Somebody I Used to Know

By David J. Bell

Rating 3.5/5 Stairs

Expected Publication: 7 July 2015

This was a page-turner from the start. Nick’s ordinary stop at the grocery store with an unexpected encounter sets things in motion, and has him questioning events from 20 years ago. What really happened to his college girlfriend? Did she really die in that house fire as everyone thought, or has Nick been suffering from a loss that never happened? As Nick begins to dig deeper, he starts to find more questions than answers. And not everyone is happy with him bringing up the past.

Told from Nick’s perspective, I found the story engaging and there were lots of plot twists. Mr. Bell dives right into the story and keeps the momentum throughout. My only complaint was with the ending. It almost felt like the reading equivalent of a bunch of dominoes set up in a line. Once one fell, it started a fast cascade. There were a lot of reveals going on and things wrapped up pretty conveniently. (And in the course of one reveal, something would be casually said that would lead Nick to the next reveal.)

Overall this is a fun summer read, guaranteed to keep you reading late into the night to see what happens next.

You know how you can tell if you’re meant to be with someone? If you don’t know anyone better than the person you’re with. Or if you can’t even imagine anyone better than the person you’re with.

Thanks to First to Read for providing me with a free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.