What Has Become of You

Spoilers, a little. Whatever. This book is so NOT thrilling, it doesn't even matter.

So, one would think I would know better than to trust reviews on the back of a book. I think I'm done with thrillers, except for the ones I stumble upon accidentally.

This book was supposed to be creepy, thrilling and chilling, disturbing. What it actually is: More women/girls in peril, because apparently people only ever kill women , but THIS TIME, the main perpetrator (although she doesn't want to get her hands dirty, I guess?) is a young girl herself! A smart girl who is apparently psychopathic.

Our main character Vera Lundy–an unbearable Mary Sue if ever there was one–leaves a job to take another job at a girls' private school teaching literature. She feels a bond with one strange girl in particular, who reminds her of herself at a young age. Young girl is actually an awful person. Teacher is also a moron. Problems and death ensue.

Seriously. The book spends the beginning over-explaining obvious things. Bu then it dumps the end on you pointlessly. The red herring is barely red at all. It's more of an off-white, an ecru, it's so non-existent.
Nothing really makes sense, because the author doesn't seem to quite have a grasp on criminals or police procedure, even though her main character is into true-crime. There are also things that happen that seem improbable, as if the author just wants things to fit her idea of her own plot, no matter how little sense it makes. Not big things. More like little, everyday things.

And Vera. Not only is she dull, she's an idiot. I don't believe she went to Princeton. I barely believe she got a grad degree at all.

This book started out all right. But it misses so many opportunities because we have to walk through the entire thing holding Vera's hand, and she's a daft character. Our erstwhile villain is far more interesting, but she disappears partway through and only toys with people in a limited way. There are potential racial issues that are pretty much dropped too. More red herrings. And by the time I got to the midway point, I was almost tempted to stop reading, because it was all getting so tedious. And it was a trifle pretentious too. That's unforgivable. Do not be pretentious about a daftly written book!

No, I do not recommend this book. It was a quick read. That's really all I can say about it.