Something borrowed, something red, something stolen, and something dead…
Virginia (Ginny) Walters is deeply in love with her boyfriend, Malcolm. Unfortunately for her, so is her best friend, Alden. By the time Ginny realizes this, the pair have already fallen for each other. Quelle betrayal! So much for a summer of fun with her main two.
Despite her heartache, Ginny finds ways to cope, immersing herself in her part-time job at the local bakery, and indulging an unexpected summer fling with hot-boy-next-door Seth. She even tries to resuscitate her friendship with Alden, something easier said than done. Malcolm had been Ginny’s world, and Alden stole him right out from under her nose. But the tension between former BFFs only intensifies when Malcolm suddenly goes missing, and Alden’s behavior suggests she might’ve had something to do with it.
Even as her relationship with Seth deepens into something real, Ginny becomes consumed with finding out what really happened to Malcolm, spying on Alden only to discover she’s nowhere near the girl Ginny thought she was. And what’s worse, Alden now seems to have her sights set on Seth, provoking Ginny to do whatever it takes to confirm her increasingly disturbing suspicions—even if it means stopping her former best friend for good.
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, This Hideous Heart explores what happens when paranoid jealousy spirals into dangerous obsession.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: High schooler Ginny is head-over-heels for her boyfriend Malcolm - but so is her best friend, Alden. By the time Ginny realizes that Malcolm is reciprocating Alden's feelings, it's too late, and their relationship is doomed. After Malcolm breaks up with her, Ginny tries to make the best of the summer-including a brief rebound relationship with a neighbor boy-but when Malcolm inexplicably disappears, and an unexpected tragedy strikes, Ginny's world is turned upside down. The pace is quick, and the story is as twisty as it is entertaining.
Prose: The author's style is effortless, uncomplicated, and straightforward, with concise prose that effectively lands every scene.
Originality: Despite a somewhat clichéd ending, the story is engaging, and the author strikes a nice balance between romance and suspense.
Character/Execution: The characters are believable and likable; Ginny is the most fully developed, treated with an intimacy that allows readers an increasing understanding of her obsessive behavior as the story progresses.
Date Submitted: June 06, 2023
