Reviews with content warning for Drug use - I Killed Zoe Spanos

*starts incoherently screeching*

THIS. THIS WAS EVERYTHING WE WERE LIARS WANTED TO BE. "I Killed Zoe Spanos" is now probably my new all time favorite book. no, i am not lying, yes, this was INSANE.

this book follows our main character anna, who's new in the hamptons nannying for a fucking loaded family. she literally stays in their GUEST BEACH HOUSE, and sketches next to the INFINITY POOL at night. she comes from brooklyn, and is trying to recover from years of alcohol abuse and pretty toxic relationships. anna thinks that if she just ignores that her life in brooklyn was a thing, it just wouldn't exist anymore. the writing does such a good job of portraying anna's unreliable narration very early on with her odd decision making and clear confusion of who she actually is.

once she spends more time at this rich town, she realizes something is off. she keeps getting odd rushes of nostalgia, and people are consistently mistaking her for the girl that had gone missing on new years, zoe spanos. THE NOSTALIGIA RUSHES? THE WRITING ON THOSE SCENES WAS IMMACULATE. ESPCIALLY THE FIRST SCENE IN THE ICE CREAM SHOPPE?? I FELT JUST AS CONFUSED AS ANNA AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!

she meets a "mysterious boy next door" soon after, which was immediately where i was scared this book was going to immediately go downhill. the best part? anna has an unrequited/kinda-sorta-maybe requited crush on caleb, BUT IT HAS ALMOST NO IMPACT ON THE PLOT. ITS JUST TO ADD TO THE WHOLE FEELING THAT ANNA IS BEING TRICKED BY THE ENTIRE TIME/NOT REMEMBERING SOMETHING SHE'S SUPPOSED TO, AND REALLY MAKE HER BREAKDOWN SCENE SO MUCH BETTER.

i don't know how to get into this book without spoilers, but be warned- the twist is CRAZY. this isn't really a whodunnit mystery, because we literally get a confession (even if spotty) to the murder by anna in the beginning chapter. the whole book is really just about why anna feels such a connection to the hamptons without have ever been there before, why she confessed, and why everybody keeps mistaking her for zoe. WHICH BY THE WAY, WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER, IT'S SO SATISFYING AND JUST MAKES SO MUCH SENSE?!? GOD IT WAS SO GOOD I NEED EVERBODY TO READ THIS BOOK I'VE BEEN TRYING TO BE SERIOUS BUT HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.

Content Warnings

mo345's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

i had such a hard time finishing this book. it reads like the first book of an author who has no idea what their writing style is. there are only two POC and LGBT+ characters, both of which feel forced and unnatural; most likely thrown in for “diversity points”. the ending was kind of a let down and was not as dramatic as the story made it seem like it would be.

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viljahe's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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spearly's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

“Maybe I thought it’s what she would have wanted. Maybe I was trying to make things right.”
“Make things right?” The detective repeats Anna’s words back to her.
“In some small way. After what I’d done. It was an accident, but … I killed Zoe Spanos."

What a trip. Anna was a great unreliable narrator, and the whole novel I was trying to parse out what was true and what wasn't. How did this girl, who comes to Herron Mills for a summer job, end up confessing to the murder of a girl who went missing months prior from a town she's never been to? How could we possibly get from point A to point B?

The back and forth timelines worked really well, though I'm not sure how much it was necessary. Part of me thinks that, after the first "Present Day" chapter, the whole story could have been told as "Then" until the timelines meets up with chapter 1. Still, The voices were very distinct (it helped that all the present day chapters were told in 3rd person and all the past chapters were told in 1st person). I understood the appeal of having some perspectives, particularly Martina's, following the case in the present day, trying to work through all the nonsensical of Anna's "Then" chapters.

This book reminded me of We Were Liars but with more enjoyable prose. We think we know where things are going until we don't. What happened on New Years Eve? Where is Zoe Spanos? Who is Anna, who looks uncannily like the missing girl? Why isn't Zoe's longtime boyfriend being completely honest with the police? Where is the missing boat from the dock? Why does Anna have memories of Harron Mills when she's never been here before taking the job?

These questions are all answered, of course, but it's a fun ride trying to figure it all out on our own. I'll admit, I wasn't even close (which is super fun, as the last few mystery/thrillers I've read, I've managed to guess the plot twist). While I did have to suspend my disbelief a bit (or perhaps I just don't know enough about how repressed / childhood memories can present themselves to teenagers), the ending was very satisfying. Even when you think things are all wrapped up, we get that delicious last chapter.

I ployed through this. The plot kept me guessing, the characters were simultaneously shady and charming, I could never tell when people were being honest, and I wanted to retain every small detail I could in case it ended up being important later. Frick did a great job blending a character driven and plot driven novel, providing readers just enough to make us think we knew where things were going.

Who Killed Zoe Spanos? You've gotta read to find out!

Content Warnings

ne0n_ange1's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I read this as an audiobook and let me tell you; it was an incredible experience! There were so many different voice actors that were brought in to narrate the Missing Zoe Podcast and the first time a podcast episode came on I was so shocked at how much effort was put in to make the episode feel like an actual podcast. Those episodes felt like they came right out of Serial or something! And the overall premise of the book was really well done. There was just enough mystery surrounding every new piece of information the reader gets to keep us guessing the whole way through. It's a great read!

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stormywolf's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another hold-over from 2020's 25 Reads of December from RivitedLit. I wasn't planning on picking this one, what with it not having any of my typical favorite aspects, like Fantasy or Sci-Fi setting, nor did it promise much in the way of sass or rom-com vibes. But then I read that it's inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, which I haven't read but know a bit about from one of my favorite YouTuber's Lost in Adaptation episode on it. So, armed with a cursory knowledge of the mystery I might be facing, I jumped in with both RivitedLit's web version and the audiobook on loan from my library. And boy, did things sure get twisty.

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise in a genre I'm not usually keen to pick up. Though the pacing was a little slow at times, the mystery was enticing and the podcasts were a unique way to keep the information flowing such that it kept me reading almost nonstop. I'd highly recommend the audiobook for the podcasts sections, as they were hands down the best case of audiobook production I've experienced in a while, but the transcripts in the text work fine if audio isn't your thing. So if you're in the mood for some Unsolved Mysteries-esque intrigue wrapped up in a tidy YA package, definitely give this one a try.

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stormywolf's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Read by Jenni Barber, Jayme Mattler, and a full cast
Unabridged Length: 10.7 Hours
Listened at 1.75x Speed

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, this was a fantastic audiobook experience with a lot of heart and passion poured into it. While it makes sense that the podcast portions would be highly produced, what with them being a key factor of the author's original idea for the book, I was still blown out of the water by just how much time was obviously spent on them. Add in the stellar traditional narration of our two leads, and I have no choice but to rank this as a must-hear audiobook, especially if you enjoy, or have any interest in podcasts. And even if you don't, those sections are only a couple pages long anyway.

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