Summary:
After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.
While going through their parent’s belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends.
Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.
My Thoughts:
I really like the premise of this book. Beth is the only sibling that stayed home after growing up and their father leaving. She witnesses their mother's passing, and lets them know. They come out, all not having seen each other in years. Nicole has been struggling with addiction for years, and still is. Michael is married and rich. When they come across a video that unknowingly recorded their parents' cover-up of a neighbor who died, they aren't sure what to do, and more secrets come out.
I found it very intriguing that none of them seemingly know where their father ended up, and when it is revealed, it's very underwhelming. There was so much build-up to it, and it didn't seem like what happened was actually planned before the author wrote the book. The reveal of what actually happened also was not great. It happened so fast with no foreshadowing that it felt underdeveloped. While we see each character's POV throughout the book, the only one that felt fleshed out was Beth. It seemed like Michael and Nicole were assigned one trait for almost the entire novel. That being said, I did enjoy the story, I just wish it was better executed.
My Rating: 2 stars
