'I Killed Zoe Spanos' by Kit Frick is a suspenseful thriller that follows the story of Anna, who takes a summer job as a nanny in the Hamptons and becomes entangled in the mystery surrounding the disappearance and death of local teen Zoe Spanos. Alternating between past and present timelines, the book delves into the interconnected lives of Anna and Zoe, with unexpected twists and turns that keep the readers guessing until the very end. The writing style is described as tightly written, with plenty of tension and suspense, and features damaged characters seeking redemption in a small beach town filled with secrets and mysteries.
The plot unfolds through the perspectives of various characters, including Anna, Zoe's sister's best friend who hosts a podcast to uncover the truth, and Martina, a teen podcaster investigating Zoe's disappearance. As Anna navigates her own past and the eerie similarities between her life and Zoe's, the story weaves a complex narrative of unreliable narrators, mysterious estates, and undercurrents of drama and suspense. With elements of mystery, suspense, and unexpected revelations, 'I Killed Zoe Spanos' keeps readers engaged as they unravel the truth behind Zoe's fate.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains content warnings related to mental health issues and substance abuse, deemed medium in severity.
From The Publisher:
"A shivery delight." -People
For fans of Sadie and Serial, this "gloriously twisty" (BuzzFeed) thriller follows two teens whose lives become inextricably linked when one confesses to murder and the other becomes determined to uncover the real truth no matter the cost.
What happened to Zoe won't stay buried…
When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year's Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe's life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected-and that she knows what happened to her.
Two months later, Zoe's body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna's confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn't satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina's podcast uncover the truth?
Inspired by Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, Kit Frick weaves an electrifying story of psychological suspense that twists and turns until the final page.
Ratings (16)
Incredible (2) | |
Loved It (1) | |
Liked It (6) | |
It Was OK (4) | |
Did Not Like (3) |
Reader Stats (81):
Read It (15) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (51) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (13) |
2 comment(s)
I loved how this story was told. The unexpected twists kept me intrigued and in suspense. The writing was wonderful and this was definitely a book worth staying up all night for!
I Killed Zoe Spanos has several good things going for it.
First, the book was so entertaining that I binge-read it.
Second, I didn't figure out the mystery before the end.
But somehow knowing that Aster really did kill her sister (even if it wasn't on purpose) is just really disturbing to me?
Third, the book had an interesting style that combined prose with podcast. Though the style isn't new to the genre (I think the book
Sadie also utilizes this style), the style adds variety to traditional prose.
Overall, I found the book engaging, but I think the story could have had a stronger message at the end.
What can you read after
I Killed Zoe Spanos?
About the Author:
Kit Frick is a novelist, poet, and MacDowell fellow from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University. The author of the poetry collection A Small Rising Up in the Lungs and the young adult thrillers See All the Stars, All Eyes on Us, I Killed Zoe Spanos, and Very Bad People, Kit loves a good mystery but has only ever killed her characters. Honest. Visit Kit online at KitFrick.com and on Twitter and Instagram @KitFrick.
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