Frito Lay

by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

New York Times’ best-selling author Miranda Beverly-Whittemore weaves a dreamy, suspenseful tale: a clever child’s recollection of a summer's day turned frightening.

Francesca, Kelly, and Kelly's teenage sister Amanda are only meant to spend several hours at the pool together, while their professor parents finish up an afternoon of work at their lush, Oregon college. The younger girls are caught up in hair braiding and Marco Polo, but Amanda is poised on the cusp of an adult realm bursting with cruel secrets. When the girls run into a beautiful, anxious woman and her toddler, Amanda starts to act in ways that may well transform an unremarkable day into a dark turning point in all their lives.

By turns enchanting and terrifying, and always bursting with vivid emotion, “Frito Lay” brings us deep into our own childhood memories, reminding us that the dark and sinister were never quite as far away as we might have believed.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

22 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2015

About the author

I love to meet with book clubs, especially via Zoom. Please email me: mirandabeverlywhittemore@gmail.com and we can work something out!

I write novels, and most of those novels have to do with secrets. My fifth book, FIERCE LITTLE THING, will be out from Flatiron Books on July 27, 2021.

Set in the backwoods of Maine, FIERCE LITTLE THING has been described as "The Girls" meets "The Interestings." It's about a woman who is blackmailed into returning to Maine and the cult of her youth when someone threatens to reveal the terrible deed she committed with her childhood friends.

My other novels include JUNE and New York Times bestseller BITTERSWEET.

Check out more about me and my work at MirandaBW.com, on Instagram: @MirandaBW1 and Twitter: @MirandaBW.

Reviews

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short story, but I didn’t understand why FRITO LAY was a story. I could understand if it was part of a book, but as a short story, not do much.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A summer afternoon relaxing at the pool is something Francesca will never forget. We get to see the story from the view point of a young teenager. You will feel the emotion in her words and thoughts. The three main characters are all very realistic.

In just 22 pages, the author gives us a well developed storyline. Her way with words will make you feel as if you are there with the characters. I could almost hear the sounds of children splashing in the pool, the smell of chlorine in the pool, the taste of Fritos and ice cream and I could definitely feel the tension as it built up.

Although this was a short story, I would love for it to be a prequel. I would enjoy reading more about Francesca, Kelly and Amanda.

If you are looking for a suspense filled story, this is an excellent one! It can be read in one sitting and will not be soon forgotten. I highly recommend it!

* I was provided a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

[Victoria Fullard · Rating 4 out of 5]

In FRITO LAY, Beverly-Whittemore, as she did in BITTERSWEET, uses the perspective of a less affluent and less worldly protagonist to explore power dynamics, romantic entanglements, and the peculiarities of youthful female friendship. The author skillfully tells the reader quite a lot with only a few words--critical for achieving the story's depth, given its short length. And she does an equally good job of ratcheting up the tension leading up to the high-stakes climax. My only disappointment, really, was that I was left wanting to see/know/experience a little more about some of the characters.

I'm typically more of a novel reader, but some short stories, maybe because they are short enough that some things are inevitably left unsaid, can really capture the imagination in the best possible way. I'd put FRITO LAY in that camp.

[Amber Strawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If asked to describe Frito Lay in one word, I'd immediately say 'ominous.' The story is short but very well developed. Beverly-Whittemore once again excels at creating characters who are both reachable and gut wrenching. She has a talent for writing characters who are evil at the core, and it's both intriguing and disturbing, like a gruesome scene from which you can't look away. Frito Lay feels completely ominous from the very first page, but there's a surprising twist at the end which made me immensely happy. Though brief, the story will draw you in immediately and keep your attention to the last word. If you're already a fan of Beverly-Whittemore's work, you'll love Frito Lay. If you're new to the author, start here and move on to Bittersweet next. Recommended for fans of short stories and suspense fiction.

I received a copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

[Tracy Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the conflict rose, I was screaming at Amanda. What in the world was she doing? How could she be so cruel? Then, Beverly-Whittemore smoothly showed exactly why Amanda's actions were understandable, if still cruel. This masterful twist left me thinking about the story long afterwards--why did I judge Amanda so harshly? What lessons does Francesca, the young narrator, learn from this afternoon? Like Beverly-Whittemore's other writing, this story is so well-rendered that you can almost smell the chlorine of this afternoon in the pool. Yet there's plenty of room for the reader's imagination to carry on long after the last page. I only wish we had more a longer work to enjoy--maybe Beverly-Whittemore will expand into a novel!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

At a mere twenty-two pages, Frito Lay by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore is a complete tale that packs a veritable wallop. What begins as a normal summer afternoon by the pool soon takes a precipitous turn. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't comment further on the plot, but I will say that I found the story to be dramatic, slightly dark, and utterly absorbing. Told from the viewpoint of a young teenage girl, the author has done a skillful job conveying the heightened emotions and almost reverential interest in older teens that is typical of the age. Fans of Ms. Beverly-Whittemore will no doubt enjoy this story. Thank you to DailyLit for the advance review copy.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Short Story.

[Isabelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t understand the point of it? It’s barely suspenseful. Mostly it just describes a literally child’s breasts. Slightly uncomfortable at most.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

More than anything, this is just SAD. Which means it's well done, I suppose.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takes a little while to get into for a short story - a little more exposition than I feel was necessary for the actual plot that happens over an afternoon. Once the climax comes though, I was hooked and was dying to know what was going on with the older sister. The actual conclusion was a little unworthy of the suspense, but wasn't bad.

[Beth Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this wasn't what I was thinking it would be. I chose it based entirely on the great title and the cover. This is good short fiction, depicting that pivotal moment as a tween, when you begin to realize the world is bigger, scarier and more real but you still can't understand why or how. You're only aware that you want to go home. Damn, kids can be cold. Adults forget that.

[shannon Stubbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intersting

It was short but interesting. It got you thinking about all the bad things that could have happened. It also let on that the girls knew what was going on with their parents.

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little short story about pre-teens and teens fitting-in on a college campus where their parents work.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just dumb.

[Maryann Fox]

just a sneak peek at the book-doesn't give you enough to decide whether you want to read the book or not-will maybe get form public library later this summer.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too short.