HarperCollins Publishers | January 2017 | 400 pgs
Source: Library
It all started with the stained sheets. Dawn and her husband, Rob, had rented a vacation house by the beach for four days and when Dawn later found out that she would lose $200 of the deposit due to the stained sheets, she lost her cool. Miranda, the host, thinks otherwise and thought Dawn has agreed to the terms since she has not heard from her. From there, they started firing each other with accusing emails and texts, calling each other names and proceeds to stalk each other's life online.
But behind these battles hide a bigger façade as Dawn and Miranda each has their family history and secrets to hide from their spouse respectively. For Dawn, she came from a family who offered her minimal love and attention and her teenage life was a mess; hooking up with boys and such until she met her current husband, Rob. Rob didn't know about her past and Dawn sees her marriage as a new start, until she sees Miranda as a threat and she feels she needs to resurrect the old Dawn as she was.
Miranda, on the other end, is a doctor's wife and though her financial status is far better off than Dawn, she relies on the rental income so that she could continue to send money to her 27-year-old son, Thad. Miranda knew Thad is still using drugs on and off and that he also requires money for his art works but she is not willing to cut him off completely the way her husband, Larry, did. Thus, she views Dawn as a threat after the latter has left several nasty and negative reviews on websites and defame her reputation as a trusted host.
As these two different women are set to ruin each other's life, what they didn't realise is their behaviours and the deeds they have done are spiralling out of control and in no time their secrets would be laid bare and would shatter everything they have built all this time. This Is Not Over is a refreshing multi-layered tale about a mundane domestic disagreement which has gone haywire and though what Dawn and Miranda did to each other are way overboard, in some ways some of their behaviours are relatable as at times we will encounter some frustrating or annoying matters and people and whether or not we would let things slide or keep them to heart and make ourselves miserable. Dawn and Miranda aren't likeable characters, that's for sure but they are unforgettable and their stories will remind us about causes and consequences.
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And all that because of the small matter of stained sheets! Sounds like they both opened a can of worms that can't be put back in. Sounds like a good one, Melody!
Wendy - It's unbelievable, right? But we all know that happens all the time in reality. This book is more of a drama than anything and it was intense to see how everything unfolds towards the end.
This is the kind of novel that make me uneasy. You can see (and dread) what is coming, like watching a train wreck. It is the ability to see the possibilities in real life that makes this kind of novel so uncomfortable! I'm reading one right now that has some of the same tension--I want to step in and say, "Don't!"
Jenclair - I totally agree with you but yet I was drawn to it; at that moment I was hoping to see a resolution under that circumstances and that all went well in the end.
I like how something seemingly so small and trivial leads to such an escalation! I've read several good reviews of this book so I'm definitely adding to my radar!
Iliana - It was like watching a train wreck reading this. You knew something bad is going to happen but yet you couldn't tear your eyes away from it. I'm glad to hear you're adding this to your wishlist, Iliana. :)