly was not expecting that at all and I don't think I was surprised in a good way, more like "Why did they do that?"
I understand it was "Gen" doing it, not Eve, but it just did not make sense to me. I can understand the rationale of choosing that sort of ending -- if you set it up from the start -- but it didn't feel earned. Maybe some people will like it but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it.
I did, however, really like that Eve's story, when you reflect on it, seems to mirror her mother's. Despite her resentment for her mom, they end up being quite similar, with both having versions of Gen that are real inside their heads. They also both end up having to go to in-patient mental hospitals. I also really enjoyed the end, where Eve tells the group her name is Genevieve. It was a good call back to a mention in the beginning and really the heart of the story.
I know I had quite a few criticisms, but I want to say that I actually did like this book!! I feel like the idea was interesting, and while it didn't work for me, I don't think it is a bad book by any stretch of the word. There are probably a lot of people who would love and really enjoy it. While I had fun reading it, I just think it didn't work totally for me personally.
2.5 stars rounded up
December 9, 2024
*** I was provided with an ARC (thank you, NetGalley!) in exchange for an honest review. ***
I was confident that I would be giving this book 3 stars, until I reached the ~60% mark. I wasn't surprised by what happens at the competition, but I was pleasantly surprised by how it played out from there. I should say ECSTATIC. The story went places I didn't expect it to go. I read a lot of YA books, and there's no shortage of poorly written and/or completely predictable ones.
This is not one of those books.
Without getting into spoilers, the things that seemed like your usual YA tropes ended up having more behind them. The "Perfect Handsome Boy Inexplicably Loves The Insufferable FMC" made a little more sense when you found out that . The "Here Comes Cute Boy #2" . And thank God there wasn't the "FMC goes on and on about how plain she is while everyone else goes on and on about how beautiful she is." Her looks aren't mentioned in detail at all.
I didn't like Eve. I don't think you're supposed to like Eve. That in itself was also refreshing. The way her story plays out is a chef's kiss. . We eventually learn more about why Eve is the way she is, and usually that would lead to some big personal growth or a hopeful ending. . The author also did a good job of hinting at what was going on with Eve, without being obvious. For example, .
My initial 3 star rating was because the story didn't grab me right away. Eve's inner thoughts about her life felt repetitious. I didn't get why Cal or even Ember would want anything to do with her. I'd pick the book up, read some, put it down again. But once I got to the competition (again, around 60% if you're a Kindler), I read it the rest of the way through.
I was confident that I would be giving this book 3 stars, until I reached the ~60% mark. I wasn't surprised by what happens at the competition, but I was pleasantly surprised by how it played out from there. I should say ECSTATIC. The story went places I didn't expect it to go. I read a lot of YA books, and there's no shortage of poorly written and/or completely predictable ones.
This is not one of those books.
Without getting into spoilers, the things that seemed like your usual YA tropes ended up having more behind them. The "Perfect Handsome Boy Inexplicably Loves The Insufferable FMC" made a little more sense when you found out that . The "Here Comes Cute Boy #2" . And thank God there wasn't the "FMC goes on and on about how plain she is while everyone else goes on and on about how beautiful she is." Her looks aren't mentioned in detail at all.
I didn't like Eve. I don't think you're supposed to like Eve. That in itself was also refreshing. The way her story plays out is a chef's kiss. . We eventually learn more about why Eve is the way she is, and usually that would lead to some big personal growth or a hopeful ending. . The author also did a good job of hinting at what was going on with Eve, without being obvious. For example, .
My initial 3 star rating was because the story didn't grab me right away. Eve's inner thoughts about her life felt repetitious. I didn't get why Cal or even Ember would want anything to do with her. I'd pick the book up, read some, put it down again. But once I got to the competition (again, around 60% if you're a Kindler), I read it the rest of the way through.
March 30, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.
When they were babies, Gen was kidnapped, leaving behind her twin Eve to deal with the consequences: living the next 18 years in a lie, pretending to be two daughters, both Eve and Gen. A performance spurred by her father to keep her mother safe at the expense of her mental health, her dreams and her social abilities. Because Eve has spend her whole life keeping people far away to protect her secret. But all this lies made up a pile that's started to crumble: new neighbors, new possibilities and strangers to work with for the school's newspaper will take Eve down a path of extremes.
Eve wants nothing more than to graduate, get to college and get away from all these theatrics and a life that isn't hers, but Gen, the Gen she made up for her mother, won't allow Eve to go on without her.
So, this isn't my usual type of book to read, let alone enjoy, but the premise picked my interest and I tried my luck at NetGalley. And here we are now. A book enjoyed later, with strong points on mental health, exploring all types of relationships, awakenings... Truly, a coming of age story of a teenage girl that has had to deal with family secrets external and of her own her whole life, isolating herself from everybody due to this.
Eve is the perfect narrator for this story, suffering it in her bones, having to pretend to be two daughters for a mother that clearly prefers the made up one, since Gen is everything that Eve could never: social, bubbly, nice. Eve prefers her papers, not be seen (relatable) and a future far away from this charade. By the end of the book we know enough of Eve, and Gen, to differentiate both of them but also to affirm that they're rounded well developed characters capable of carrying the weight of the plot. In fact, Eve has made Gen so different from her to be able to track all the lies, that even through the narration of the story we can tell everything that Eve's does and says, but we can also pinpoint the little times that it is Gen manifesting herself. Some of then are remarked by Eve, so we have it sure, but others don't need to because it is there for us to see clearly.
At one point, one character is introduce, her new neighbor, Wes, who she already knows because they go together to school. They end up going together for runs along the beach and Wes tries to befriend her, be close, to talk to her. And, even though it is hard for her, they develop some kind of relationship based on mutual respect. And I love that there was never a romance forced between them, I was fearing for it the whole novel, because it tends to happen a lot, even if the first intentions are of a friendship. But, here, it stayed like that and I liked that, friendships need to be celebrated more in books like this, to be honest.
Another point in favor, for me, is how fast paced is, always something happening, action advancing the plot to the highs and the lows and the middles that gives us some moments of calmness before the storm and everything tumbling down the mountain of lies until Eve is found out. No, really, I think I fled through this book in, like, two days, incapable of looking away. I needed to know what would happen, what next lie Eve would weave to keep her secrets safe, how the journaling gig would work out for her... For as bad a person as Eve can be sometimes (acknowledge by both her and her friends) we can't help but root for her through the awful situation she is living at home, feeling with her the good and the bad, emphasizing.
One last point in favor of the book is its treatment of mental health, equalizing it to physical health and how both are important. Eve's school has a mental health department, her friends are concerned about her and even Eve remarks it with her newspaper's report about suicide and depression stats on adolescence. And, also, not only the books treats it as the important topic that it is, but the book is a focus on Eve's mental health, how it deteriorates
One of my complaints would be the supporting cast, the secondary characters that make the friends and social circle surrounding Eve. They were different characters, identifiable between each other, but they were barely developed beyond their basic characteristics. Like, sure, they have dreams and college goals and an idea of what they want to do in their future, but they don't feel like whole people beyond their relationship with Eve and what they're going to do right after graduation, because any possibility of future lives comes from Eve's theories and hopes for her friends. But, as stated, on their own, the characters didn't fell that strong, they were there to aid the plot and to Eve's emotional character arc. And while we could argue that secondary characters are there precisely for that, I like it better when they're well developed and feel like whole (or, almost whole) people with their own lives, which they share with the main characters.
Moreover when, towards the end, most of them got closure and Eve's narrates us what has happened to them and if they got to college after a couple jumps forward in time through summer and until august-september (near the start of college). Though some of them got forgotten in the way and that frustrated me to no end😂
Another issue, for me, is that the climax felt too long, extended and wrong out. Maybe it was my expectations of the story and thinking that one action marked the start of the climax, and, actually, the climax start when a future action to the one I thought happens. Either that, or maybe it was the resolution to the climax that was really stretched. By the end of the book, this length is justified, because Eve's character arc is given closure, we learn what has been of the rest of the cast and all plot points get resolver one way or another. But it all disturb me enough to mention it here. And, as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are some characters that get lost after serving their part to the plot and we don't know what has happened to them or a lot about them, not having been that well developed.
It could be because Eve is too busy with her problems and does not think about them, but since she mention some characters, it makes me think of laziness or forgetfulness from the author's part to not include some others that were important to Eve throughout the book.
I could talk all day about the book, I guess, but then I'll have to get into spoiler territory, and I do not want that, really, so I'll leave it here, let people decide if they want to read it base on my laid put opinions and thank y'all for reading so far.
Overall, I do recommend the book, is a great fiction story of real family situations, baby kidnapping cases, self discoveries quite by accident and coming of age in a toxic environment, isolated from the people that are actively trying to help you. Great commentary on mental health and serious issues that affect our society and should be more discussed. All laced with an amazing protagonist, an emotional ride that can hit close to home sometimes and sharp prose that never ridicules the heavy topics that is treating (unlikely other books that I've read, really). I'll definitely be checking other books from the author after this one.
When they were babies, Gen was kidnapped, leaving behind her twin Eve to deal with the consequences: living the next 18 years in a lie, pretending to be two daughters, both Eve and Gen. A performance spurred by her father to keep her mother safe at the expense of her mental health, her dreams and her social abilities. Because Eve has spend her whole life keeping people far away to protect her secret. But all this lies made up a pile that's started to crumble: new neighbors, new possibilities and strangers to work with for the school's newspaper will take Eve down a path of extremes.
Eve wants nothing more than to graduate, get to college and get away from all these theatrics and a life that isn't hers, but Gen, the Gen she made up for her mother, won't allow Eve to go on without her.
So, this isn't my usual type of book to read, let alone enjoy, but the premise picked my interest and I tried my luck at NetGalley. And here we are now. A book enjoyed later, with strong points on mental health, exploring all types of relationships, awakenings... Truly, a coming of age story of a teenage girl that has had to deal with family secrets external and of her own her whole life, isolating herself from everybody due to this.
Eve is the perfect narrator for this story, suffering it in her bones, having to pretend to be two daughters for a mother that clearly prefers the made up one, since Gen is everything that Eve could never: social, bubbly, nice. Eve prefers her papers, not be seen (relatable) and a future far away from this charade. By the end of the book we know enough of Eve, and Gen, to differentiate both of them but also to affirm that they're rounded well developed characters capable of carrying the weight of the plot. In fact, Eve has made Gen so different from her to be able to track all the lies, that even through the narration of the story we can tell everything that Eve's does and says, but we can also pinpoint the little times that it is Gen manifesting herself. Some of then are remarked by Eve, so we have it sure, but others don't need to because it is there for us to see clearly.
At one point, one character is introduce, her new neighbor, Wes, who she already knows because they go together to school. They end up going together for runs along the beach and Wes tries to befriend her, be close, to talk to her. And, even though it is hard for her, they develop some kind of relationship based on mutual respect. And I love that there was never a romance forced between them, I was fearing for it the whole novel, because it tends to happen a lot, even if the first intentions are of a friendship. But, here, it stayed like that and I liked that, friendships need to be celebrated more in books like this, to be honest.
Another point in favor, for me, is how fast paced is, always something happening, action advancing the plot to the highs and the lows and the middles that gives us some moments of calmness before the storm and everything tumbling down the mountain of lies until Eve is found out. No, really, I think I fled through this book in, like, two days, incapable of looking away. I needed to know what would happen, what next lie Eve would weave to keep her secrets safe, how the journaling gig would work out for her... For as bad a person as Eve can be sometimes (acknowledge by both her and her friends) we can't help but root for her through the awful situation she is living at home, feeling with her the good and the bad, emphasizing.
One last point in favor of the book is its treatment of mental health, equalizing it to physical health and how both are important. Eve's school has a mental health department, her friends are concerned about her and even Eve remarks it with her newspaper's report about suicide and depression stats on adolescence. And, also, not only the books treats it as the important topic that it is, but the book is a focus on Eve's mental health, how it deteriorates
One of my complaints would be the supporting cast, the secondary characters that make the friends and social circle surrounding Eve. They were different characters, identifiable between each other, but they were barely developed beyond their basic characteristics. Like, sure, they have dreams and college goals and an idea of what they want to do in their future, but they don't feel like whole people beyond their relationship with Eve and what they're going to do right after graduation, because any possibility of future lives comes from Eve's theories and hopes for her friends. But, as stated, on their own, the characters didn't fell that strong, they were there to aid the plot and to Eve's emotional character arc. And while we could argue that secondary characters are there precisely for that, I like it better when they're well developed and feel like whole (or, almost whole) people with their own lives, which they share with the main characters.
Moreover when, towards the end, most of them got closure and Eve's narrates us what has happened to them and if they got to college after a couple jumps forward in time through summer and until august-september (near the start of college). Though some of them got forgotten in the way and that frustrated me to no end😂
Another issue, for me, is that the climax felt too long, extended and wrong out. Maybe it was my expectations of the story and thinking that one action marked the start of the climax, and, actually, the climax start when a future action to the one I thought happens. Either that, or maybe it was the resolution to the climax that was really stretched. By the end of the book, this length is justified, because Eve's character arc is given closure, we learn what has been of the rest of the cast and all plot points get resolver one way or another. But it all disturb me enough to mention it here. And, as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are some characters that get lost after serving their part to the plot and we don't know what has happened to them or a lot about them, not having been that well developed.
It could be because Eve is too busy with her problems and does not think about them, but since she mention some characters, it makes me think of laziness or forgetfulness from the author's part to not include some others that were important to Eve throughout the book.
I could talk all day about the book, I guess, but then I'll have to get into spoiler territory, and I do not want that, really, so I'll leave it here, let people decide if they want to read it base on my laid put opinions and thank y'all for reading so far.
Overall, I do recommend the book, is a great fiction story of real family situations, baby kidnapping cases, self discoveries quite by accident and coming of age in a toxic environment, isolated from the people that are actively trying to help you. Great commentary on mental health and serious issues that affect our society and should be more discussed. All laced with an amazing protagonist, an emotional ride that can hit close to home sometimes and sharp prose that never ridicules the heavy topics that is treating (unlikely other books that I've read, really). I'll definitely be checking other books from the author after this one.
October 5, 2024
This book is a whirlwind emotional ride. Impossible to put down, with shocking twists and heartbreaking truths, it’s truly an unforgettable story.
November 20, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Left-Handed Mitten Publications for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway” dives into a world of complex family trauma and mental illness, centering on Eve, a teenage girl forced to live in the shadow of her twin sister, Gen, who was kidnapped when they were just infants. Due to her mother's profound denial and mental health struggles, Eve's father compels her to assume the role of both twins, creating a life where she must alternate between her own identity and that of her missing sister. This bizarre, heartbreaking arrangement shapes Eve’s adolescence, leaving her grappling with her identity and unresolved grief.
The premise is both compelling and disturbing: from an early age, Eve is subjected to the psychological manipulation of embodying two personalities, effectively growing up haunted by a sister who exists only in her mind. Hooyenga’s exploration of Eve’s unraveling mind is immersive, depicting Eve’s unhealthy coping mechanisms, including conversations with her imagined version of Gen and carrying out “her” wishes. These habits evolve into what feels like a dual personality, amplifying Eve's emotional isolation.
As the story unfolds, Hooyenga focuses on Eve’s teenage experiences, including relationships complicated by lies and misunderstandings due to her fractured identity. While the story depicts some mature content, these elements are handled with care, depicting Eve’s complex journey toward self-discovery. There is also LGBTQ representation as Eve begins to recognize her bisexuality, adding another layer to her intricate identity. Hooyenga’s writing captures the nuance of mental illness, though I can’t believe the mother only went to a year of therapy when she has been in denial about her daughter’s kidnapping for over a decade. This is a family that would benefit from everyone going to therapy.
The plot is full of surprises, including two major twists that will leave you reeling. I was certainly not expecting either twist, both of which occur towards the end of the book. These twists, especially the ending, add unexpected dimensions to the story as they challenge notions of reality and you can really see the title come into play with the full unraveling of Eve.
Overall, “The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway” remains a gripping exploration of identity and mental illness. Through Eve’s story, Hooyenga crafts a memorable, if unsettling, tale of a girl lost between two selves, searching for wholeness in the midst of psychological turmoil. This dark, psychological novel is a raw journey that will captivate readers who enjoy stories that blur the line between reality and delusion.
“The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway” dives into a world of complex family trauma and mental illness, centering on Eve, a teenage girl forced to live in the shadow of her twin sister, Gen, who was kidnapped when they were just infants. Due to her mother's profound denial and mental health struggles, Eve's father compels her to assume the role of both twins, creating a life where she must alternate between her own identity and that of her missing sister. This bizarre, heartbreaking arrangement shapes Eve’s adolescence, leaving her grappling with her identity and unresolved grief.
The premise is both compelling and disturbing: from an early age, Eve is subjected to the psychological manipulation of embodying two personalities, effectively growing up haunted by a sister who exists only in her mind. Hooyenga’s exploration of Eve’s unraveling mind is immersive, depicting Eve’s unhealthy coping mechanisms, including conversations with her imagined version of Gen and carrying out “her” wishes. These habits evolve into what feels like a dual personality, amplifying Eve's emotional isolation.
As the story unfolds, Hooyenga focuses on Eve’s teenage experiences, including relationships complicated by lies and misunderstandings due to her fractured identity. While the story depicts some mature content, these elements are handled with care, depicting Eve’s complex journey toward self-discovery. There is also LGBTQ representation as Eve begins to recognize her bisexuality, adding another layer to her intricate identity. Hooyenga’s writing captures the nuance of mental illness, though I can’t believe the mother only went to a year of therapy when she has been in denial about her daughter’s kidnapping for over a decade. This is a family that would benefit from everyone going to therapy.
The plot is full of surprises, including two major twists that will leave you reeling. I was certainly not expecting either twist, both of which occur towards the end of the book. These twists, especially the ending, add unexpected dimensions to the story as they challenge notions of reality and you can really see the title come into play with the full unraveling of Eve.
Overall, “The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway” remains a gripping exploration of identity and mental illness. Through Eve’s story, Hooyenga crafts a memorable, if unsettling, tale of a girl lost between two selves, searching for wholeness in the midst of psychological turmoil. This dark, psychological novel is a raw journey that will captivate readers who enjoy stories that blur the line between reality and delusion.
November 22, 2024
Amazing premise with a mild execution and a character I could not find it in myself to like.
Ugh.
And it was such a promising story, too…
PLOT SUMMARY:
Eve Ellaway is suffering.
Forced to pretend to be her kidnapped twin sister in order to protect her mother’s fragile mind, all she wants in life is to escape home and attend college. But as her senior year progresses, Eve finds her carefully curated lies falling apart and her world changing unexpectedly.
Will she be able to keep up the charade until she leaves for college? Or was this fragile plan to protect her mother doomed from the start?
PLOT REVIEW:
First of all, this is a story about a lot of things. It’s a story about loss, grief, mental health, lies, growing up, and discovering one’s sexuality. These are very delicate topics that require a lot of care and understanding as they are typed out. I believe that Hooyenga did her best to do these topics justice and ended up succeeding.
But that doesn’t mean this was a good book.
To be clear, I didn’t hate it. The story was very unique and initially gripping, with a lot of twists and turns to keep you hooked. And the ending redeemed it quite a bit.
But I couldn’t, for the life of me, enjoy it much at all.
I found myself skimming and skipping, hoping the boring parts of the book would make way for interesting sections.
Unfortunately, even the most interesting aspects of this story weren’t enough for me to give it five stars.
To be sure, the plot is very unique and I did find the details of Eve’s ruse with her mother fascinating, but I never fully became immersed or enjoyed my time within these pages.
CHARACTERS:
I did not enjoy Eve at all.
She’s in a very precarious situation, I know, but her character is so inherently selfish and focused on herself that I just found myself turned off by the whole book. She isn’t good to her friends or her “boyfriend.”
I understand that this was intentional and done to show her slowly improving, and I DO appreciate the author trying to do this, but it was a huge miss for me. The character needs to have at least a few likable aspects about them in order for this type of growth to be successful.
But there was nothing to like about Eve.
And I’m also extremely confused about what happened with Sky. Did Eve just… kill her? It wasn’t made very clear what happened after Eve pushed her into the water, but I’m assuming that she’s dead.
And that Eve literally just killed her twin sister who had been kidnapped as a baby.
Wow.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
If I found my twin sister, by sheer coincidence, after years of her having been missing (kidnapped as a BABY, Eve!), I would be hugging her instead of killing her.
Yeah.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!
Ugh.
And it was such a promising story, too…
PLOT SUMMARY:
Eve Ellaway is suffering.
Forced to pretend to be her kidnapped twin sister in order to protect her mother’s fragile mind, all she wants in life is to escape home and attend college. But as her senior year progresses, Eve finds her carefully curated lies falling apart and her world changing unexpectedly.
Will she be able to keep up the charade until she leaves for college? Or was this fragile plan to protect her mother doomed from the start?
PLOT REVIEW:
First of all, this is a story about a lot of things. It’s a story about loss, grief, mental health, lies, growing up, and discovering one’s sexuality. These are very delicate topics that require a lot of care and understanding as they are typed out. I believe that Hooyenga did her best to do these topics justice and ended up succeeding.
But that doesn’t mean this was a good book.
To be clear, I didn’t hate it. The story was very unique and initially gripping, with a lot of twists and turns to keep you hooked. And the ending redeemed it quite a bit.
But I couldn’t, for the life of me, enjoy it much at all.
I found myself skimming and skipping, hoping the boring parts of the book would make way for interesting sections.
Unfortunately, even the most interesting aspects of this story weren’t enough for me to give it five stars.
To be sure, the plot is very unique and I did find the details of Eve’s ruse with her mother fascinating, but I never fully became immersed or enjoyed my time within these pages.
CHARACTERS:
I did not enjoy Eve at all.
She’s in a very precarious situation, I know, but her character is so inherently selfish and focused on herself that I just found myself turned off by the whole book. She isn’t good to her friends or her “boyfriend.”
I understand that this was intentional and done to show her slowly improving, and I DO appreciate the author trying to do this, but it was a huge miss for me. The character needs to have at least a few likable aspects about them in order for this type of growth to be successful.
But there was nothing to like about Eve.
And I’m also extremely confused about what happened with Sky. Did Eve just… kill her? It wasn’t made very clear what happened after Eve pushed her into the water, but I’m assuming that she’s dead.
And that Eve literally just killed her twin sister who had been kidnapped as a baby.
Wow.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
If I found my twin sister, by sheer coincidence, after years of her having been missing (kidnapped as a BABY, Eve!), I would be hugging her instead of killing her.
Yeah.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2024
Eve grows more unhinged as developments into her secret home life threaten to get exposed, but can she keep herself from unraveling before she has the opportunity to start a new life post high school?
The uniqueness of this story pulled me in from the start. I was intrigued by the depths of Eve's secrets, it seems like each person in her life knows a different side of her with no one, not even Eve, really knowing her true self. I was confused when Eve was having conversations with Gen at times and even more puzzled at Eve's desperate need to keep those conversations going, but overall those scenes served to carry the story forward. Eve is diagnosed near the end of the book, but she also admits that she isn't telling her doctor everything so I am not certain the author included the diagnosis to act as an actual answer or just as a filler to the story.
I wish the book would have revealed who kidnapped Eve's twin sister when they were babies. Even if it was another crazy twist, like the dad gave up Gen all along. This would have at least left all questions answered by the end of the book and the dad theory still wouldn't have felt too farfetched, since there was so much build up in Eve's hatred towards her father being the family manipulator throughout the course of the novel.
Eve is an unreliable narrator but the final two scenes really clash with one another, not because of what Eve believes happened which of course will be askew but because the author chose to include outsiders' testimonies to what happened and they don't line up with the actual outcome of the final event. I know that is super vague but I am also trying to not include spoilers. I only wanted to point this out because why even shift the novel's POV to 3rd person for .01% of the novel if it isn't even going to serve as truth?
Overall this book was just ok enough to keep me reading. Maybe if you're someone whose super into thrillers, twins, and mental health this story will read better for you.
The uniqueness of this story pulled me in from the start. I was intrigued by the depths of Eve's secrets, it seems like each person in her life knows a different side of her with no one, not even Eve, really knowing her true self. I was confused when Eve was having conversations with Gen at times and even more puzzled at Eve's desperate need to keep those conversations going, but overall those scenes served to carry the story forward. Eve is diagnosed near the end of the book, but she also admits that she isn't telling her doctor everything so I am not certain the author included the diagnosis to act as an actual answer or just as a filler to the story.
I wish the book would have revealed who kidnapped Eve's twin sister when they were babies. Even if it was another crazy twist, like the dad gave up Gen all along. This would have at least left all questions answered by the end of the book and the dad theory still wouldn't have felt too farfetched, since there was so much build up in Eve's hatred towards her father being the family manipulator throughout the course of the novel.
Eve is an unreliable narrator but the final two scenes really clash with one another, not because of what Eve believes happened which of course will be askew but because the author chose to include outsiders' testimonies to what happened and they don't line up with the actual outcome of the final event. I know that is super vague but I am also trying to not include spoilers. I only wanted to point this out because why even shift the novel's POV to 3rd person for .01% of the novel if it isn't even going to serve as truth?
Overall this book was just ok enough to keep me reading. Maybe if you're someone whose super into thrillers, twins, and mental health this story will read better for you.
January 14, 2025
First things first, thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC of this book for an HONEST review.
Secondly, I made a playlist for this book, check it out if you wanna listen to it while reading the book, or after reading the book. Listen to it on shuffle because nothing I ever do is organized (except for my reading journals and bookshelf.)
Link to playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/34H...
Now, onto the review....
Okay wow. I really loved this book.
It may or may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it was certainly mine! The book had my attention from the moment I read its description. You know, like when someone's describing some mysterious kinda creepy classmate you might have, and suddenly you wanna know everything about them?! That's the kind of feeling I got.
This is one of those stories where the character is the plot. The entire process of the quiet unravelling of Eve Ellaway was so enticingly hooking. I don't know how much to say without spoiling, but basically the book is follows the story of a girl name Eve, whose twin sister disappeared when they were babies, and since then, she's been living as both, Gen, and Eve.
The gradual character arc is so brilliantly written that I had to keep this one on hold so that the other thriller I was reading at the time doesn't feel too underwhelming in comparison.
There aren't many (or probably ANY, if you've read enough thrillers to predict what's next) plot twists to look out for in the book, but there ARE several moments that make you just look at the screen (if you're reading the Ebook) like, ".....Damn."
What to expect?
-A psychological story of an extremely complicated girl's Quiet and gradual unravelling.
=Ending (Whether it's happy, sad, tragic, ambiguous. Click to check ONLY if you want to know):
-A book where the flaws of the main character ARE the focus of the story.
-Dysfunctional family dynamics
What not to expect?
-Plot twists.
-Unrealistic character arcs.
Secondly, I made a playlist for this book, check it out if you wanna listen to it while reading the book, or after reading the book. Listen to it on shuffle because nothing I ever do is organized (except for my reading journals and bookshelf.)
Link to playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/34H...
Now, onto the review....
Okay wow. I really loved this book.
It may or may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it was certainly mine! The book had my attention from the moment I read its description. You know, like when someone's describing some mysterious kinda creepy classmate you might have, and suddenly you wanna know everything about them?! That's the kind of feeling I got.
This is one of those stories where the character is the plot. The entire process of the quiet unravelling of Eve Ellaway was so enticingly hooking. I don't know how much to say without spoiling, but basically the book is follows the story of a girl name Eve, whose twin sister disappeared when they were babies, and since then, she's been living as both, Gen, and Eve.
The gradual character arc is so brilliantly written that I had to keep this one on hold so that the other thriller I was reading at the time doesn't feel too underwhelming in comparison.
There aren't many (or probably ANY, if you've read enough thrillers to predict what's next) plot twists to look out for in the book, but there ARE several moments that make you just look at the screen (if you're reading the Ebook) like, ".....Damn."
What to expect?
-A psychological story of an extremely complicated girl's Quiet and gradual unravelling.
=Ending (Whether it's happy, sad, tragic, ambiguous. Click to check ONLY if you want to know):
-A book where the flaws of the main character ARE the focus of the story.
-Dysfunctional family dynamics
What not to expect?
-Plot twists.
-Unrealistic character arcs.
December 19, 2024
The cover and the title grabbed my attention immediately. The premise of the unraveling is quite unique and I was ready for something different to read. Along with Eve and let’s just say Gen, as well, readers, from the outset, enter a world of complex family trauma and mental illness. The story fully centers on Eve, a teenage girl forced to live in the shadow of her twin sister, Gen, who was kidnapped as an infant and was never seen again. Eve’s mother refuses to accept the loss of her daughter and views Eve sometimes as herself and many times as her twin, Gen. I wondered why Eve would perpetuate the ruse but realize I must understand she was protecting her mother and her profound denial and mental health struggles. Even Eve's father buys into the ridiculous ploy and compels his daughter, to assume the role of both twins, creating a life where she must alternate between her own identity and that of her missing sister. This bizarre, heartbreaking arrangement shapes Eve’s adolescence, leaving her grappling with her own identity and unresolved grief.
As the story pretty slowly unfolds, the author focuses on Eve’s teenage experiences, including relationships complicated by lies and misunderstandings due to her fractured home life. But once you get into Eve’s story, the plot is full of surprises, including two major twists that left me incredulous, as I was not preoared for either twist, both occurring toward the end of the book.
Overall, this psychological thriller is a well written gripping exploration of identity and mental illness. You may find situations unsettling, as Eve searches for wholeness in the midst of psychological turmoil.
If you like dark, disturbing novels, you will be captivated examining this teen’s life that blurs between reality and delusional.
As the story pretty slowly unfolds, the author focuses on Eve’s teenage experiences, including relationships complicated by lies and misunderstandings due to her fractured home life. But once you get into Eve’s story, the plot is full of surprises, including two major twists that left me incredulous, as I was not preoared for either twist, both occurring toward the end of the book.
Overall, this psychological thriller is a well written gripping exploration of identity and mental illness. You may find situations unsettling, as Eve searches for wholeness in the midst of psychological turmoil.
If you like dark, disturbing novels, you will be captivated examining this teen’s life that blurs between reality and delusional.
January 9, 2025
This is a book I quite literally couldn't put down! I read this in one sitting (while staying up entirely too late for a work night) as I had to know where the story was going and how it would end. After finishing the book, I would describe it as haunting. I felt both sad and angry for the MC, Eve, as she had to carry the burden of losing her twin sister and having no support from her own family, who, in fact, made the situation much, much worse. The fact that Eve doesn't see what's happening as abuse initially is sad, and it's heartbreaking when she does recognize and call what is happening to her abuse. This is a heavy book as it deals with mental health issues, abuse, loss, and sexuality through the eyes of a teenager living in an unstable home. While some people feel that the book gets too repetitive in the middle, I think it makes sense as Eve is ruminating on the issues in her life. If you've ever dealt with mental illness firsthand, you may understand getting stuck in your own head and the repetitive thoughts that cycle constantly, so I find that it makes sense for Eve to be thinking over and doing the same things without actually making the changes she desperately wants to. My only critique is that the book shifts between reading as a YA book and an adult book throughout the story, so a more focused voice in the writing on either side would make for a stronger overall narrative.
I like how the book ends and feel like everything was resolved in a satisfying manner. I want to go more in depth about the ending, but that would be full of major spoilers. Overall I think it was an excellent book, and I hope Melanie Hooyenga writes more psychological thrillers in the future.
Thank you Netgalley and Melanie Hooyenga and the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I like how the book ends and feel like everything was resolved in a satisfying manner. I want to go more in depth about the ending, but that would be full of major spoilers. Overall I think it was an excellent book, and I hope Melanie Hooyenga writes more psychological thrillers in the future.
Thank you Netgalley and Melanie Hooyenga and the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 17, 2025
*fun lil theory at the end of this review!*
4.25 star
This book…. Wow. I’m not usually one to go for YA thrillers, but this one had me hooked! The characters and their development were great.
*spoilers!*
I love that Hooyenga took stereotypical high school roles and twisted them. Wes, for example, who was “popular” was actually very down to earth and had great compassion.
I also loved that we know exactly what Eve was thinking and how her mind works. Yes, it’s written in first person, but a lot of the adult thrillers I read sometimes miss big details in their inner monologue. We know when Eve was upset, angry, depressed, confused, and so forth. I never questioned her motive for anything, even when it was “Gen” talking.
The pace of this book was pretty good. I felt engaged the whole time and I wanted to read it all in one shot but my eyes get tired before my brain does most nights :(
Only reason why this is a 4 star is because I wish we got a little more time with Sky! Like why she got kidnapped and by who!
My theory is Eve was kidnapped and “Eve” is ACTUALLY Gen. Her dad felt so guilty and awful for practically letting Eve get taken that he said Gen got kidnapped. That could also be why she naturally played “Gen” for her and her mom’s special time? Just a fun theory I thought of!
^or maybe the dad wanted the kidnapping to happen all along and to cover up his tracks he made mom believe the girls were both present because he started feeling guilty.
I hope this book gains traction because this is excellent premise for a movie one day!!!
Shoutout to NetGalley for allowing me to red an ARC of TQUOEE in exchange for my honest review!
4.25 star
This book…. Wow. I’m not usually one to go for YA thrillers, but this one had me hooked! The characters and their development were great.
*spoilers!*
I love that Hooyenga took stereotypical high school roles and twisted them. Wes, for example, who was “popular” was actually very down to earth and had great compassion.
I also loved that we know exactly what Eve was thinking and how her mind works. Yes, it’s written in first person, but a lot of the adult thrillers I read sometimes miss big details in their inner monologue. We know when Eve was upset, angry, depressed, confused, and so forth. I never questioned her motive for anything, even when it was “Gen” talking.
The pace of this book was pretty good. I felt engaged the whole time and I wanted to read it all in one shot but my eyes get tired before my brain does most nights :(
Only reason why this is a 4 star is because I wish we got a little more time with Sky! Like why she got kidnapped and by who!
My theory is Eve was kidnapped and “Eve” is ACTUALLY Gen. Her dad felt so guilty and awful for practically letting Eve get taken that he said Gen got kidnapped. That could also be why she naturally played “Gen” for her and her mom’s special time? Just a fun theory I thought of!
^or maybe the dad wanted the kidnapping to happen all along and to cover up his tracks he made mom believe the girls were both present because he started feeling guilty.
I hope this book gains traction because this is excellent premise for a movie one day!!!
Shoutout to NetGalley for allowing me to red an ARC of TQUOEE in exchange for my honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2024
To the outside world, she's Eve. Eve's twin sister Gen was kidnapped age 2. Her mother had a mental breakdown and refuses to accept reality, so her father decided to train Eve to act as both herself and her twin to keep her mum happy. At home, she's both Eve and Gen.
The blurb alone was wild enough for me to really want to love this book!
The story gets even wilder when
Wow
What did I just read??? I have no words, this novel is amazing. I read in one sitting (seriously, cancel all your plans). The chapters are short and straight-to-the-point. An absolutely page turner with an incredible ending.
Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher and author for my advanced review copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The blurb alone was wild enough for me to really want to love this book!
The story gets even wilder when
Wow
What did I just read??? I have no words, this novel is amazing. I read in one sitting (seriously, cancel all your plans). The chapters are short and straight-to-the-point. An absolutely page turner with an incredible ending.
Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher and author for my advanced review copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 8, 2025
A story that both pulls you in and enrages you, Melanie Hooyenga’s The Quiet Unravelling of Eve Ellaway takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions that has you both wanting to protect and scold the protagonist. Eve is on the verge of graduating high school, excited for the opportunity to reinvent herself, just like any other high schooler. But unlike the rest, Eve’s reinvention means leaving her twin sister, Gen, behind. The twist? Gen was kidnapped as an infant, and for her entire life, Eve has been both herself and Gen in a twisted charade started by her father to protect her mother’s fragile psyche. Though eager to leave her other identity behind, Eve becomes increasingly dependent upon the identity of Gen she has created in her mind.
Both tenacious and fragile, Hooyenga’s character of Eve resonates with the desire to belong, to be independent, and to be seen for who you are. But nothing is ever as it seems in Eve’s life, and the twists, turns, and revelations will have readers hungry to find out what happens next in this surprising psychological YA thriller.
*Received a free ARC for an honest review
Both tenacious and fragile, Hooyenga’s character of Eve resonates with the desire to belong, to be independent, and to be seen for who you are. But nothing is ever as it seems in Eve’s life, and the twists, turns, and revelations will have readers hungry to find out what happens next in this surprising psychological YA thriller.
*Received a free ARC for an honest review
February 7, 2025
I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
This book was a trip. When the two girls were infants, Eve's twin sister was taken while they were at the park with their father. To protect her mother's mental stability, her father devises a plan for Eve to play the role of both herself and her missing sister, complete with wardrobe and separate interests. While attempting to do as her father requested, Eve slowly loses her hold on reality.
This world was nuts! I felt so bad for her. She wanted to be her own person and should have been able to do so. I am unsure how I feel about this book because I wanted to slap her father. I can't even review this book like I want to because I am going to spoil it. For her to endure this abuse for as long as she did...ugh!
I honestly couldn't put this book down because I wanted to know what happened in the end. Well done, Melanie; you held my attention when I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Left-Handed Mitten Publications | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles, and Melanie Hooyenga for the ARC of this book.
This book was a trip. When the two girls were infants, Eve's twin sister was taken while they were at the park with their father. To protect her mother's mental stability, her father devises a plan for Eve to play the role of both herself and her missing sister, complete with wardrobe and separate interests. While attempting to do as her father requested, Eve slowly loses her hold on reality.
This world was nuts! I felt so bad for her. She wanted to be her own person and should have been able to do so. I am unsure how I feel about this book because I wanted to slap her father. I can't even review this book like I want to because I am going to spoil it. For her to endure this abuse for as long as she did...ugh!
I honestly couldn't put this book down because I wanted to know what happened in the end. Well done, Melanie; you held my attention when I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Left-Handed Mitten Publications | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles, and Melanie Hooyenga for the ARC of this book.
June 22, 2025
The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway is a beautifully-written, emotional story of young woman who is forced to take on two identities to preserve her mother's health. Eve's twin was kidnapped when they were babies, and while most families would grieve and move on, Eve's father forces her to pretend to be both twins each day for her mother's sake. Eve's mom has locked herself away in her bedroom, only surviving because of her "two" daughters visits each night. As Eve gets closer to graduation and leaving for college, all of her lies begin to surface, and her well-constructed life begins to crumble.
While the story is unique and emotional and the prose is lovely, I did not overly enjoy The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway. While it was advertised as a mystery/thriller, it really wasn't. The story is extremely dark and tragic. I found the pacing to be quite slow at times. I also didn't really connect with any of the characters, and there were some storylines that were unnecessary. In particular, I thought all the time focused on Cal didn't add anything to the overall plot. Simply, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped.
While the story is unique and emotional and the prose is lovely, I did not overly enjoy The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway. While it was advertised as a mystery/thriller, it really wasn't. The story is extremely dark and tragic. I found the pacing to be quite slow at times. I also didn't really connect with any of the characters, and there were some storylines that were unnecessary. In particular, I thought all the time focused on Cal didn't add anything to the overall plot. Simply, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped.
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