Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

Title: Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Release Date: 04/21/2020

I'm sure you've read a book where you read a certain scene and you mouth just drops open and you look around and say, "Oh my God, what??" This book had not one, not two, but several moments like that for me. Just when you think you've got the plot figured out, Ms. Brown yanks the carpet out from under your feet. The amazing part is that she does it so very well.

 Pretty Things is told from the perspective of Nina and Vanessa. These two women are as different as night and day. Nina is a con artist raised by a con artist mother while Vanessa is born into a family of wealth and privilege. They meet briefly while Nina is a teen and Vanessa is a college student due to Nina's friendship with Benny, Vanessa's brother. Now, years later they meet again as Nina is desperate for one last con to help her mother and then go legit. She thinks Vanessa will be the perfect mark.

The book intertwines flashbacks as well as the perspectives of the two women. There are a few scenes that are told from each woman's point of view. Strangely enough it works. I am not going to say that I loved either character because they are both deeply flawed. At different points you feel sad for them, you root for them, you care for them, and you even hates them.

Setting details are amazing. I could picture the landscape, picture the mansions, and picture the lake. The descriptions almost make me want to take a trip to Lake Tahoe and take a look around. If a writer has you seeing the story as a movie inside of your head then she's doing an excellent job. This was excellent.

The story shows you that whether you are rich or broke, you all have problems. No one is what they seem in this book and they tell lies upon lies upon lies to each other and themselves. In the end, could the two women bond and put their past aside?

The only thing that I wished for more in this book was that I wanted to see more of Benny. He's very troubled but also funny and he means so much to both women that it was a shame that he wasn't more present in the book.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller. The pacing is good and the story is compelling. I suggest you pre-order a copy so you don't miss out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this book. I sincerely hope that Ms. Brown continues writing and that I'll be able to review her next piece of work.