Beautiful Malice

After her sister's death, Katherine moves in with her aunt, unable to face the loneliness and grief at her own house and also looking for a fresh start.  When she meets beautiful and charismatic Alice, she finally feels like she can move on.  But Alice is hiding a dark side and soon Katherine is afraid of what Alice will do next.

I didn't go to Alice's funeral.
I was pregnant at the time, crazy and wild with grief. p.1

In most books when the sibling dies and the main character blames themselves, it is usually for no real reason.  But, man, does Katherine have a reason.  And, yet, she was wholly sympathetic because she made a choice and she choose wrong.  But that's the thing about choices.  You can't say they are good or bad until you've already made them.  So I felt sorry for Katherine and for her parents and I was wholly creeped about by Alice.  From the book's description, it is apparent that Alice is not all there, but her insanity is best read, it cannot be described.  Her motivation for her behavior was surprising and not lacking, just unwarranted.  I was impressed with the narration through three time periods in Katherine's life and the story of what happened to her sister is unfolded slowly, horrifyingly.  There is a lot of time of guilt and redemption and choices.  I can't say that anything was lacking in this book because all the answers were waiting right there as I read along.  It was an intense and almost sad book.  I liked it.

Won from GoodRead's First Reads (out July 13, 2010)
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