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The Guilty Friend
Cambridge, 1986. Alex, Karen, and Misty are an inseparable trio at Cambridge University – one can never be found far from the others. But when Alex dies suddenly, the remaining two friends can’t look one another in the eye – knowing they both had a part to play in her death.
Present day. Misty and Karen haven’t spoken in years, but, convinced she has seen a picture of Alex alive, Karen doesn’t know who else to turn to. She soon becomes obsessed with a past she thought she’d left behind her… and her life begins to spiral out of control.
Because, when you’re living in the past, who is keeping an eye on the present?
Present day. Misty and Karen haven’t spoken in years, but, convinced she has seen a picture of Alex alive, Karen doesn’t know who else to turn to. She soon becomes obsessed with a past she thought she’d left behind her… and her life begins to spiral out of control.
Because, when you’re living in the past, who is keeping an eye on the present?
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 13, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
June 19, 2019
The his story is told primarily from the points of view of two friends, Misty and Karen, who were at the Uni in the late 1980's. It's now thirty years later and we are still being told this story by the same people. We learn that when they were at Cambridge University their friend had died. Alex had died from complications from an eating disorder. Now history seems to be repeating itself as Karen's daughter, Tasha is fighting anorexia. Karen has always blamed herself for Alex's death. The story is also told from alternating timelines, then the sudden appearance of Alex who they thought was dead.
What a great cast of characters are in this book. The villain to this story is anorexia, a terrible disease to fight. To watch someone you love suffer from it must be a living hell. It's well written and the author has done her research into eating disorders. Definitely not what I was expecting, but I was hooked from the first few chapters. A really good read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Joanne Sefton for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a great cast of characters are in this book. The villain to this story is anorexia, a terrible disease to fight. To watch someone you love suffer from it must be a living hell. It's well written and the author has done her research into eating disorders. Definitely not what I was expecting, but I was hooked from the first few chapters. A really good read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Joanne Sefton for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2019
Having thoroughly enjoyed Ms Sefton's debut thriller, The Mother's Lies, I was eager to see whether this would be a successful follow-up, and it certainly didn't disappoint; in fact, I loved this even more and found it compulsively readable. It is actually so much more than just a thriller as it has elements of women's fiction and a whole lot of credible/believable emotion too.
It centres around three university mates - Alex, Karen and Misty but after Alex dies unexpectedly with both the remaining girls knowing they contributed to her untimely demise the story takes a dark and troubling turn and the Karen and Misty's lives begin to spiral out of control. Eventually, they move on with their lives and push the incident to the backs of their minds, but when Karen is absolutely convinced she saw Alex alive she begins to lose her mind and once the paranoia and obsessive thought set in there is no escape. What follows is a struggle to maintain sanity and a slow loss of grip on reality and unable to tell the difference between what is real and what is perceived family ties that had been nurtured for years dissolve.
This is a fast, easy and beautifully plotted read with such relatable characters and twists and turns aplenty. The emotional aspect of the novel is what really makes this book stand out amongst the thriller genre jungle. The writing is effortless, flows easily and this naturally leads to being able to read large chunks without even noticing! Many thanks to Avon for an ARC.
It centres around three university mates - Alex, Karen and Misty but after Alex dies unexpectedly with both the remaining girls knowing they contributed to her untimely demise the story takes a dark and troubling turn and the Karen and Misty's lives begin to spiral out of control. Eventually, they move on with their lives and push the incident to the backs of their minds, but when Karen is absolutely convinced she saw Alex alive she begins to lose her mind and once the paranoia and obsessive thought set in there is no escape. What follows is a struggle to maintain sanity and a slow loss of grip on reality and unable to tell the difference between what is real and what is perceived family ties that had been nurtured for years dissolve.
This is a fast, easy and beautifully plotted read with such relatable characters and twists and turns aplenty. The emotional aspect of the novel is what really makes this book stand out amongst the thriller genre jungle. The writing is effortless, flows easily and this naturally leads to being able to read large chunks without even noticing! Many thanks to Avon for an ARC.
June 28, 2019
THE GUILTY FRIEND by Joanne Sefton is not the thriller it seems to be marketed as. I guess it does have a level of suspense about it but I'm not really sure what genre this falls into, to be honest. But it definitely is not a thriller.
Having said that, it is still intriguing though a very slow burn. It was so slow for much of the book that I felt it would only result in a 2 star rating from me. Then it finally started to pick up around 65-70% (a bit too long I feel) that it went up to 3 stars where I felt it would sufficiently remain, given the slow pace that almost put me to sleep on more than one occasion. But then I got to the end...and that epilogue! That came out of left field and I never saw it coming! I felt that alone was worth a star in itself, boosting the rating up to 4 stars! However...I still didn't feel the book in its entirety lived up to a 4 star rating because it really did take far too long to build up and become remotely interesting. But that epilogue alone left me breathless that I felt it deserved its own star rating!
So it's the late 80s and Karen, Misty and Alex are all starting university at Cambridge. They befriend each other and over the course of the next few years sees their lives entwine together as they live the student life both on and off campus. Karen and Misty have travelled from home to attend university while Alex is from Cambridge, with her parents - both academics - living nearby in a huge house where the girls will often find themselves over the next few years. Each girl has a secret. But is it dangerous enough to harm them?
Thirty years later, it's 2019 and Karen is a widow, a mother to three girls - Evie (20), Tasha (15) and Callie (12) - and about to celebrate her 50th birthday. One morning she sees a news broadcast on an attempted bombing at a railway station and upon seeing a photo still of the scene, her world freezes. She feels as if she has seen a ghost...and she must have, for the face she had seen from the past is of someone who has been dead 30 years!
Misty is now a doctor at a clinic specialising in eating disorders. Never having married, her inspiration was drawn from that of her dead friend and the struggles she'd faced...and kept to herself. Misty wanted to make a difference. She has made a difference - to many families. Though she knows that not every story ends well, and some patients just never recover, succumbing to the illness that ultimately takes their life. That morning Misty sees the same news broadcast as Karen...and sees the same photo still. Alex. It can't be. She died 30 years ago. And Misty knows this because she found her.
Karen cannot stop thinking about the face in that photo. It's Alex. It has to be. That same face. Same expression. What if...Alex never really died? Everything that happened 30 years ago comes back to haunt her again. The past. The secrets. The guilt. As life continues around her, Karen finds herself lost in the past as she seeks answers to the questions not even she knows. She becomes convinced that Alex must be alive as she begins to lose her mind to paranoia and obsessive thoughts. But as Karen slowly begins to lose her grip on reality, she becomes oblivious to her own daughters' needs as each of them struggle to maintain life as they know it.
Karen and Misty haven't spoken for something close to a decade or more, having drifted apart after the tragedy of losing Alex. Neither girl was to blame but each of them felt guilty just the same, feeling as though they contributed in some way to her death...and that they could have somehow prevented it, had they not been so wrapped up in themselves. Now 30 years later, they are brought together again and this time Karen must rely on Misty's expertise when her daughter Evie calls on Misty for help out of concern for her sister.
Tasha is 15 and is battling anorexia. While her mother is otherwise oblivious, her older sister Evie has noticed a huge change in her sister over the past few weeks and months. Particularly as she is away at Uni most of them time, when she returns home she is shocked to discover how unwell Tasha really is. But Tasha claims she is fine. Her new friend "Alex" is there with her to ensure she remains so. But Evie can see clearly that she isn't and she is surprised to learn her mother hasn't even noticed just how much weight Tasha has lost and how unwell she really is. Even their younger sister Callie has noticed - how could their mother not?
So when Evie finds Misty's card scrunched up in Tasha's room and calls the number begging for help, Misty hopes this is just a case of overreaction. But when she makes a house call that evening on her way home to see Tasha at Evie's urging, Misty knows at once this is no overreaction. Tasha is in desperate need of help and if she doesn't get it now, she will die. But Tasha refuses help and when Karen returns, she is angered that Misty has an order placing Tasha in her clinic's immediate care. But Karen was so caught up in herself she never recognised the signs she had seen before.
Told from the various perspectives of each girl in 1989 and then again with Karen, Misty and Tasha in the present day thirty years later, THE GUILTY FRIEND takes us on a journey to the past and through the present, revisiting old friendships and old ghosts.
The characters are each well developed though I found myself throwing my hands up in frustration at the older and supposedly wiser Karen many times. She can be incredibly self-absorbed, forgetting the needs of her own daughters and often oblivious to others around her. I just wanted to shake her at times. How could she not see Tasha fading away before her?
Misty was a well refined character, as she went on to specialise in the area that took her friend. I thought that was a fitting tribute to Alex. From someone who didn't appear to have a lot of self-confidence when she was at Uni she soon found her place in the world and landed firmly on her feet.
Tasha was a heartbreaking character. While I can never really understand the need to starve oneself for whatever reason - to be skinny, to maintain control, whatever - her story is one that will break hearts to read. Her pain was evident in the pages as was her teenage angst. But her narrative added another dimension to the whole story which in the end is what the book is primarily about - anorexia.
While THE GUILTY FRIEND is marketed as a thriller, I am not sure it really is. It has more of a general fiction feel to it, even slightly chick lit. The author handled the issue very sensitively and respectfully, and it was clear that it had been well researched.
THE GUILTY FRIEND is a very slow burn. So slow I wondered whether it was going to pick up pace at all. And when it finally did - at around 65-70% - I found it was a little late by that stage. However, I am glad I stuck it out because that ending! WOW! I never saw that coming AT ALL and that made it all the more delicious. It added a whole new perspective that just left me breathless! And can I mention...that last sentence...? I don't believe I will be revealing any spoilers in saying it...
..."But Misty kept walking."...
Just WOW! That ending and that last sentence alone gave this book - which I was simply going to rate 3 stars - an extra star, in my opinion. It was that brilliant! Pure genius.
I would like to thank #JoanneSefton, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheGuiltyFriend in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Having said that, it is still intriguing though a very slow burn. It was so slow for much of the book that I felt it would only result in a 2 star rating from me. Then it finally started to pick up around 65-70% (a bit too long I feel) that it went up to 3 stars where I felt it would sufficiently remain, given the slow pace that almost put me to sleep on more than one occasion. But then I got to the end...and that epilogue! That came out of left field and I never saw it coming! I felt that alone was worth a star in itself, boosting the rating up to 4 stars! However...I still didn't feel the book in its entirety lived up to a 4 star rating because it really did take far too long to build up and become remotely interesting. But that epilogue alone left me breathless that I felt it deserved its own star rating!
So it's the late 80s and Karen, Misty and Alex are all starting university at Cambridge. They befriend each other and over the course of the next few years sees their lives entwine together as they live the student life both on and off campus. Karen and Misty have travelled from home to attend university while Alex is from Cambridge, with her parents - both academics - living nearby in a huge house where the girls will often find themselves over the next few years. Each girl has a secret. But is it dangerous enough to harm them?
Thirty years later, it's 2019 and Karen is a widow, a mother to three girls - Evie (20), Tasha (15) and Callie (12) - and about to celebrate her 50th birthday. One morning she sees a news broadcast on an attempted bombing at a railway station and upon seeing a photo still of the scene, her world freezes. She feels as if she has seen a ghost...and she must have, for the face she had seen from the past is of someone who has been dead 30 years!
Misty is now a doctor at a clinic specialising in eating disorders. Never having married, her inspiration was drawn from that of her dead friend and the struggles she'd faced...and kept to herself. Misty wanted to make a difference. She has made a difference - to many families. Though she knows that not every story ends well, and some patients just never recover, succumbing to the illness that ultimately takes their life. That morning Misty sees the same news broadcast as Karen...and sees the same photo still. Alex. It can't be. She died 30 years ago. And Misty knows this because she found her.
Karen cannot stop thinking about the face in that photo. It's Alex. It has to be. That same face. Same expression. What if...Alex never really died? Everything that happened 30 years ago comes back to haunt her again. The past. The secrets. The guilt. As life continues around her, Karen finds herself lost in the past as she seeks answers to the questions not even she knows. She becomes convinced that Alex must be alive as she begins to lose her mind to paranoia and obsessive thoughts. But as Karen slowly begins to lose her grip on reality, she becomes oblivious to her own daughters' needs as each of them struggle to maintain life as they know it.
Karen and Misty haven't spoken for something close to a decade or more, having drifted apart after the tragedy of losing Alex. Neither girl was to blame but each of them felt guilty just the same, feeling as though they contributed in some way to her death...and that they could have somehow prevented it, had they not been so wrapped up in themselves. Now 30 years later, they are brought together again and this time Karen must rely on Misty's expertise when her daughter Evie calls on Misty for help out of concern for her sister.
Tasha is 15 and is battling anorexia. While her mother is otherwise oblivious, her older sister Evie has noticed a huge change in her sister over the past few weeks and months. Particularly as she is away at Uni most of them time, when she returns home she is shocked to discover how unwell Tasha really is. But Tasha claims she is fine. Her new friend "Alex" is there with her to ensure she remains so. But Evie can see clearly that she isn't and she is surprised to learn her mother hasn't even noticed just how much weight Tasha has lost and how unwell she really is. Even their younger sister Callie has noticed - how could their mother not?
So when Evie finds Misty's card scrunched up in Tasha's room and calls the number begging for help, Misty hopes this is just a case of overreaction. But when she makes a house call that evening on her way home to see Tasha at Evie's urging, Misty knows at once this is no overreaction. Tasha is in desperate need of help and if she doesn't get it now, she will die. But Tasha refuses help and when Karen returns, she is angered that Misty has an order placing Tasha in her clinic's immediate care. But Karen was so caught up in herself she never recognised the signs she had seen before.
Told from the various perspectives of each girl in 1989 and then again with Karen, Misty and Tasha in the present day thirty years later, THE GUILTY FRIEND takes us on a journey to the past and through the present, revisiting old friendships and old ghosts.
The characters are each well developed though I found myself throwing my hands up in frustration at the older and supposedly wiser Karen many times. She can be incredibly self-absorbed, forgetting the needs of her own daughters and often oblivious to others around her. I just wanted to shake her at times. How could she not see Tasha fading away before her?
Misty was a well refined character, as she went on to specialise in the area that took her friend. I thought that was a fitting tribute to Alex. From someone who didn't appear to have a lot of self-confidence when she was at Uni she soon found her place in the world and landed firmly on her feet.
Tasha was a heartbreaking character. While I can never really understand the need to starve oneself for whatever reason - to be skinny, to maintain control, whatever - her story is one that will break hearts to read. Her pain was evident in the pages as was her teenage angst. But her narrative added another dimension to the whole story which in the end is what the book is primarily about - anorexia.
While THE GUILTY FRIEND is marketed as a thriller, I am not sure it really is. It has more of a general fiction feel to it, even slightly chick lit. The author handled the issue very sensitively and respectfully, and it was clear that it had been well researched.
THE GUILTY FRIEND is a very slow burn. So slow I wondered whether it was going to pick up pace at all. And when it finally did - at around 65-70% - I found it was a little late by that stage. However, I am glad I stuck it out because that ending! WOW! I never saw that coming AT ALL and that made it all the more delicious. It added a whole new perspective that just left me breathless! And can I mention...that last sentence...? I don't believe I will be revealing any spoilers in saying it...
..."But Misty kept walking."...
Just WOW! That ending and that last sentence alone gave this book - which I was simply going to rate 3 stars - an extra star, in my opinion. It was that brilliant! Pure genius.
I would like to thank #JoanneSefton, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheGuiltyFriend in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
June 28, 2019
Wow!!
I think any book that brings about awareness of any illness or disease deserves to be acknowledged and respected. Joanne Sefton, The Guilty Friend, was not only brilliantly written but gives the reader an understanding of what Anorexia can do, not only to the person suffering with it, but the people surrounding them.
Anorexia is becoming more and more widespread due to the media's portrayal of "the perfect body", and we must strive to fight this issue as much as possible before we lose more and more people to this deadly disease.
Thank you Joanne Sefton for writing about a subject that is hidden away and ignored far to much.
I think any book that brings about awareness of any illness or disease deserves to be acknowledged and respected. Joanne Sefton, The Guilty Friend, was not only brilliantly written but gives the reader an understanding of what Anorexia can do, not only to the person suffering with it, but the people surrounding them.
Anorexia is becoming more and more widespread due to the media's portrayal of "the perfect body", and we must strive to fight this issue as much as possible before we lose more and more people to this deadly disease.
Thank you Joanne Sefton for writing about a subject that is hidden away and ignored far to much.
January 21, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It was different to what I expected but in a good way. It was good that it was split between past and present and that we got to hear the point of views from Misty, Alex, Karen and Tasha. I think this story definitely helped to highlight just how serious and heartbreaking it is to suffer from an eating disorder not only for the sufferers but the family and friends of the people with eating disorders. There definitely needs to be more awareness out there of how serious eating disorders are. The book itself was very interesting and was written extremely well. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
June 22, 2019
This is book that deals with the complications and heart-break of anorexia nervosa. Misty, Karen and Alex are at university together in the late '80's. Alex has done battle with anorexia and appears to be beating it. The friendship ends with Alex dying due to apparent complications of her anorexia.
Move forward 30 years and Karen is a widow with three daughters and is doing it hard. At her 50th birthday a mutual friend turns up with Misty, who is now a doctor working in an Eating Disorders clinic. Brought back together again, memories and ill feeling surface. But will Karen because of one of her daughters need the help of Misty? Will they be able to put their differences aside and help each other?
A very dramatic book, about friendship, family and loss. The one thing I don't understand is the 'mystery & thriller' tag on this book, I don't believe it belongs in this category.
Thank you Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Move forward 30 years and Karen is a widow with three daughters and is doing it hard. At her 50th birthday a mutual friend turns up with Misty, who is now a doctor working in an Eating Disorders clinic. Brought back together again, memories and ill feeling surface. But will Karen because of one of her daughters need the help of Misty? Will they be able to put their differences aside and help each other?
A very dramatic book, about friendship, family and loss. The one thing I don't understand is the 'mystery & thriller' tag on this book, I don't believe it belongs in this category.
Thank you Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2019
3 friends Alex, Karen, and Misty inseparable in teens, soon lost contact when Alex died suddenly. Karen and Misty got on with their lives. Decades later, a television news and Karen saw Alex on the screen. And she knew she had to get to the truth, even at the cost of her family.
A wonderfully slow burn of a book, Joanne Sefton kept me engrossed. I knew there would be more at play, and the reasons of the secrets would pull at my heart strings... I was right. Karen captured my eye, she was a mother to three girls, and one of them had an eating disorder. This brought her into contact with Misty, who was a doc at the clinic which dealt with such disorders.
The author has a great eye for detail, she has etched her characters carefully, each brought out a different facet in the book evoking huge emotions. The book was very slow paced in the first half then got on track in the last 40% ending with an unexpected bang!! Whaddya know!! That was the biggest thrill in the book.
Overall, a great read.
A wonderfully slow burn of a book, Joanne Sefton kept me engrossed. I knew there would be more at play, and the reasons of the secrets would pull at my heart strings... I was right. Karen captured my eye, she was a mother to three girls, and one of them had an eating disorder. This brought her into contact with Misty, who was a doc at the clinic which dealt with such disorders.
The author has a great eye for detail, she has etched her characters carefully, each brought out a different facet in the book evoking huge emotions. The book was very slow paced in the first half then got on track in the last 40% ending with an unexpected bang!! Whaddya know!! That was the biggest thrill in the book.
Overall, a great read.
June 10, 2021
Alex, Karen, and Misty were inseparable in teens, but when Alex died suddenly Karen and Misty moved on from each other. Decades later when Karen sees Alex on the news she knows she has to find out what really happened to Alex, even if it costs her everything.
The Guilty Friend by Joanne Sefton is a slow burner character driven book. Told in alternate timelines it's a well plotted emotional book dealing with eating disorders and some twists and turns to make it an interesting read.
I would like to thank Avon Books UK , One More Chapter & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
The Guilty Friend by Joanne Sefton is a slow burner character driven book. Told in alternate timelines it's a well plotted emotional book dealing with eating disorders and some twists and turns to make it an interesting read.
I would like to thank Avon Books UK , One More Chapter & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
July 15, 2022
4.5 stars.
June 15, 2019
absolutely loved this book by an author I've never read before.
It's 1989 and misty Alex and Karen are all starting university. They befriend each other and we also meet Andrew, Alex's boyfriend. This story alternates between the events of the developing friendship in 1989 to the impact it then had on their lives as well as their families in 2019. The story sensitively tackles the difficult subject of anorexia but is full of twists that keeps you guessing to literally the very last sentence.
I would absolutely recommend this book.
It's 1989 and misty Alex and Karen are all starting university. They befriend each other and we also meet Andrew, Alex's boyfriend. This story alternates between the events of the developing friendship in 1989 to the impact it then had on their lives as well as their families in 2019. The story sensitively tackles the difficult subject of anorexia but is full of twists that keeps you guessing to literally the very last sentence.
I would absolutely recommend this book.
May 31, 2019
Not the thriller it seems to be marketed as, but no less gripping for that. The Guilty Friend (I don’t love the title, though I guess it makes sense) was a hugely enjoyable read.
Karen, Misty and Alex met at university in the ‘80s; in the present day, Karen - a widowed mother - and Misty - a doctor specialising in eating disorders - are approaching fifty. Alex.... well, Alex is long gone. Or is she?
It’s more of a family/relationship drama than a psychological thriller, focusing on Misty, Karen and Karen’s teenage daughter Tasha, who is headed down a dark path. (This made for undeniably compelling reading, though I’m not sure I was completely convinced by the speed with which Tasha’s obsession developed and never quite got a handle on what lay behind it.)
A very engaging story with some emotional moments (one of which did have me in tears...)
Karen, Misty and Alex met at university in the ‘80s; in the present day, Karen - a widowed mother - and Misty - a doctor specialising in eating disorders - are approaching fifty. Alex.... well, Alex is long gone. Or is she?
It’s more of a family/relationship drama than a psychological thriller, focusing on Misty, Karen and Karen’s teenage daughter Tasha, who is headed down a dark path. (This made for undeniably compelling reading, though I’m not sure I was completely convinced by the speed with which Tasha’s obsession developed and never quite got a handle on what lay behind it.)
A very engaging story with some emotional moments (one of which did have me in tears...)
August 4, 2019
The Guilty Friend by Joanne Sefton was not what I was expecting and I found it hard to get into in the beginning as slow paced but it eventually hooked me into wanting to know how it ends. I have given it 3 stars only because I thought it was going to be more thriller, and it is more chic lit and what anorexia can do to but it did end up being an interesting read.
One of them is dead. One of them is lying.
Alex, Karen and Misty were an inseparable trio at university. But when Alex died suddenly, the remaining two friends could no longer look each other in the eye, knowing they both had a part to play in her death.
Thirty years later, Misty and Karen have long since moved on with their lives. But when Karen thinks she sees her former friend alive, she soon becomes obsessed with a past she thought she’d left behind.
Before long, the perfect life she’s built for herself starts to unravel, and it seems as though history might just be repeating itself…
Can Karen keep her secrets hidden whilst her guilt threatens to tear her innocent family apart?
The story is told in three points of view that of Karen, Misty and Karen's daughter Tasha. The characters are relatable, with family relationships, friends and secrets intertwined. I found it to be emotionally gripping, especially the elements related to Karen's daughter's eating disorder and how it affected her in all aspects of her life.
The main villain of this story seems to be anorexia itself, after Karen already saw Alex succumb to this disorder and now it seems like her daughter may be following the same path. The author handles the subject with compassion and must of done lots of research into the disease. With that said the epilogue has left me ...
I requested and received an Advance Readers Copy from Avon Books UK and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
One of them is dead. One of them is lying.
Alex, Karen and Misty were an inseparable trio at university. But when Alex died suddenly, the remaining two friends could no longer look each other in the eye, knowing they both had a part to play in her death.
Thirty years later, Misty and Karen have long since moved on with their lives. But when Karen thinks she sees her former friend alive, she soon becomes obsessed with a past she thought she’d left behind.
Before long, the perfect life she’s built for herself starts to unravel, and it seems as though history might just be repeating itself…
Can Karen keep her secrets hidden whilst her guilt threatens to tear her innocent family apart?
The story is told in three points of view that of Karen, Misty and Karen's daughter Tasha. The characters are relatable, with family relationships, friends and secrets intertwined. I found it to be emotionally gripping, especially the elements related to Karen's daughter's eating disorder and how it affected her in all aspects of her life.
The main villain of this story seems to be anorexia itself, after Karen already saw Alex succumb to this disorder and now it seems like her daughter may be following the same path. The author handles the subject with compassion and must of done lots of research into the disease. With that said the epilogue has left me ...
I requested and received an Advance Readers Copy from Avon Books UK and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
July 2, 2019
Be warned, this is not (at all) a mystery/thriller BUT it was good...
This is more woman’s lit in my opinion, very character driven. The writing is very good and the characters are very well crafted.
It’s quite sad really that the effects of one relationship and a tragic incident (in college) has such horrible ramifications in the lives of two women for years (decades) to come.
This story highlights the flaws and selfishness of both adults and children and the manipulation that devastates these relationships. It also shows the power of forgiveness.
This was a good story and has me thinking about it now that I’ve reached the conclusion. It isn’t something that I would have requested had I known it wasn’t a mystery but it was a nice change of pace and I’m glad I did.
I like the writing and story and would read more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Avon Books UK for a copy in exchange for a review.
This is more woman’s lit in my opinion, very character driven. The writing is very good and the characters are very well crafted.
It’s quite sad really that the effects of one relationship and a tragic incident (in college) has such horrible ramifications in the lives of two women for years (decades) to come.
This story highlights the flaws and selfishness of both adults and children and the manipulation that devastates these relationships. It also shows the power of forgiveness.
This was a good story and has me thinking about it now that I’ve reached the conclusion. It isn’t something that I would have requested had I known it wasn’t a mystery but it was a nice change of pace and I’m glad I did.
I like the writing and story and would read more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Avon Books UK for a copy in exchange for a review.
July 12, 2019
This was really hard for me to get into at the start and it has taken me over a week to finish it, when I usually finish a book in around three days.
The story follows Karen, a widowed mum of three girls, and Misty, a doctor specialising in working with patients with anorexia. They are old friends from university. It's told in current time with flashbacks to Karen, Misty and their friend Alex's time in university around 1989. We learn that Alex had anorexia and subsequently died. It also transpires that in real time, Karen's daughter Tash is suffering with anorexia too.
It was a slow burner and it wasn't until I was around 70% in that things really started to pick up and boosted it's rating for me. The epilogue has left me reeling.
The story follows Karen, a widowed mum of three girls, and Misty, a doctor specialising in working with patients with anorexia. They are old friends from university. It's told in current time with flashbacks to Karen, Misty and their friend Alex's time in university around 1989. We learn that Alex had anorexia and subsequently died. It also transpires that in real time, Karen's daughter Tash is suffering with anorexia too.
It was a slow burner and it wasn't until I was around 70% in that things really started to pick up and boosted it's rating for me. The epilogue has left me reeling.
April 15, 2021
This is a great book, however it is definitely not a thriller as we know it. I would characterise it more of a friendship/social story that centred around the complex eating disorder Anorexia. I really enjoyed the chapters alternating between past and present and between the different characters. The ending both shocked and saddened me at the same time. I would definitely recommend this book especially if you want to learn more about this eating disorder and the way it can have a grip on the lives of young women and sometimes men.
June 26, 2019
'One of them is dead. One of them is lying.'
Alex, Karen and Misty formed a friendship at University. But when Alex dies the remaining friends never spoke again, feeling they both may have contributed to her death. Some thirty years later fate brings them together and secrets of the past unfold.
This was told in the past and present which worked so well as the story unfolded. This one dealt with anorexia in detail, so definite trigger here for some. Despite the fact I didn't really connect with the characters, I found the story covered what is an important issue. It was a fast read and although I certainly wouldn't describe this as a thriller, it was a good family drama/suspense.
Alex, Karen and Misty formed a friendship at University. But when Alex dies the remaining friends never spoke again, feeling they both may have contributed to her death. Some thirty years later fate brings them together and secrets of the past unfold.
This was told in the past and present which worked so well as the story unfolded. This one dealt with anorexia in detail, so definite trigger here for some. Despite the fact I didn't really connect with the characters, I found the story covered what is an important issue. It was a fast read and although I certainly wouldn't describe this as a thriller, it was a good family drama/suspense.
July 11, 2019
really liked the writing style which made the book very easy to read!!
Kept my interest throughout!
Also liked the characters a lot, found them extremely believable and relate-able!
In addition, i always like the psychological thrillers when there are also mental illnesses involved.
4* from me!!
Kept my interest throughout!
Also liked the characters a lot, found them extremely believable and relate-able!
In addition, i always like the psychological thrillers when there are also mental illnesses involved.
4* from me!!
November 29, 2020
The author explored the emotional, physical and inter generational impact and toll that the affliction of anorexia. The story is told mostly from the point of view of the survivors - a group of college friends moving back and forth in time. The writer does a detailed job of exploring the emotional grappling of guilt, feelings of responsibility and loss. She also does a very sensitive job of displaying the psychological distortions that arise from the physical and physiological toll of the disorder as her characters battle their demons...
January 26, 2020
A quick, easy read. Not a thriller, but a page turner; read this in two sittings.
However, could be difficult or triggering for sufferers of eating disorders.
However, could be difficult or triggering for sufferers of eating disorders.
June 19, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
Most common trope among thrillers with teenagers - the popular friend is missing/died.
It gave me Pretty Little Lies vibes and it was very engaging.
Most common trope among thrillers with teenagers - the popular friend is missing/died.
It gave me Pretty Little Lies vibes and it was very engaging.
July 14, 2019
The Guilty Friend by Joanne Sefton is a twisty and emotionally-charged suspense novel. Even the suspense part in this is really really mild, but the story and end made up for it! I almost decided 75% into this book that this would be a 3-star, so what made me change my mind? The Epilogue!!
Charming Alex, intelligent Misty and ordinary Karen were an inseparable trio at Cambridge University. Both Misty and Karen were drawn to Alex and adored her, but when she suddenly died the remaining two friends could no longer look at each other in the eye and drifted apart. Thirty years later, Karen is a wealthy widow and mother of three and Misty is a doctor specializing in Eating Disorders. So when Karen and Misty both see Alex on TV one day, their paths cross again and Karen's determination to find Alex leads her down a dark, windy road that could cost her family.
This book had both great characters and storyline, but what did it for me was the ending. The story is told in three POV's Karen, Misty and Karen's daughter Tasha. Even the background characters of Evie, Callie, and Andrew contributed greatly to the storyline. All chapters were interesting and Joanne Sefton did an incredible job of shining the spotlight on eating disorders and anorexia. This is not a book I would have ordinarily have picked, and definitely not something I foresaw finishing in a day, but I'm glad I read this one!
Thank you NetGalley, Avon Books and Joanne Sefton for an arc!
Charming Alex, intelligent Misty and ordinary Karen were an inseparable trio at Cambridge University. Both Misty and Karen were drawn to Alex and adored her, but when she suddenly died the remaining two friends could no longer look at each other in the eye and drifted apart. Thirty years later, Karen is a wealthy widow and mother of three and Misty is a doctor specializing in Eating Disorders. So when Karen and Misty both see Alex on TV one day, their paths cross again and Karen's determination to find Alex leads her down a dark, windy road that could cost her family.
This book had both great characters and storyline, but what did it for me was the ending. The story is told in three POV's Karen, Misty and Karen's daughter Tasha. Even the background characters of Evie, Callie, and Andrew contributed greatly to the storyline. All chapters were interesting and Joanne Sefton did an incredible job of shining the spotlight on eating disorders and anorexia. This is not a book I would have ordinarily have picked, and definitely not something I foresaw finishing in a day, but I'm glad I read this one!
Thank you NetGalley, Avon Books and Joanne Sefton for an arc!
July 1, 2019
This is an extremely enjoyable and well-written book with a wonderful storyline. The mystery, twists and turns held my interest, whilst pondering which way the author was going to take the story. It flowed extremely well and the characterisation by Joanne Sefton was great as the characters came across as very realistic and well developed.
"The Guilty Friend" was my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be my last as I intend to read 'If They Knew'. This novel may not win any awards for its originality as a thriller, but it definitely made my list for great summer reads and for that I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Avon Books UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
"The Guilty Friend" was my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be my last as I intend to read 'If They Knew'. This novel may not win any awards for its originality as a thriller, but it definitely made my list for great summer reads and for that I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Avon Books UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
November 3, 2019
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The book was a struggle to get through. I debated several times about just DNF it. It’s marked as a thriller but I wouldn’t say it is, it’s more in the area of chick lit. Felt like the blurb painted a different story than the actual story did.
If you want a more traditional thriller I would seriously recommend skipping this book
The book was a struggle to get through. I debated several times about just DNF it. It’s marked as a thriller but I wouldn’t say it is, it’s more in the area of chick lit. Felt like the blurb painted a different story than the actual story did.
If you want a more traditional thriller I would seriously recommend skipping this book
May 12, 2020
I loved the idea of this book but it didnt quite grip me enough and I knew where it was heading. Kind of dragged and I had to skim through pages just to finish it.
August 29, 2020
Obviously, here goes another review saying the promotion for the book was misleading as the genre it was put on. Of course, it wasn’t a thriller but a semi twisty realistic view of secrets and misconceptions mixed with some unsolved issues of the past between two former friends and their connection to their dead former best friend. Showing how these traumatic words or moments in our past can define our futures if we do not address them properly, instead of in the heat of the moment.
THERE’S A NEW LIGHT TO THIS ILLNESS.
I’d like to start by stating that Joanne Sefton writes beautifully, it is slow but it doesn’t bore you, it encourages you to keep reading and finding out what happened to these women in their past and present. She also gave us new POVs of anorexia, the perspective of that girl who is affected by it but not unhappy, the depressed girl that knows she’ll die if she keeps doing it but doesn’t care anymore, the guilt-ridden woman that wants to save them all but herself and the stressed mother that doesn’t acknowledge that there’s something wrong. We must admit that we had only seen the caring mother (almost a helicopter parent), the sweet doctor and the girl who refuses to see her own body as it is while dealing with their inner blue feelings, many stereotypes and soap-opera characters that tried to explain the devastation of anorexia, but didn’t show the human side of it. How it becomes almost pathological and addictive, how one only cares to lose weight as a competition or achievement. Which was interesting to see and try to understand from the perspective of a reader, seeing how depression can take over us to the point of no return to the point that we tend to smile when we are living with a death wish in the tip of our tongues waiting to emerge in the right time. Or at least, that’s how I saw Tasha and Alex.
COMPLEX CHARACTERS + GUILT.
Both our adult characters weren’t over the death of Alex, they were refusing to be truly happy until they got some closure that they refuse to admit to themselves, each feeling the exact guilt and forgetting the world surrounding them to live in the past. I had my issues trying to like Karen, she in my mind was very unlikable from the first moment, however, once you understand that in the present that attitude was just the drugs instead of her actual self, you get that she was somehow that little scared girl that had been caught red-handed on a mischievous charade. While with Misty, it was easier but even easier to forget she was also hurt and traumatized by Alex’s death. Her personality was somber and monotonous that not until she confesses herself to Karen and talks to Rosana we do not know her entirely, we didn’t see her hurt nor her guilt, we only saw the rock hard exterior.
THE EPILOGUE.
I still don’t get the epilogue, I think. I mean it’s clear that she knew her father was playing with Misty and still didn’t tell her, she let her friend fall for him, believe in a fantasy. She didn’t want to kill herself, it was just an attempt to scare her useless father that got wrong. She probably was still alive when Misty really find her, but they kinda let her die. Anyways, I still don’t get it, was it intentional by Misty’s part since she just passed by or Alex was just there waiting for the entire night? Truly don’t know, someone explain, please.
THERE’S A NEW LIGHT TO THIS ILLNESS.
I’d like to start by stating that Joanne Sefton writes beautifully, it is slow but it doesn’t bore you, it encourages you to keep reading and finding out what happened to these women in their past and present. She also gave us new POVs of anorexia, the perspective of that girl who is affected by it but not unhappy, the depressed girl that knows she’ll die if she keeps doing it but doesn’t care anymore, the guilt-ridden woman that wants to save them all but herself and the stressed mother that doesn’t acknowledge that there’s something wrong. We must admit that we had only seen the caring mother (almost a helicopter parent), the sweet doctor and the girl who refuses to see her own body as it is while dealing with their inner blue feelings, many stereotypes and soap-opera characters that tried to explain the devastation of anorexia, but didn’t show the human side of it. How it becomes almost pathological and addictive, how one only cares to lose weight as a competition or achievement. Which was interesting to see and try to understand from the perspective of a reader, seeing how depression can take over us to the point of no return to the point that we tend to smile when we are living with a death wish in the tip of our tongues waiting to emerge in the right time. Or at least, that’s how I saw Tasha and Alex.
COMPLEX CHARACTERS + GUILT.
Both our adult characters weren’t over the death of Alex, they were refusing to be truly happy until they got some closure that they refuse to admit to themselves, each feeling the exact guilt and forgetting the world surrounding them to live in the past. I had my issues trying to like Karen, she in my mind was very unlikable from the first moment, however, once you understand that in the present that attitude was just the drugs instead of her actual self, you get that she was somehow that little scared girl that had been caught red-handed on a mischievous charade. While with Misty, it was easier but even easier to forget she was also hurt and traumatized by Alex’s death. Her personality was somber and monotonous that not until she confesses herself to Karen and talks to Rosana we do not know her entirely, we didn’t see her hurt nor her guilt, we only saw the rock hard exterior.
THE EPILOGUE.
I still don’t get the epilogue, I think. I mean it’s clear that she knew her father was playing with Misty and still didn’t tell her, she let her friend fall for him, believe in a fantasy. She didn’t want to kill herself, it was just an attempt to scare her useless father that got wrong. She probably was still alive when Misty really find her, but they kinda let her die. Anyways, I still don’t get it, was it intentional by Misty’s part since she just passed by or Alex was just there waiting for the entire night? Truly don’t know, someone explain, please.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Guilty Friend. The concept behind the primary story was very educational, informative, and eye-opening. I found myself stuck to the book as soon as I started reading it. It was not the thriller I had anticipated!
I found myself constantly trying to place all of the pieces together as to what Joanne Sefton was aiming for, but I was no where near close. The ending was not predictable, and throughout the read, I thought I knew it all along. Although this book is not based on a true story, I found myself questioning whether or not it was in fact based on one. I found myself feeling empathy towards the characters, almost like as if it was actually happening today – which, of course, it is. I feel enlightened about what is going on today, what people are feeling, and how easily it can be to end up in a way that is unimaginable.
It was a very straightforward read, especially as it states the year and whose point of view is being expressed. It was easy to work out what is going on, where, and when. It was interesting to read the different point of views about the same experience, except it felt like I was making the decision about the consequences and which person was really the one to blame.
After reading this book, I found myself thinking about those who are affected by this. I think that Joanne Sefton is raising awareness, especially as the development of technology is drastically improving, of how social media can play an effect on an individual. Social media is changing the lives of many individuals, whether that is by representing a fake version of themselves or editing their images to show a false perception, it will make a difference to those who look up to them. Perception is key. How you perceive yourself is completely different from how someone else perceives you. Is The Guilty Friend a demonstration of what could happen if we do not think before we speak? Does Joanne Sefton remind us of how our speech and actions can affect someone?
I found myself constantly trying to place all of the pieces together as to what Joanne Sefton was aiming for, but I was no where near close. The ending was not predictable, and throughout the read, I thought I knew it all along. Although this book is not based on a true story, I found myself questioning whether or not it was in fact based on one. I found myself feeling empathy towards the characters, almost like as if it was actually happening today – which, of course, it is. I feel enlightened about what is going on today, what people are feeling, and how easily it can be to end up in a way that is unimaginable.
It was a very straightforward read, especially as it states the year and whose point of view is being expressed. It was easy to work out what is going on, where, and when. It was interesting to read the different point of views about the same experience, except it felt like I was making the decision about the consequences and which person was really the one to blame.
After reading this book, I found myself thinking about those who are affected by this. I think that Joanne Sefton is raising awareness, especially as the development of technology is drastically improving, of how social media can play an effect on an individual. Social media is changing the lives of many individuals, whether that is by representing a fake version of themselves or editing their images to show a false perception, it will make a difference to those who look up to them. Perception is key. How you perceive yourself is completely different from how someone else perceives you. Is The Guilty Friend a demonstration of what could happen if we do not think before we speak? Does Joanne Sefton remind us of how our speech and actions can affect someone?
May 18, 2019
I received an ARC of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, this book wasn't what I expected it to be, but then it wasn't the crime story the author expected to write, as she says herself.
The story is told primarily from the POVs of two friends in university in 1989 and then the same two friends 30 years later. We quickly learn that the third friend died whilst they were all at Cambridge, or so they thought until she appears in the background of a news broadcast. At this point I suspected the narrative to go down a route of tracking this character down and finding out why she faked her own death or some other obscure plotline but it was so much more than that.
Although there were no real crime or thriller elements to this story, it was still hugely enjoyable for me as a thriller fan. Dark subject matter was touched upon, the 'people aren't what they seem' trope was exorcised to great and believable affect and even though there appeared to be a cheesy rom-com happy ending for some characters, there was still an overwhelming sense that this might not be the end of their troubles.
Then the epilogue serves to turn a vast majority of what we've learned about a lot of the characters on its head.
The writing is good, there are no troubling loose ends and I only deducted a star because I kept expecting it to become the thriller it had the potential to be and I'm still unsure as to whether I prefer the way things did turn out. That said, this was a very sensitive topic extremely well handled and the author deserves endless credit for that alone. A very solid 4-stars and I'll definitely look out for Joanne Sefton books in future!
Firstly, this book wasn't what I expected it to be, but then it wasn't the crime story the author expected to write, as she says herself.
The story is told primarily from the POVs of two friends in university in 1989 and then the same two friends 30 years later. We quickly learn that the third friend died whilst they were all at Cambridge, or so they thought until she appears in the background of a news broadcast. At this point I suspected the narrative to go down a route of tracking this character down and finding out why she faked her own death or some other obscure plotline but it was so much more than that.
Although there were no real crime or thriller elements to this story, it was still hugely enjoyable for me as a thriller fan. Dark subject matter was touched upon, the 'people aren't what they seem' trope was exorcised to great and believable affect and even though there appeared to be a cheesy rom-com happy ending for some characters, there was still an overwhelming sense that this might not be the end of their troubles.
Then the epilogue serves to turn a vast majority of what we've learned about a lot of the characters on its head.
The writing is good, there are no troubling loose ends and I only deducted a star because I kept expecting it to become the thriller it had the potential to be and I'm still unsure as to whether I prefer the way things did turn out. That said, this was a very sensitive topic extremely well handled and the author deserves endless credit for that alone. A very solid 4-stars and I'll definitely look out for Joanne Sefton books in future!
June 25, 2019
I really enjoyed this book even though it was not what I had expected. It really was not a real psychological thriller, but nevertheless I did enjoy this book. The blurb in the book is a little misleading but let me go on to review this book. It is about three friends who meet at a university, Alex, Karen and Misty. We find out very quickly that Alex died. We know jump thirty years ahead and Karen and Misty have not spoken to each other filled with guilt over Alex's death. The book is told in two POV's, in the past and in the present from Karen and Misty and Tasha, Karen's daughter. In the present Karen sees a woman on the television that looks so much like her long lost dead friend Alex. The book goes back and forth but their is a major element in this book that is not in the blurb. Karen's daughter Tasha has anorexia, which was not indicated in the blurb which is a major part of this novel. I really enjoyed this book and how Joanne dealt with this major issue which is so much in our current lives especially in young adults It is also revealed that Alex died from anorexia.. Also, Misty became a doctor dealing with eating disorders and Tasha, Karen's daughter who also suffers from this disease was someone I was in awe of. There is much more to be said about this book but I don't want to reveal more. Also, the ending was something that will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend this book but be aware to find yourself getting very teary eyed throughout this book. I want to thank net galley and Avon books for this ARC I received for an honest review. An excellent book that deals with a horrible disease.
May 29, 2019
The Guilty Friend by Joanne Sefton is the story of Alex, Misty, and Karen, three friends whose lives are forever changed when Alex dies unexpectedly, apparently from complications of an eating disorder. Fast forward to present day, and it seems that history is repeating itself, as Karen's middle daughter Tasha, is also battling anorexia. For years, Karen has carried the burden of guilt, believing that she is responsibe for Alex"s death, but in the present is unable to acknowledge what is happening to her own daughter.
The story is told from alternating timelines, first in the late eighties when the three women were at Cambridge, and present day, with the two remaining friends reuniting after so many years apart. Of the two timelines, I felt more invested in the present, as I believe that the characters were more fully developed and fleshed out, but I did appreciate the way in which both stories were seamlessly woven together throughout the plot. Kudos to Ms Sefton for her honest and sensitive handling of anorexia, particularly in the case of Tasha, a most empathetic figure.
This book is not at all what I had expected to read from the blurb provided, but was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.
The story is told from alternating timelines, first in the late eighties when the three women were at Cambridge, and present day, with the two remaining friends reuniting after so many years apart. Of the two timelines, I felt more invested in the present, as I believe that the characters were more fully developed and fleshed out, but I did appreciate the way in which both stories were seamlessly woven together throughout the plot. Kudos to Ms Sefton for her honest and sensitive handling of anorexia, particularly in the case of Tasha, a most empathetic figure.
This book is not at all what I had expected to read from the blurb provided, but was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.
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