A few of you recommended that I read this book! It is NOT a thriller but it is incredibly suspenseful, and while drawing you in with a page-turning plot it is also a complex look at the constructs of both race and class. Ivy Lin is a thief and a liar, raised by her Chinese grandmother (who teaches her how to steal) and intense (borderline abusive) parents. She grows up poor in a suburb of Boston, attending private school. There, she develops an obsession with Gideon Speyer, the golden boy with the perfect life from a wealthy political family. Years later, after college, she reconnects with Gideon’s sister Sylvia. Gideon and her begin dating, fulfilling Ivy’s wildest dreams. Suddenly, her life is glamorous and exciting: fancy dinners and parties, weekends at the family beach house… Ivy has everything she’s ever wanted! But then (ominous music!) another man emerges from Ivy’s past. His presence threatens to upheave everything she’s worked so hard for and she is forced to decide what she really wants and figure out who she really is. This book is dark and suspenseful, with slight Talented Mr. Ripley vibes. I really enjoyed it. The middle does lag a bit, but I didn’t mind as it’s so sharply and perceptively written! Highly recommend.
the stripe
by GRACE ATWOOD
The Stripe is a lifestyle blog for the stylish bookworm. Since its first post in 2010, it has aimed to be a daily source of inspiration for the modern woman. Written by Grace Atwood, The Stripe aims to leave you feeling like you just had coffee with a great girlfriend: savvier, more confident, and always learning something new.