Two former best friends, both seventeen-year-old girls, are in a speeding car together. It crashes and one girl dies, while the other is unscathed. It isn't an accident, that's almost certain. There are two sides to this story, and interestingly, our dead girl is able to tell hers. The book is formatted such that reading from one side reveals Syl's perspective, while flipping it over from the other reveals Viola's. And finally, in the centre of the book, is the truth of what happened the night of Syl's death.
Syl has had a hard life. She was never loved by her parents, and instead grew up spending more time with Viola's family than she did with her own. Unfortunately, they grow apart, because Viola is an inconsistent friend, who ignores Syl when she is sick of her, and emotionally manipulates her to get her back when she needs her. Both of them live in the inappropriately named Love Hill, a town full of homogeneous rich families with no tolerance for differences. Syl has secrets that no one in Love Hill can find out.
Viola doesn't have it easy either. On the surface, it seems like she has it all; caring parents, a loyal best friend, and a perfect boyfriend. Is Syl really that great a friend, though? Or does she just pretend to be perfect? She is clingy, after all, and seems to be the daughter Viola's parents wish they had instead of her. That is enough for resentment to arise. It only gets worse when Viola's family implodes, and Syl's family has something to do with it.
Over two years, we watch the drama unfold in Love Hill, especially in the high school which Syl and Viola attend. All events lead to Syl's death, which, surprisingly, isn't the only one that takes place.
I am not sure how to feel about this book. The author has tried to create complex main characters, neither of whom is telling the complete truth. Depending on whose side one starts with, I am certain that there is room for bias to creep in. I started with Syl's side, and I definitely favoured her for most of the book. However, I have to say that Viola, although having visibly antisocial tendencies, is much more self-aware than Syl. This shows a deep grasp on human nature on the author's part; no one is perfect, and it is very difficult to say who is 'better' between two people. Unfortunately, this understanding seems to be partial. Even if the narrators are unreliable, over time, I have come to expect a certain consistency in character, which was lacking. I often found myself confused, and I cannot decide whether the characters are just that cleverly developed, or whether some more work could have been done on making each of them cohesive.
The plot was certainly dramatic, but it had the strange quality of simultaneously seeming to have too much and nothing going on. As a result, I was both frustrated and bored as I read, which I had not previously thought possible. Readers were shown exact conversations and events from both Syl's and Viola's perspectives, and while their opinions differ greatly, repeating the facts in both parts of the books seemed a bit unnecessary. Of course, for any random reader, it is undetermined which side they will start with, and in that aspect, it is important to give context on each side. I wonder if there is a way to do that without copying and pasting dialogue.
Without the subplot about Annie, it would have been hard for Syl to tell her story, but it seemed random and out of place nonetheless. The truth, while unexpected, and without overly exaggerated shock value, was disappointing. Due to the repetition and dragging of the story, I struggled to get through the book. I respect the author's attempt at a fresh concept, and I can appreciate the difficulties in writing such a book. With some more work, the book could have been more engaging and truly impressive. It was a good try, but I am not sure I would recommend this book.
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