2023-08-31
In order to get even, a teen from a modest background infiltrates an exclusive, ultrarich social circle.
Shannon Jones has just landed on the Italian island of Fengari as Lydia Cornwallis, a socialite teen who’s ready to mingle. This isn’t something Shannon is doing for the fun of getting to be around some wealthy elites; she left London ready to pull off her carefully plotted revenge. Last summer, Shannon’s mother was a seasonal domestic helper at Clifftop House, home of the Harrington family. There, her mum witnessed sisters Annabel and Emily Harrington continually persecute Bobby, a young gardener. Later, his body mysteriously washed up in a cove. Shortly after that, Shannon’s mum died. Now Shannon is impersonating Lydia, the daughter of the Harringtons’ family friends. With help from the real Lydia, who thinks it’s all just a fun prank, she’s ready to fake her way into Annabel and Emily’s orbit. Not even the threat of a hurricane can ruin her plan. While the middle picks up after a slow start, the resolution feels rushed. These pacing issues are compounded by the fact that the teen characters largely feel interchangeable, and the romance storyline seems disconnected from the rest of the plot. Evil characters whom readers will love to hate are the most attractive element, but the ending, in which they should get their comeuppance, is unsatisfying. Most characters read white.
An enticing setup that doesn’t deliver on its promises. (Thriller. 14-18)
