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The story is written in first person, with chapters written in italics, that weren't clear about whom they were about.
The psychological fear to be contacted out of the blue by someone who supposedly died 25 years ago is truly chilling. Unfortunately, its ending was a major let down and I can’t see me using this as a recommendation when someone asks. My coffee is ready, and I have no alternative but to sit back down at the laptop, where Maria has been waiting for me: steadily, impenetrably. The grown-up Louise is a bit easier to like, although I often just wanted her to go to the police and tell everything, but that had made it too easy and not made it a good story if the character did that. The idea that Louise would risk the life of her child and herself and keep the information from police beggars belief.It’s interesting as we don’t understand the lasting effect of people who’ve been bullied and traumatized at young and impressionable ages. Maybe that had been the problem all along: Maria Weston had wanted to be friends with me, but I let her down. However, after opening it, she'd give anything to go back to the boredom she was feeling just minutes before. I can honestly say that young Louise did I not like especially much, but I can still understand her situation. It feels as though a sponge has been lodged in my throat, soaking up water, swelling and clogging, leaving me struggling for breath.
The terrible toll bullying takes on the bullied, those close to them, and even the guilt years later of the one who had a part in the bullying. The portrayal certainly explains her willingness to become a submissive wife and makes obvious her gratitude for Sam’s understanding and support. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Friend Request by Laura Marshall for review.
Sometimes just looking at someone's Facebook page can bring back teenage feelings, insecurities from a time when all you wanted was to be liked. But the hints of other crimes Tempe’s identification uncovers, particularly crimes against children, spur her on to redouble her efforts despite the new M. We all found the social media aspect of this novel quite clever and it added a scary and spine tingly feeling for us as we read this story. Following on from the Friend Request is the invitation to a school reunion for Louise's finishing year. Memories that include her own dark secrets – secrets that threaten to destroy her carefully constructed life.
When this is swiftly followed by an invitation to a class of 1989 school reunion and a reconnection with her former fickle best friend Sophie Hannigan, Louise is once again launched into a bewildering world of uncertainty. Sharp , relevant and tightly plotted , and with a fabulous twist, psychological thriller fans should definitely say yes to this impressive debut. Due to peer pressure Louise has blamed herself believing all these years that it was her fault that Maria had died that night.Friend Request explores more than Louise getting a Facebook friend request from a supposedly dead classmate. Adult Louise is dealing with what it means to have a dead girl that she felt responsible for popping back up in her life. Marshall examines these secrets with rapid fire prose using a past/ present sequence that works brilliantly. I’m not saying it’s anything super special, it’s reasonably simple and there aren’t a lot of beautiful descriptions of things, but it’s easy to read and definitely keeps you reading. What would life have been like if she'd made a different choice then, not just for her, but for everyone around her?
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