One step too far

This is going to be a hard one to review, mainly because the entire plot revolves around a huge plot twist that I refuse to spoil for you. So, yes, this will be a vague review. It doesn't help that I'm entirely on the fence about my feelings anyway. One Step Too Far started out wonderfully. I was intrigued by Emily and her backstory, wondering what on Earth would cause her to walk away from her seemingly perfect life. Then, things took a turn that I wasn't expecting. Normally I would have loved that. In this case though, it felt rushed. I'll expand below.

Points go to Tina Seskis for crafting characters who are like night and day. Emily and her twin sister Caroline couldn't be more different if they tried. The fact that their childhood was laid bare, that we were able to see where the rift between them stemmed from, made Emily more real for me. I had no love for Caroline, no pity for her, and I'm not sure that I was meant to either. Emily shone through as a character who was lost, hurting, and broken. I didn't always agree with her choices, but I liked her well enough. That's the main reason why I made it to the end of this book. Although Emily's new life was sudden, and tough, I wanted her to succeed. I really did.

Which is why I was so frustrated at the ending to this book. The plot twist that I mentioned above didn't make me feel surprised in a positive way. It actually made me angry. I felt like I had been knowingly misdirected. That I had spent the entire story feeling sorry for Emily, feeling proud of her for fighting so hard for a new life. When I finally figured out why she left in the first place, I was angry. It's probably just me, and that's perfectly fine. It's the truth though.

The first three-quarters of this book were great. Full of a great feeling of tension and mystery. Full of interesting characters and all matter of problems for Emily to face. If only the ending had been more satisfying, this would have made a four star read for me.