Never Have I Ever: A Novel

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The last seven years have been amazing, but there are times she wonders if she should have told the people she loves about her past. Never Have I Ever starts off with my kind of evening, a book club meeting, wine and friends. What could go wrong? Soon things take a turn when a new neighbour changes the pace to a game of Never Have I Ever. Along with a little too much drink, things take a very intriguing turn and secrets start to come out or threaten to come out. I was hooked and couldn’t wait to find out more. The pace slows down a bit as the characters are developed and I began to get a little impatience and wanted things to move along a bit faster. Amy has a past. Not that anyone would know it. To her friends and family she is a mother and a dive instructor and her life seems picture perfect thought it wasn’t always that way. Her greatest joy is her family: her devoted professor husband, her spirited fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, her adorable infant son. And, of course, the steadfast and supportive Charlotte.

The story is told from Amy’s point of view. Most of it takes place in the present, but we do learn about Amy’s past and what happened that fateful night. I have one gripe about the book. There is a point at which Amy misleads Roux by telling her something that was not true, hardly an unreasonable approach when dealing with the criminal element. But not having been clued in by the author makes Amy, who had seemed pretty reliable, an unreliable narrator. It seemed inconsistent. Reading this book is one of my most interesting experiences in my life. Because first impressions are so important for me, if I like something from the first glance, my feelings stay that way. I hardly change my opinion. New neighbour, Angelica Roux (call me Roux like the kangaroo) swoops into book club night, and immediately takes over, charming the other housewives. When she suggests a game of Never Have I Ever, the women are or for it, except for Amy, because the secrets she keeps are worse than most.

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Roux gathers them round and suggests a drinking game. The game, if you can even call it that, is to confess the worst things they've ever done. An adult version of 'never have I ever' and Amy is not down with playing. To protect herself and her family and save the life she’s built, Amy must beat the devil at her own clever game, matching wits with Roux in an escalating war of hidden pasts and unearthed secrets. Amy knows the consequences if she can’t beat Roux. What terrifies her is everything she could lose if she wins. The dynamics of the the book club change when a woman by the name of Angelica Roux (Roux) turns up and decides she’d like to join in. Roux is a single parent with a teenage son and she thought it would be good to get to know some of the neighbours. Before they know what is happening Roux seems to have taken over the book club and the women are drinking shots and playing a game called Never Have I Ever. The game starts off well, but it sure doesn’t end so well and this is where things change amongst the women. The ultimate plot twist was gross. It made me super uncomfortable and yeah, it is just my opinion, but it pretty much ruined the whole book.

Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival. I absolutely loved this one and especially loved Amy. Tough as nails yet soft in the center, she is a surprising opponent to the cunning Roux. I fell in love with her sweet family and loved the relationship she had with her stepdaughter. She’s a great character to root for. The side stories of the other characters were just as delightful as the battle of wits between Amy and Roux. So, all in all if you like insane plots, “Never Have I Ever” is for you. Though it takes a while to get going, once it does, Wowza!

Filled with fascinating characters, an engaging plot, and twists that I NEVER saw coming. I thought the story was well-paced with perfect timing, and I loved how it all came together in the end. Soon, Roux, has the women drinking shots and playing a game called, “ Never have I ever”. The game starts out innocently enough, but then one of the women confesses something that hits very close to home. Suddenly it doesn’t seem like such a harmless game. Roux says that Amy would win this game hands-down. She seems to be indicating that she knows something about Amy's past. Amy has had enough and tells Roux to get out. As Roux is leaving she tells Amy that they need to get together, that they have a LOT to talk about.