“Something She’s Not Telling Us”

 

“Something She’s Not Telling Us”

Written by Darcey Bell

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“Something She’s Not Telling Us” is the first book that I have read by Darcey Bell, but I am familiar with her work from seeing the adaptation of her first book, “A Simple Favor”. “S.S.N.T.U” is her second work within the psychological thriller genre, and frankly, I enjoyed the read. However, most books have their faults, but the faults within this story were glaring.

 

The story is separated into three perspectives. Charlotte’s third person omniscient was told in a great way, but I felt disappointed instantly that seeing all of the perspectives are told in the present tense. I appreciated that there were some past tense during the flashbacks, but I abhor books that use the present tense, “she says”, “he walks”, “they run”. The other two perspectives are told of Ruth and Rocco.

 

The story begins in a flash forward, as we meet Charlotte. She’s a bit uptight, concerned, and proper, but she is a highly likeable, relatable, and responsible character. We learn that she believes her brother, Rocco’s girlfriend, Ruth, to have kidnapped Charlotte’s daughter, Daisy. As the story continues, we meet Rocco and Ruth. Ruth is a bit more of a free spirit, with a strangely bossy attitude and some major quirks. The story sets up to frame Ruth in a very negative light, with her being caught in lies and acting bizarrely around Daisy.

 

I enjoyed the story for the most part. This thriller felt like a fun guilty pleasure, with appealing characters, plot devices, and realistic dialogue. Unfortunately, there were major problems that I cannot overlook. Although the plot was enjoyable and I did like this book, I wonder about the author’s intent. Why create characters who are so blatantly racist, the entire time they are in Mexico, on vacation? The characters are not called out on their behavior or meant to be disliked any less. This felt very unkind to the audience, rather than just to portray a negative behavior. Additionally, the entire location of Mexico was described terribly, highlighting negative behaviors of locals, including language that might be deemed offensive, and portrayed bad stereotypes. Next, I was highly unhappy with the representation of mental illness, by characters’ choices and dialogue. Charlotte speaks about the ex-girlfriends of Rocco, using unkind words to describe people who self-harm. If this was just to show that Charlotte is not a great judge of character and is flawed, there are many other ways we could have learned this.

 

If we can push past the negative sides of this novel, then I can rate it at three and a half stars out of five. If you personally cannot look past the racism and flawed cultural representation, as well as the mental health representation, then I do not recommend this book for you. Yes, Bell may use these characters as a lens, to examine and judge their personality and behaviors, but it feels slightly exploitative. I think that in 2020, we need to be more careful the way we portray characters. Also, we cannot always excuse authors’ poor decisions as a literary device.

 

In conclusion, the story is enjoyable. The development of the characters was interesting, especially once we learned who the true villain is. The villain’s decisions and manipulative tendencies were interesting, but also slightly disappointing. I think I would have liked a little more meat on the bones of this plot.

 

Thank you to Harper Books for sending along a finished copy for me to review. Thank you again for the opportunity.