Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia

I haven't had a whole lot of time to read--that's what happens when there's big holidays and I'm trying to finish writing a book of my own.

When I received a copy in the mail of Everything You Want Me to Be from the publisher, Simon and Schuster, I knew it would take me a while to read it. At first I read it in spurts, but as I got near the end and knew that it wasn't going to turn out the way it was headed, I couldn't stop until I finished.

The story comes from the three main characters: Hattie, a senior in highschool; the sheriff, Del Goodman, and the new  and not so happily married English teacher, Peter.

As the book progresses we learn about Hattie's obsession toward her teacher, his feelings toward her, about her family and her school friends, including her convenient boy friend, Tommy.

The author does an excellent job of getting inside the Hattie's head and her emotions, and her ability to manipulate everyone around her

As the story progresses, though it looks like everything is going to revolve one way, it takes a jolting twist--and then another. 

Though someone compared it to the bestseller Gone Girl  I think it was far better. The narrators were reliable in this tale--but the outcome was surprising, though believable.

Marilyn