REVIEW: Her Closest Friend by Clare Boyd (ARC)

Her Closest Friend by Clare Boyd

Genre: Domestic Thriller

Read: 2nd March 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 5th March 2019)

★ 1 star

I have no words. 

That's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of how to begin a review of this book. I stayed up till 1.30am finishing it and all I was left with was a bad taste. That's how to best describe it. HER CLOSEST FRIEND was not the story I thought it would be and, having read LITTLE LIAR (which I really enjoyed), I was disappointed to say the least with this one.

The story is about Naomi and Sophie and their toxic friendship. They met in university some 20 off years before and Naomi was immediately drawn to the ethereal Sophie. Why? I have no idea. She would have been someone I'd have avoided. However, the two are inseparable.

Then when something tragic happens Sophie covers it up to save her best friend. But Naomi has no recollection of that night. She had been terribly drunk, celebrating the end of university and her upcoming holiday to Thailand, throwing up in the backseat of Sophie's beloved Alfa Romeo Guilia. When snippets of the night begin to stab at Naomi's consciousness, she starts to wonder what was real and what was imagined.

But Sophie has never forgotten. And now the time has come to let Naomi know just how much she has sacrificed for her in the name of friendship. She has hidden the truth from Naomi for 20 years. But what truth is that? The one Sophie has concocted in her seriously unstable mind? Or the one what actually happened?

What follows is a story of these two seemingly inseparable friends and their unbreakable bond based on lies, deception, jealousy, selfishness that has been toxic from the start. Sadly, Naomi never sees the real Sophie until it is almost too late. And what does she do? She forgives her time and time again. I could have gladly smacked both women - Naomi for being so stupid and Sophie for being so selfish!

Then when Naomi does begin to see Sophie for what she is and tries to pull away, the toxicity comes to the surface as Sophie shows her true unstable colours revealing secrets from long ago and causing the downward spiral of them both. Why Naomi didn't just walk away before it got to the point it did is beyond me! Did she really need Sophie as much as Sophie needed her? Or did she really feel that she owed her? Honestly, you cannot spend 20 years owing someone THAT much! She may have been there when Naomi needed her, but boy, she never let her forget it either.

The climax leading up to the end was something I didn't see coming. It was depressing but appropriate. I was saddened that Naomi felt it had come to this (was there really any other way?) but Sophie's discovery in the Alfa's boot, I admit, was heartwrenching. And that's where it should have ended. The Epilogue titled "Many Years Later" was unnecessary and far too depressing. Given where Naomi was headed throughout the book, pushed to her limits, the epilogue was appropriate and relevant in a way, but I really think the book would have been far better without it. In fact I think I would have felt much better about the book and not as though I had wasted so much time reading it had it ended after the "newspaper article". That would have been a fitting ending. What it was made the whole sorry tale just a bit pointless.

HER CLOSEST FRIEND really did have potential to be an awesome story but, aside from the horrible toxic tale of these two women, the story was slow, there was endless repetition (the constant reference to Sophie and Dylan's eczema as if it were a terminal condition was nauseating), too many unlikeable characters and then the horrifying and cruel death of a beloved pet (which I do not appreciate and I always down-vote books that include such a horrific thing) made the whole thing unbearably long and unlikeable. Sadly, I saw that last part coming long before the book even got there. Really, Naomi was stupid to put up with selfish Sophie for so long.

I cannot say much more without giving the entire plot away because it really left me shaking my head in disbelief. Maybe I just don't get the whole concept behind this book but then again I don't know that I want to. It is just toxic. It's poisonous. It was creepy. The book was so toxic it left a bad taste and had me feeling somewhat disturbed...and not in a good way.

Despite my unfavourable review, I would like thank #ClareBoyd, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerClosestFriend in exchange for an honest review.