Friend Request: The most addictive psychological thriller you'll read this year

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Long-buried memories quickly rise to the surface–those first days of their budding connection, the awful judgment of the young women who felt at the time like her sole gateway to belonging. Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

For me, this novel ticks all the boxes for being a great psychological thriller, with its twists and turns and I predict will reach a wide audience. It’s an easy read that switches from modern day (adult) to back in the day (teens), mirroring both eras to help you make clear links between the past and the present. Upon finding her Facebook page she finds Sophie’s page and looks it over to see what Sophie has been doing in the last 25 years. Long-buried memories quickly rise to the surface: Those first days of their budding friendship; cruel decisions made and dark secrets kept; the night that would change all their lives forever. The red brick of the school buildings lurks in the background, familiar in a way but strange too, as if it belongs to someone else’s memories, not mine.

In 1989, Maria transfers to Louise's school in the late senior years, and initially Louise finds her a refreshing change. The author was brilliant at keeping me guessing and it wasn’t until well into the second half I started to guess who the culprit was.

As the story developed and Louise, the main character, became more unsure of what was going on, I really like the way it was headed. I'm not even sure which side of the story had me more engrossed as they both certainly kept the pages turning looking for answers. Yet, there are other prevalent themes running throughout, with the spotlight shining on the mistreatment of classmates, the intense desire to belong and be accepted, especially as teenagers. When Louise first notices the new girl who has mysteriously transferred late into their senior year, Maria seems to be everything the girls Louise hangs out with aren't.Following on from the Friend Request is the invitation to a school reunion for Louise's finishing year. The unveiling of Maria’s fate and the person or persons responsible is not much of a revelation given Marshall’s unfortunate habit of telegraphing plot twists. The only certainty is that Maria Weston disappeared that night, never to be heard from again - until now. She wanted to be friends with Louise but Louise was struggling to remain friends with a girl in the most popular group at school who didn't think Maria was "cool" and encouraged Louise in the actions that led to Maria's dramatic disappearance.