One of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose

 

ONE OF US IS DEAD has big May Cob energy. Someone asked me what this was about and I said it was like Real Housewives of Atlanta crossed with one of those cheesy murder shows. Our cast of bitchy character is as follows: Shannon, the ex-queen bee, now cringing in shame at being ousted from society and her marriage; Olivia, the new queen bee and possible sociopath, who will stop at nothing to get to the top; Keisha and Jenny, the employees of the poshest salon in town; Karen, a realtor with a failing marriage; and Crystal, the trophy wife who ousted Shannon from her own marriage (accidentally, ofc).

This is one of those books where everyone is horrible and hard to root for but that makes it extra fun. "What are these awful women going to do next?" I asked myself, as I turned the pages gleefully, supporting women's wrongs. Jeneva Rose is very good at writing flawed and compelling female characters and twist endings. Every time I think I've got it all figured out, she ends up surprising me.

One of the criticisms I've seen for this book is that the writing is repetitive and not "good," and yeah, if you're picking this up expecting Donna Tartt's Little Friend or even Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects, you're going to be disappointed. Honestly, this is like a beach read with a little bit of glitter trash influence, courtesy of Jackie Collins. The focus isn't on telling a beautiful story so much as a compelling one that keeps you turning pages. I didn't like this one as much as her other book, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE, because the middle was a bit of a repetitive slog, but apart from that, I thought this book was both amusing and memorable. The perfect quick read.

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars