Eighteen years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, a loving, philanthropic couple from America visit the Little Miracles Girls’ Home in Sri Lanka to adopt one of the young children. The girls all hope they will be the lucky one chosen. Mrs. Evans is enchanted by young Paloma who is reading Wuthering Heights, a favorite book of hers. She sees it as a sign that she has found her new daughter. In present day, Paloma is not living her best life. She drinks too much and is delusional. Her roommate Arun learns a secret from Paloma’s past and blackmails her. When Paloma discovers Arun murdered in her apartment, there are no signs of him once the police arrive. No traces of any foul play appear on the building’s security tapes. Paloma decides to get away and spend some time at her parents' house while they are traveling. Even more incidents start occurring that have her doubting everything. And will the secret from her past remain hidden?
My Sweet Girl is a tense, haunting psychological thriller told in alternating timelines - the present in San Francisco and in flashbacks back at the orphanage in Sri Lanka. Paloma is a classic unreliable narrator. She’s racked with guilt being the one who was chosen to leave the orphanage and she’s grown into an unpleasant, bitchy young woman. (Some of her snarky thoughts are quite funny.) She’s living a nightmare that we’re brought right into.
Author Amanda Jayatissa has created a dark, suspenseful, twisty story.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this impressive debut novel in advance of its September 14, 2021 publication.
Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.
Psychological Thriller / Mystery / Suspense.
Publication Date: September 14, 2021.
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