I'm Not Done with You Yet

First half was a slow burn, a depressing and tough slog. Then several good twists followed by an unclear ending.

In Jesse Q. Sutanto's psychological thriller, Jane will stop at nothing to reclaim her lost friend and literary muse, Thalia, no matter the cost. This was a consuming book that I just couldn't put down.

Summary:
In this suspenseful novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, Jane, a struggling writer stuck in an unsatisfying marriage, harbors an obsession with rekindling her lost friendship with Thalia. Thalia was her only true friend during their Oxford days nine years ago. Jane's life was at its peak back then—filled with cobblestones and English air, so different from her home in Oakland, and the warmth of Thalia's friendship. However, a fateful, blood-soaked night severed their bond, leading to Thalia's mysterious disappearance.

Jane's quest to find Thalia takes a surprising turn when she discovers that Thalia is now a best-selling author with a book convention appearance in New York City. Determined not to lose her friend again, Jane impulsively heads to New York.

As she joins the convention, Jane resolves to make things right and resurrect their friendship. However, beneath the surface, dark secrets and hidden motives begin to unravel, raising the stakes in this gripping tale of friendship, obsession, and suspense.

Review:
The first 20% of the book was grating. I didn't like Jane. She is emotionally stunted, stuck in the mind of a short-tempered and somewhat petulant teen. Her view of the world was tinted by her upbringing, filled with emotional neglect and Jane's mother's middling expectations for her life.

Deeply unhappy in her life and marriage, she clings to memories of Thalia, a classmate and dear friend in her writing program at Oxford. Jane is hung up on the high she feels around Thalia, the pages of prose inspired by her that initially earned Jane respect from teachers and interest from students. Thalia shined even brighter as a writer, but Jane loved her for it. In Jane's eyes, Thalia was a treasure – but one to be hoarded. I don't want to give too much away, but the cat-and-mouse game was quite fun.

While there were some issues with pacing in the first and last quarters of the book, I enjoyed it! I'm not a suspense thriller reader, by any means, but now I'm down to read a few more books in this genre. Similar book recommendations are welcome!

4/5 stars

It's just twist after twist after TWIST. Holy crap, what an awesome story.