Before We Were Innocent

 

 

★★★★

4.5 ★ 

A summer in Greece for three best friends ends in the unthinkable when only two return home in this new novel from Ella Berman. . . .

  Ten years ago, after a sun-soaked summer spent in Greece, best friends Bess and Joni were cleared of having any involvement in their friend Evangeline’s death. But that didn’t stop the media from ripping apart their teenage lives like vultures. 

While the girls were never convicted, Joni, ever the opportunist, capitalized on her newfound infamy to become a motivational speaker. Bess, on the other hand, resolved to make her life as small and controlled as possible so she wouldn’t risk losing everything all over again. And it almost worked. . . .
Except now Joni is tangled up in a crime eerily similar to that one fateful night in Greece. And when she asks Bess to come back to LA to support her, Bess has a decision to make. 

Is it finally time to face up to what happened that night, exposing herself as the young woman she once was and maybe still is? And what happens if she doesn’t like what she finds? 

 

 🌼

 
Intriguing. 

A few months back, I went to Barnes and Noble with a friend and found Before We Were Innocent . The title drew my eye, followed by the cover. I love how the cover is black and white, yet the title is in color; it gives the book a mysterious appearance. When I read the blurb, I knew I wanted to get this book; it sounded like the type I enjoy reading. I was excited when Before We Were Innocent was selected as my book club's November selection. I was captivated by the book from the first page of the book. Every page and chapter kept me turning the pages, wondering what would be revealed next. Like everyone else, especially Bess, I was interested in learning the truth about what happened to Evangeline in Greece all those years ago. I wondered how she died, and I was interested in whether she had been killed and, if so, what the intent was. Throughout the book's first few chapters, I had a lot of questions. 

I was wary of Joni from the beginning. I had a feeling that there was something she wasn't telling Bess. However, I didn't understand why Bess would cover for Joni after such a long separation. I wondered if Joni knew something about Bess, which was why she was covering for her. Joni and Bess's friendship fluctuated, much like a romantic relationship. There were moments when I couldn't help but wonder how they were friends. Despite everything, Joni was there for Bess when it counted. Therefore, I had a hate/like connection with her. I had wondered if their friendship would survive the truth. 

Evangeline is another character I wasn't sure about. How she interacted with her friends looked slightly too controlling for me. I was also puzzled as to why she was acting that way. I was expecting a thriller when I picked it Before We Were Innocent , which it was in certain ways, but I thought it was more literary fiction. I had fun reading the book and talking about it in my book club's weekly meetings. I would highly recommend checking this book out.