With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
**2.5-stars**
With Friends Like These follows a group of women, all adults currently living their lives in and around NYC, who met while roommates at Harvard. For decades they’ve been playing a secret game that they call the Circus.
Since they’re all highly-competitive, the Circus, which I would describe as a bit of a Murder Game, has a tendency to get slightly dangerous. In fact, the death of classmate is alluded to throughout the story in connection to the Circus.
Our MC is Sara. She wants out of the Circus and is prepared to break the news to her friends. Sara also finds herself strained financially though, so when the group discovers that a small fortune is awaiting the winner of this round, she decides to suck it up and play one more time.
Needs must and all that.
As the Circus begins, Sara believes the others may not be playing by the rules. The higher stakes could be pushing people to new extremes.
As the danger turns real, and people start pointing fingers, Sara discovers those closest to her may be dangerous. Will their fake kill game turn deadly, or will all the women be able to make it to the end unscathed?
This story was fine. IMO, it’s a little basic, and certainly not as exciting, or intriguing, as I needed it to be, however, I’ve also read a lot worse. I think maybe for someone just branching out into Thrillers and for someone who likes stories involving complicated friend groups, this could definitely work.
We get the entire story from the MC, Sara. I didn’t mind that. It was actually refreshing to focus on one perspective, as it feels like most stories lately pull out all the stops with regards to perspectives, and even timelines.
Unfortunately, Sara wasn’t a particularly compelling lead. She sort of reminded me of that girlfriend you have, who is a lovely person, but tells the longest and most rambling stories, providing details you in no way need. The whole time she’s talking, you’re smiling and nodding, while you’re internally screaming, get to the bloody POINT!!!
I believe this is a debut for Alissa Lee, and it does show a lot of promise. I don’t want to be all doom and gloom. Do I wish I had enjoyed this a little more? Sure, but I also will not be writing off Alissa Lee as an author at this point.
I’d pick up whatever she writes next. I’m sure with more time and experience her stories will come to deliver all I’m looking for in a gripping Thriller novel. This story had a great concept, it just needed a bit more bite for me.
Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I will be keeping an eye out for future works from Alissa Lee.