Don’t Believe Everything You Read: A Book Review of ‘All Eyes on Her’
Who’s telling the truth? Who’s lying? And maybe more importantly, who do you believe?
C/W: Murder, violence & abuse (physical & mental).
What’s it about?
“All Eyes On Her” is a young adult thriller by L.E. Flynn. The 376-page book tells the story of a seventeen-year-old alleged killer Tabby Cousins. How did Tabby and her boyfriend, Mark Forrester, end up at the top of a cliff? How did he end up at the bottom? How did she make it home? And who is really to blame?
The mystery unfolds through text conversations, diary entries, newspaper articles, police interviews and the fractured perspectives of everyone but Tabby. It isn’t until the very last chapter that we get a glimpse into Tabby’s mind and the secrets that it hides.
My thoughts…
This is one of the most intriguing books I’ve ever read. The readers must piece together what happened that night through the scraps of perspectives and written material. Flynn weaves truth, lies, manipulations, and biases together to create a gripping hunt for the truth. This is a unique way to tell this story and only adds to the mystery.
Although there were many reoccurring characters, I found Keegan’s (Mark’s best friend) and Bridget’s (Tabby’s younger sister) the most intriguing. Their characters show the consequences of misplaced trust and how even those you love can manipulate and betray you. For me, their stories perfectly summed up how complicated real-life relationships can be.
“Don’t believe everything you read. Don’t believe everything you hear. Make up your own mind about me.” — Tabby Cousins.
This quote is said in the first chapter and sets up the themes of trust and truth. It’s my favourite quote from the book as it’s also the undertone felt throughout the book. These themes had me contemplating how easy it is for some people to trust others and how truth can be a matter of perspective. No matter whose perspective you’re reading, there’s always a sense of mistrust.
The short chapters, which were sometimes only a page long, made for a quick read. This mysterious page-turner had the feel of flickering memories as each new chapter delves into the point-of-view of another character or written material. Although this added to the fast-paced storyline, it could confuse readers who have trouble keeping straight which characters know what.
It’s been months since I read this book, and I still think about it and question it every now and then. Even after finishing the book, parts of me still wondered what had happened. Whether or not the conclusion I had decided upon was actually true.
It leaves me to wonder, if I were in a situation like Tammy’s, what would those closest to me say? What biases do others hold that could change how they see the truth? And who really and truly knows me?
This book is an excellent read for those that love young adult mystery and suspense. If you enjoyed “A Good Girls Guide to Murder” series, “The Inheritance Games” series or anything by Karen M. McManus, then you will enjoy “All Eyes on Her” by L.E. Flynn.
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