It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica
Reviewed by Jules Grant, Associate Editor & Literary Critic
Jules’s Ratings
- Overall Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐
- Plot: ⭐⭐⭐
- Characters: ⭐⭐
- Writing: ⭐⭐⭐
- Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Synopsis
Courtney Gray and her family go on vacation at a couple of lakeside cottages. She wakes up to find that her brother and sister-in-law were murdered and that her niece, Reese, is missing.
Review
This was my first Mary Kubica novel, and I know she’s pretty popular, so I was incredibly excited to dive in. I liked the then-and-now timeline as well as the dual perspectives — the structure pulled me through the story and kept me intrigued the whole way. Even the setting of the woods and the lake provided clues and red herrings, which I appreciated.
However, every single person in the book was incredibly unlikable. The children also felt very much like a caricature of actual children — never have I met a child who acts like the kids in this book.
I actually did like the ending, while I was also frustrated as to why everything ensued. It felt like Kubica left us, as readers, with this philosophical question about what makes someone a “bad person.” Leaving you with this: it most definitely was not her.
I hope you enjoyed this review — stay tuned for my next one!
— Jules
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