We’ll Never Be Apart by Emiko Jean

I’ve always had problems with books that label themselves as thrillers, mostly because they are so predictable and the author just tries too hard to make it believable or interesting.  The characters usually lack depth, and they’re typically uninteresting, because that author will work so hard to create a great story and plot line, and then they forget to do anything worthwhile with the characters.

If you feel that way about a lot of “thrillers” that you have read, let me introduce you to We’ll Never Be Apart, by debut author Emiko Jean.

Yes, this is her first novel.  How, I have no idea.  I had to double check that, because this book made it seem like she’s been writing for years.  Part of me wishes this were the case, because I absolutely need more books by her.  Since there are none, I want to go into hibernation until she writes another.

Okay, let’s take a look at the book now, shall we?

Our story starts off with our main character, Alice, locked up in a mental hospital called Savage Isle.  They believe that she started a fire in an abandoned barn that gave her some pretty nasty burns and killed her boyfriend, Jason.  Only she knows that her twin sister, Celia, started the fire.  Alice finds out that Celia is locked up in the same hospital, in the D ward, which is the ward with the highest security.  Since charges are being pressed against her, she is determined to make sure that her sister pays for what she did.

While she is in Savage Isle, she meets her roommate, Amelia, who has spiky pink hair and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.  Amelia and Alice become good friends – eating meals together, sharing secrets, and spending their time together.  Alice also meets Chase, a mysterious guy who was recently in the D Ward – and who promises to help Alice find Celia.  So they work together, with Chase stealing key cards to break out of their locked rooms, and while trying to help Alice seek her revenge on Celia, the two form a bond and a relationship that makes Alice feel cared for in a way that she hasn’t in a long time.

The characters in this book were deep and interesting.  Their personalities are fantastic – especially Alice.  She and Celia have had a very troubling past together, which is told in Alice’s journal entries that she keeps while she is a patient at Savage Isle.  These journal entries describe Alice and Celia’s troubled childhoods that include going from foster home to foster home, abuse, and Celia and Jason’s love for setting fires.  As the journal entries continue through each chapter, we learn more and more about how troubled Celia really is, and how Jason isn’t the person that Alice thought he was.

This really is one of the few books that live up to the name of “thriller.”  It’s exciting from the very first page, and it kept me guessing to the very last.

Note: I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.