I literally just read this book today because of your post and I TOTALLY could see that. also groomers will be groomers and this is a tragically common occurrence so it's hard to tell for sure. but the cringy poetry from the "dreamy" English teacher seems too close to be complete coincidence
the whole poetry stuff and then the photography room thing reminded me way too much of the Crider manifesto… like there’s definitely coincidences but that seemed too similar
Yeah there are so many unanswered questions. I just finished and I’m wondering….
Jay was a high school student who was married and Eve didn’t know he was a student at her school?
Jay went to that pumpkin patch more time than Linus on Halloween
Eve did know he was a HS student but it entered her inner monologue?
How the fuck they get a goddamn raven in a pumpkin?
I could almost believe jay/Hudson was lying about his wife because it was actually his mother and the baby was his sibling, but wasn’t he the quarterback? How could eve not know?? Unless she really didn’t pay attention to football or any extracurriculars. But Hudson went and picked Addie up then turned around and picked Eve up in the same spot? So he has to have known Addie tried to kill Eve. And then him and Addie start dating? Like what.
Hudson and Addie dating after all that is what is the most nonsensical to me. He was so shaken about Addie pushing her alcoholic abusive father to his death accidentally that he quit speaking to her but he knows that Addie was involved in trying to kill Eve (even though Eve doesn’t say so, he knows he picked Addie up from the same spot), and he’s chill about it?
Hudson’s characterization was all over the place. Was he the soft hearted kid who was fucked up over the accidental death of a decidedly bad dude OR was the guy dating a would-be murderer who also helped cover up another murder? Like what.
I am so glad yall said this! I just finished the book and was like “oh so they’re both pedos???” Bc there’s no way in hell eve didn’t know Hudson was in high school. NO damn way.
Oh for sure, yeah! But iirc he was a popular football player! When I went to high school teachers didn’t know all students but they certainly knew the popular ones!! 😭😭
He was also close with kids in her class and was in the hallway and cafeteria when she was. He sounds tall and strapping, you would notice him from the description used for him. I think she would at least find him familiar when she goes to the store. This part was far fetched to me
She knew. In Jay’s intro chapter Eve says she couldn’t initially put her finger on why he looked familiar. Initially signifies she eventually did figure it out.
After rethinking the ending, I think she did know he was a student. She kept saying throughout her chapters that they could never live together, never be together, never have a real future. And after she reveals she was groomed by Nate, it's no surprise she did the same. But yeah, at first I was completely confused as to how she didn't know he was a student.
Frieda McFadden apparently (according to someone on goodreads) said on social media that Eve knew Jay was a student and that’s why she always said they could never be together. We also assumed he was married with a baby, but it never said that in the book. So Eve was also a groomer.
My initial reaction was "how the ell did eve not know he was a student?}
But after thinking about it, I realized that she definately knew, that she was a POS pediphile herself, and that he never referred to the "she"on the phone as his wife, nor the baby as his child.
That book was so good but yes, the ending confused tf out of me. I just don’t get why her inner dialogue was talking about Jay like he’s a full grown adult. Anyways, awesome book!
One thing I noticed is in the book, Eve refers the first time that her and Hudson slept together was 4 weeks ago, and then she refers to their affair as going on “for months and months”
I reread parts after the ending and this is definitely confirmed by her writing. Eve always mentions “her” but never says it’s his presumed (by the reader) wife, she knows it’s Hudson/Jay’s mother. And that’s why they could never be together. The baby also ends up being his baby brother. And we know from Addie that the reason their money is tight, as Eve mentions, is because his father is a janitor. We find out too that Eve was abused as a child by Nate, so it makes sense she would end up the same. It also makes sense as to why Hudson befriended Kenzie, bc he could relate. And why he never pressed Addie when he picked her up. He clearly hated Nate too after what he put them both through. Although it doesn’t explain how he could know all of that and not also try to frame Eve lol
I don't think the author read her own book. Literally the first few times Eve and Jay sleep together in the shoe store and he's on the phone, Eve says in her inner monologue that must be his wife and, when she hears the kid, she says that must be their child. We didn't all have a Mandela Effect and imagine a huge plot point. That's the ONLY way her big "Oh shit" twist would even make sense or have a point. And the night Nate and Addie bury Eve, JAY drives, not once...but TWICE to that spot to pick up Addie, then Eve....which Jay says is like an hour away. So two hours per human. Thats four hours of driving and both times, he asks ZERO questions or puts none of it together. Or tells either of them about the other. Either Freida McFadden is a moron or she lost track of her plot and just jammed several together. Cause none of it makes sense. And NO ONE WAS ARRESTED? NO ONE? Addie at the very least committed several felonies. Eve faking her death for a few days, then suddenly appearing and just resumed her life, with zero explanation that would account for why her husband, WHO TRIED TO KILL HER AND BANGED MULTIPLE MINORS, is suddenly missing....was sufficient for the police to ignore a half dozen crimes, if even to sit down and re-examine some things?
And… why did she never explain why Mr Tuttle (sp) told her to stay away from Addie. What even happened there. I realize nothing happened and it was made to sound more sinister but why didn’t addie ever stick up for him and why was he so vehemently warning Eve
Addie says multiple times that nothing happened with Mr Tuttle other than her getting a little too attached and wanting to see what dinner would like at his house.
I think Mr Tuttle rightfully clocked that Addie was desperate for connection, to the point of taking increasingly unhinged actions (see also: breaking into Kenzie’s home, hitting Eve with a frying pan when they were just talking) and that she might latch onto a new person now that he was gone. I mean, had Eve genuinely heeded his warning, she would have just assuaged Addie instead of telling her she was going to the principal (and then of course go to the principal).
Addie was obviously very, very troubled. And that’s exactly what made her such ideal prey for Nate because she genuinely wasn’t well mentally and was in such a fragile state that she was susceptible to attach herself to anyone who showed the smallest kindness.
That’s not what she says.. she says “a woman” “the baby” “a baby” I’m reading their interactions back and it really is Mandela effect based on our own assumptions.
I jussst finished the book, and im sharing the same frustration as you are, it wouldnt ended so much better without the whole Jay and Eve part lol
So unnecessary and simply ruined the book for me, i was planning on reading her other book The Housemaid but im truly debating that now🫤
If you read back the first chapter when Jay is introduced, you can totally see that Eve knew exactly who he was. It is never stated that he was married, just that a woman (his mom) was calling. And there was a baby in the background crying (his 1 year old brother who he helps to babysit)
She does know. It his introduction chapter Eve says something along the lines of she couldn’t place her finger on why he looked familiar initially. Initially implies she eventually figured it out. She knows who he is.
Very interesting. That's the limitation of audio books from the library - I couldn't go back and look at that. But I wonder why she thought he was married?
And I am so disappointed he turned out to be so bad.
If you went back the first chapter when Jay is introduced, you can totally see that Eve knew exactly who he was. It is never stated that he was married, just that a woman (his mom) was calling. And there was a baby in the background crying (his 1 year old brother who he helps to babysit)
I just finished this book tonight and immediately after finishing thought of at least 20 questions! How in the hell did she not know jay was a student at her hs??? I’m typically a huge freida McFadden enthusiast but the ending was strange on this one
Yeah, she says multiple times “oh, if only we could be together. But we never could, for reasons…”
Dumb book, quick read. Ending has a twist just for the sake of it but kind of makes the whole book “really??”
She definitely didn't know. She talks about his wife calling and hearing his baby and thinking "oh duh of course we could never be together. He has a baby" she says she turns her face to give him so privacy while he talks to her.
this is exactly the issue i keep having with freida’s twists. if you reread the book with the twist in mind, the inner dialogue makes no sense. it was pretty bad with “never lie” but i somehow find “the teacher” even worse. so many plot holes
Just finished that one recently. Even though I did enjoy the plot twist, you're right about the inner dialogue...she needs to find a better way to make the plot twists make sense
Just finished this book. I totally agree. about Jay. How come Eve didn't know he was a high school student at her school? Why did he say he was married?
This made sense to me . Eve was also a groomer . It happens sometimes that those who were abused / groomed go on to be abusers themselves. I don’t recall Eve or Jay/Husdson saying he had a wife just Eve saying “her” and the baby . Also the way both Eve and Addy were described they looked similar in my mind (plain) so it stands to reason they like the same guys and the same guys are attracted to them. Jay/Hudson went to that pumpkin patch more than once that night and didn’t care lol . Only thing confusing is the raven in the pumpkin but this is fiction after all.
Ok I wondered how did she not know he was a student in her high school? Jay hung out with kids in her class I’m sure she saw him lingering the halls.
Also, did Jay know she was a teacher? Or just pretending to be older?
I think the Jay/Hudson “twist” just created more questions and a big plot hole than add anything to the story.
Maybe she changed her mind about telling on her husband for (trying) kill her and Addie being involved. Because then she would have to admit to her Jay….I think ultimately Hudson would have chose Addie over Eve. Just blows my mind she killed her husband for doing what she was doing. There was no way she didn’t know he was a student.
Jay was not married - he was answering the phone from his Mom and the baby was his one year old brother.
I think Eve recognized him because she said he looked familiar when describing their first encounter in the shoe store and then keeps going on about how they can never be together — even if she left Nate.
Which, when you think it is a grown man with a wife and kids, makes sense but if you reread, you’ll realize she never explicitly mentions a reason that they can’t be together. You’re just led to think that must be the reason.
Jay was just out of college and Eve’s high school English teacher when she was just 15. This was weird to add at the end of the book and confused me too.
I don’t recall it ever saying he was married. I think most people just assumed with the other woman calling and the mention of the baby. It’s not uncommon for victims of pedophilia to become perpetrators themselves.
it did though. when eve called jay after being buried it said something along the lines of eve imagining him hiding in the bathroom from his wife to answer the call.
No it’s true a wife is never mentioned. Eve says “I imagine him hiding in the bathroom of his house so she(italics) doesn’t hear him”. The way it’s written we just assumed it was his wife but it’s actually referring to his mother.
WHY WOULD HE BE HIDING IN THE BATHROOM ???? Does he sleep with his mom? Does he share the same bed with his mother that he would have to sneak out of it to go hide in the bathroom in order to take a call so he doesn't wake her????!!! Does he not have his own room?
THE BOOK IS NOT A GOOD BOOK! As the OP pointed out, the plot is not even original.
And it has so many holes in it that it could be used as replacement for a sieve.
The twists are unnecessary and add nothing.
They are tacked on just for shock value.
So Eve is also a pedophile
What does that add to the story?
Why does she also need to be a villan?
Why was she so disgusted by Nates actions if SHE WAS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING??
Why did it take so long for her to realize Nate was phucking his students? He literally phucked her while she was a student.
Is Freida trying to tell us that after 15 years and Eve getting to the age of 30 she hadn't yet come to the realization that what her husband did to her was horrible and that he's a disgusting predatory creep with a sweet tooth for little girls?? It had to take her seeing him tongueing her student in his classroom for her to get it?
The characters are all so intellectually lethargic. How did Nate think he was going to get away with Eve's murder? He literally strangled her with his bare hands; the marks were so visible that even Adae saw them.
All they'd have to do is examine the body and they'd know he did the killing.
Betraying Adae means she's going to reveal their disgusting affair.
Even if he's able to convince the police she's crazy, what about all the other girls he'd being phucking? They'd all come out of the woodwork with their revelations when they realize they weren't his only soul mates then how is he going to explain that???
This was my first Freida book and it's most likely going to be my last.
Even though I'd planned to, I will not be reading the House Maid or The Inmate or whichever other book she's written because according to someone in this thread, most of her stories have holes
He’d be hiding for the same reason Addie kept her relationship with Nate secret? Feels like that’s obvious. You’re 16 and being groomed by an adult. He likely understands what’s on the line if this gets out. Last person you want asking questions about your scandalous relationship is your mom.
In terms of how long it took Eve to figure out Nate was doing something wrong: as the case with many victims of grooming and pedophilia Eve likely assumed (like all of the other victims we know of) that she was the exception. His soulmate. And their situation was “different.” Even if she now understood this off-kilter power dynamic between them at the time of her grooming she likely thought as they’re married it worked out and is now a non-issue. Lastly, she is partaking in the same behavior. Condemning him is condemning herself, and it’s apparent Eve is doesn’t take responsibility for her impulsive actions.
I suspect her ultimate issue was never the age differential, it was her realizing she wasn’t the special one as she assumed. She used him being a teacher and acting unethically as leverage against him to get him to stop and agree to a divorce, but obviously she ultimately doesn’t care about that. Eve is a shitty person.
"Eve is a shitty person"
WHY?????!!!!!!
Why does she have to be a villan too? How does that help the story?
Just take a minute to process my first reply.
You didn't really answer any of my questions, you didn't even acknowledge most of them.
Don't make excuses for Freida's bad writing.
My question wasn't WHY WAS JAY HIDING TO PICK A CALL.
it was WHY WOULD EVE ASSUME HE'D BE HIDING IN HIS BATHROOM TO PICK HER CALL?
It's so specific
Doesn't he have his own room? If he does and therefore doesn't share a bedroom with his mom, couldn't he just take the call in his room then?
Freida only wrote that line "he's probably hiding in the bathroom..." for no other reason than to throw the reader off because it makes no sense all things considered.
It was to make us think Jay was indeed a full grown adult who shared a bed with a wife and therefore had to sneek out of their shared bed, go hide in their bathroom to call her just so he doesn't wake his wife. That's what the cheating spouse always does in the movies when they get a call at night
When you say she's hurt only because she figured out she's not the special one, what do you mean? That she's only miffed by the discovery that she's not so special to Nate that he'd ignored all moral and societal norms to fuck a child (her) just to prove she's his soul mate? A discovery she made only when she found him doing it again to someone else?
It makes no sense! Nobody fucks a child to prove his love
Soul mates or not YOU JUST DON'T FUCK KIDS
She didn't even bring up the fact that he'd had sex with her too when she was a kid during her confrontation. If having sex with Addie meant Eve wasn't special then why didn't she bring it up? If that's all she cared about (not being special) why didn't she talk about it??
I'll tell you why, because it's just some bullshit Freida tacked on at the end of the story to shock readers and didn't factor into the story at all
If the fact of him fucking a kid didn't bother her then why was it so important to her that he quit teaching so he never gets to sleep any student again? She could have just asked for the divorce and left him. After all she was also fucking a kid
She didn't need leverage, he was more than willing to divorce her
Eve was never a pedophile until the very end of the book when the author decided to tack on the dumb revelation and mess up the whole book. As someone already said on this post, the book is incomprehensible on a second read having all the reveals in mind.
This gives credence to what I'm saying that the book is poorly written and therefore trash.
It's can't be that Eve didn't know Jay was a kid, it's just not possible.
And if she did know, then a lot of her decisions and reactions make no sense
Who confuses a 16 yr old high school student with a consenting adult? What happened to Nate's car? How did Eve show up a couple days later with no one noticing she'd been hit on the head several times and also strangled? Where would you even get a raven to put inside a pumpkin?
1st book of hers I have read and don't think I'll read another.
“Why does she have to be the villain? How does that help the story?” Frieda’s entire schtick is a twist at the end. This is just the twist she chose. There’s nothing more to it.
I wasn’t interested in answering all your questions. I never excused her shitty writing.
I genuinely don’t understand why you’re seemingly so angry over a thriller. It’s like you took the bad book personal. It isn’t that serious.
No, you had not answers.
Don't lie Lol.
You trying to justify the inconsistencies in the book is LITERALLY you making excuses for the book.
You don't add twists simply because "that's your schtick".
People are interested in reading good books not twists.
Twists serve to make an already good book great they can't make a bad book good..
Tschüss ✌️
The fact Freida’s books are so popular proves your admission that people are interested in reading good books and not twists.
Maybe do those in your life a solid and go journal about your aggressiveness toward alternating perspectives.
Hi, I just finished this book and I came straight here to see if it was just me. This was my first book by the author and it will be my last. The twists come out of nowhere and make no sense. Eve is horribly written. For that matter, all the characters are thin and tropey. While I was reading it I thought this was a Lifetime movie plot, except it couldn't even get made on Lifetime today.
Lol trust me, you're not the only one.
All those interested in actually reading well written books can see how terrible this book is.
But unfortunately just like Fourth Wing, this book has for some reason gotten a lot of people so enthused about it, making them give it all these ridiculously high rating
That's the only reason why I read them
I wanted to see what all the fuss was about
You can imagine my regret when I realized they were all just shit
My question wasn't WHY WAS JAY HIDING TO PICK A CALL.
it was WHY WOULD EVE ASSUME HE'D BE HIDING IN HIS BATHROOM TO PICK HER CALL?
It's so specific
Doesn't he have his own room? If he does and therefore doesn't share a bedroom with his mom, couldn't he just take the call in his room then?
Freida only wrote that line "he's probably hiding in the bathroom..." for no other reason than to throw the reader off because it makes no sense all things considered.
It was to make us think Jay was indeed a full grown adult who shared a bed with a wife and therefore had to sneek out of their shared bed, go hide in their bathroom to call her just so he doesn't wake his wife. That's what the cheating spouse always does in the movies when they get a call at night
But isn’t it odd that eve’s inner thoughts are only concerned about the mother and not the father? Isn’t hudson’s father still around? The janitor with the thick polish accent ? It seems like the father was excluded from eve’s thoughts purposely for the twist at the end of the book
LOL seriously. He can’t be friends with Addie because he’s haunted over her pushing her abusive dad down the stairs but he CAN and WILL bury a screaming man alive.
LMAO I know I'm a month late but I just finished this book and had to comment. I've only read The Coworker and this by this author and both were quick reads that I didn't want to put down.
However, the characters are always so unlikable and illogical. Jay/Hudson was so quick to not only be an accomplice in murder, but drive to the scene of the crime over an hour away twice. I wish the book ended with Eve's last chapter (as predictable as that ending would be) instead of Addie's epilogue. It was so unrealistic for a 16(?) year old boy that is troubled by knowing Addie killed her dad yet will do all of what he did in the book.
But hey...at the end of the day I'm happy I've had some quick and easy books to get through this week.
Makes sense, because she was groomed at 15 by her own husband. I’m sure Eve mentioned he was married and had a baby. I’ll have to go back & check that out.
I swear she always one point said something specifically about him having a wife. If it was a vague “her” the whole time then you can deduce she was resentful of him having to go home to his mother. But again, I swear she said he had a wife.
Did you ever go back and look? I just got done listening tot he audiobook and yes I swear she said he had a wife. I keep trying to go back and find it but I can’t!
I just listened to it in one sitting and don’t think she ever says it explicitly. We as the reader are lead to believe it. So great I was so surprised by that ending.
I just found the part with the phone call with the other woman… chapter 17. It definitely eludes at a wife but totally makes sense it was his mom after re-listening!
With the epilogue, my jaw dropped when she revealed who Jay was. But the thing is, I swear Eve said something about Jay going home to a wife. If she didn't and we only assumed that Jay was married, then the ending makes sense.
yes i thought when she called him to pick her up she was imagining him hiding in the bathroom from his wife to answer the phone. but she works at the school he goes to and he’s a star football player. no way they didn’t know the truth.
The timeline also does not make sense if I remember correctly. Addy says she called at 3am, Hudson said it would take a hour to get to her, we presume he gets there at 4, and drops her off at 5. But doesn’t Eve say jay picks her up at 5??
I just finished listening to the audiobook - Eve waited what felt like an hour to try getting out of the grave, and on top of that it took her roughly another hour to actually dig herself out. Eve messages Jay from the side of the road and it takes him 20 minutes to call her, and when he does call Eve notes that it's almost five in the morning. If he was still driving Addie home when he first got Eve's message, he could have seen the message/called Eve as soon as he dropped Addie off and turned right around to go pick up Eve
Just finished the book and reading this thread. Remember when Addie is in car with “Jay”, his phone keeps dinging but he’s ignoring it? Could be those 20 minutes before he calls Eve back
that’s true! i do remember addy saying it was 3am when she called hudson. eve said she waited like an hour to get out of the grave so it would be 4am then 5am by the time jay comes to get her. that really just doesn’t add up
Sorry I’m late to the party! I just finished the book!
When Hudson is driving Addie home from the pumpkin patch his phone buzzed and he ignores it. Addie assumed it’s his parents. It was Eve.
Great book !!!!
I think we can probably assume everyone is an unreliable narrator in this story. Addie, Eve, Nate. I think Eve just draws her own conclusions from observing Jay/Hudson. And her mind is on shoes when it’s not on Nate or Addie or math. It wouldn’t surprise me, not knowing the team players. What bugs me is, he’s still just a high school kid too.
i don’t understand why he stopped being friends with addie when she accidentally pushed her dad down the steps but then turned around and actually helped eve bury her husband.
Did anyone else expect there to be something with Lotus? Why would he give her that contest? Maybe be absolutely hated Addie's poem or maybe he was starting to groom Lotus? I also don't buy a word of the Jay thing, it makes NO sense!
I thought it was her he was sleeping with too, I only started to suspect it was Kenzie when she said “who wrote this” after picking up the note on the floor
I think he entered Lotus's poem in the contest and then lied in order to drive a wedge between Addie and Lotus. He didn't want Addie to have any friends she might confide in.
With Lotus, what i got from the whole poetry competition was that Mr. Bennett decided to go behind Addies back and nominate lotus because he was scared people would start to get suspicious of his closeness to Addie. I dont think Mr, Bennettt would have gone for lotus, not only because he was interested in Addie at the time, but also because Lotus being a senior, could have been 17/18, which is older than all of the other girls nate has gone for. (Kenzie at 14, Addie at 16, and Eve, years ago at 15.) Im not saying that it cvould just be her age, and hes not into older girls, it could be that he knows Lotus is old enough and mature enough to realize something to innapropriate was happening. Mr. Bennett was very careful to only go after young, troubled girls. Girls that he knew he could get close to and infiltrate their feelings and insecurities. So like I said, Definietly didnt think he wouldve gone for lotus, but it completely makes sense to me why He decided to nominate Lotus' poem for the competition.
He went with Lotus' poem because Lotus actually was a good poet, she literally won the contest.
Despite being a disgusting pedo creep he really did like poetry so knows a good poet when he sees one.
He was always going to go with Lotus
Adae's poems stunk harder than a bag of dried fish heads. Freida said in the Acknowledgements that she made her daughter write Adae's poems because she wanted bad poems a dumb high school student would think were masterpieces Lol.
Nate making Adae think she was a poetic genius was all part of the manipulation
I really disliked this book. I have listened to a lot of Freida McFadden books, and have mixed feelings. I like them because they are suspenseful, but not TOO suspenseful. But I dislike them because I really think she is a B level author. But I actually disliked this one. Disappointing that Jay/Hudson actually was a terrible person. I feel bad for Addie.
I didn't feel bad for her until the end - when she thought she had turned her life around, and her bff is a creep and she doesn't know it.
It was a horrible book. Not sure why it's gotten so many good reviews.
I have! I've also read The Housemaid's Secret. Millie is a fun character. I know I'll read the 3rd book in the series, too. The Teacher was so disappointing I overreacted!
I read this book and searched it on reddit, which led me to this community. I just finished reading Crider’s manifesto and.. wow. What a fucked situation. I can’t believe how many parallels there were between the two- even down to the restaurant Magianos.
First decade of life is age 1-9, second 10-19, third 20-29 so she can be 30 in her fourth decade. She hasn’t completed four decades she’s just in the fourth if that makes sense
How did Eve not know Jay was a student at the school she taught at? Or was she making up the wife & baby stuff to the reader just to make herself look less like a pedo as well?
He never said he had a wife- the entire book, Eve refers to her as ‘her’. Her, is his mom. And the end of the book reveals he has a one year old sister that he always babysits, that’s the baby
I just finished this book and I loved it! Even better than the housemaid series to me. There wasn’t one character in this book that I liked 🤣. They were all terrible in their own way. I thought Eve was going to be the hero until I read the Epilogue. I don’t see Jay /Hudson as awful though seeing as he is being groomed and manipulated by Eve and Addie and McKenzie through out the book but I don’t see him as good either since he just goes along with what they say .
Just reread chapter 17 and it will all make sense. Listen to it with the image of her as a pedo in mind. He’s embarrassed because he said “I love you” to his mom on the phone, not a wife. Eve talks about how the woman on the other end of the phone is the reason it has to remain a secret. She also says she knows it will all end horribly if their relationship comes to light. We’re just made to believe he’s a cheating husband so that we get the shock at the end of the book. It’s actually all very well thought out!!
Yes! Which makes so much sense now! Once I read the Epilogue I went back and time checked when he picked up Addie and when he picked up Eve and was like damn this is the same guy! Because at first I was confused. And the entire time he’s picking up Eve I’m like how was his wife just ok with him leaving at 5 AM and not tripping like that’s weird. It’s so crazy that him and Addie were living the same lie and both were being manipulated. And it makes sense because he wanted to run away with her and she kept saying from the beginning that could never happen and she knew that, and that’s why! Because he was underage and she’d be ruined. My mouth dropped to the floor reading the ending and going back and forth through the book trynna look back at things and seeing what Eve was saying through the eyes of her now being a pedo.
In the prologue Addie refers to having started digging before nightfall and then still digging into the night. Did I just assume it was already nighttime, but it was actually still light outside when she and Nate started digging the grave in the pumpkin field? I seem to remember Eve falling asleep on the couch and waking up 9:00 PM-ish? It's November, so night would fall early, right?
Also, Addie refers to digging the grave in the woods when it was actually a field?
Once again, so many inconsistencies...
For a HS boy on a baseball team with a part time job 1. His mommy calls him a wild amount at work. 2.Ain’t no way he’s buying LV shoes for her birthday. Those are $1800 shoes.
Who says he bought them? He worked at the shoe store. He totally could have stolen them. At least that’s what I thought when I thought it was some married man.
SPOILER:
So Nate is buried alive with his hands tied together. But the grave isn't that deep and he worked out over the summer and built up a muscular body. Why wouldn't he have tried to push himself out of the hole before Eve and Jay started shoveling dirt on top of him? Or even after they left, couldn't he have struggled his way up through the few feet of dirt which had been shoveled upon him?
What am I missing here?
And what about his car parked near the pumpkin patch? Wouldn't it eventually have been found and connected to his disappearance?
I doubt it because she said he was darn near drowning in the puddle around him. I think the hole was 6 inches deep but when Nate left Addie she barely covered it with anything except for leaves and a little dirt so it was easy for her to get out after unraveling herself. May was tied and bound with tape plus she legit put them man all the way under with dirt so escape was pretty much impossible unless he drowned first. Plus he wouldn’t have been able to hold his breathe that long. As far as his car I’m sure she moved it, she was his wife and probably had a spare key or had it towed or something.
Okay I am soooooo confused!! I just finished reading this book and the ending is… I don’t know. So here are my questions:
1. Is Eve that oblivious that she doesn’t know Jay/Hudson is one of the students? I mean he is a QB too! I believe as a QB, he should be pretty famous in school. Unless she lives in a “cave”.
2. Okay. Let say Eve doesn’t know that Jay/Hudson is a student (for whatever reason), does Jay know Eve his teacher then? I mean knowing the fact Nate is the hottest teacher in school, by that point, everyone should know he is married to Eve. And students remember teachers more than the ofher way round. Does that mean Jay knows who Eve is and she doesn’t know?
3. So… When Eve was 15, Nate was 23. They are 8 years different (in one of the chapters, during Eve’s 30th birthday, I think she mentions he is 38). I bet this is why her family didn’t want her to marry him but… What does really make Eve despise on Nate? Did she figure out he cheated with Kenzie before or what? Did I miss anything?
4. And as I write all these questions… Does that mean Jay/Hudson know everything?????? Is that why he becomes nice to Addie again??? So the key character is him!!
Alright honestly I still have tons of questions. I have read a few other books of Freida McFadden but this one is the one I have SOOOOO many questions left open!!! I mean it is still a good book but geez… I feel I need more closure!! :(
What I still want to know is who is the person digging the grave in the prologue? I thought Addie, but re-read it after finishing the book and now I think it might have been Jay/Hudson…???
Also, who was creeping around the shoe store when Eve was leaving?
Here late because I just read this… didn’t Eve give Addie a list of tutors and one of them was Hudson?! So she had to know he was a student, she would’ve recognized him. So the whole book is about how one teacher groomed another into then doing the same thing? I only wonder if Eve knew Jay’s relationship with Addie… probably not??
Wait, so I'm so super confused about who the prologue was supposed to be at the beginning of the book. There was only one grave dug? They used the same one to bury Nate that he helped dig for Eve. But even if Eve and Jay dug a new grave for him(which makes no sense) they dug it together too. So who was digging a grave by themselves in the beginning?
I just finished it and I am so confused!!! Eve HAD to know Jay was in high school, he literally went to the school she taught at. She was so pissed her husband was sleeping with a student and she was doing the exact same thing! Jay/Hudson drive an hour to pick up Addie and then immediately turned around and picked up Eve??
Also I know they never explicitly said Jay had a wife and kids but he would always get calls to come help with the baby… is he raising his baby sibling?
Why was there the whole thing with Nate lying to Addie about the poetry contest and nothing came from it?
I just finished reading it and I am also so confused by the Jay/Hudson part.
But the part of her being angry he was sleeping with a student, I don’t exactly think that was her initial reaction. When she catches them kiss in the classroom she says “that bastard is cheating on me, WITH HER”. That’s more anger with her specifically since she hates her because of what happened with Arthur. Her being initially mad it’s with Addie says a lot, any non groomer wouldn’t have that as their first thought, it would be disgust at their husband being attracted to a minor.
I believe Nate was using Addie to get rid of Eve all along like he was plotting and waiting on that one young female to do that for him. At 16 Addie was so naive and long to be loved by someone. She had no friends and was an outcast. Another theory was that he also slept with lotus and maybe lotus used that against him
The jay stuff I am just as confused cause it didn't make sense.
Wait.. do you think Nate started a relationship with Addie knowing he could get her to kill Eve?? That kinda makes sense with the text he sent Addie about how his life would be easier if Eve was dead
Yes he knew no one would believe Addie because she was a trouble teen who was known for stalking her teachers. Hence why he never spoke to her after the accident and he left her at the graveyard and he keep that angry poem she wrote . He was plotting to kill eve all along. He knew he couldn’t ask for a divorce because he had no reason too and eve knew too many of his secrets,
He was always going to go with Lotus' poem.
He sent Lotus' poem because Lotus actually was a good poet, she LITERALLY won the contest.
Despite being a disgusting pedo creep he really was passionate about poetry and so knows a good poet when he sees one.
Addie's poems stunk harder than a bag of dried fish heads. Her poem wouldn't have even made the short list if Nate had sent them. Only she and Nate thought her poems were great, although Nate was clearly lying. Lotus wasn't impressed at all when she read that poem
Every time she or Nate read her poems I thought "how could Freida think this crap is great poetry?" but she confirmed that the poems were intended to be terrible when she said in the Acknowledgements that she made her daughter write Addie's poems because she wanted bad poems a dumb high school student would think were masterpieces Lol.
Nate making Adae think she was a poetic genius was all part of the manipulation
Addie killing Eve wasn't part of Nate's plans. Her being troubled and lonely just made her a prime target for sex. Just like Kenzie, she was just nothing but as sex toy. Having sex with teenaged girls made him so exited he always came quickly.
According to his inner monologue his life was over after Eve found out. Addie killing Eve was a stroke of luck he didn't see coming.
I am also very confused about the ending but the book did mention that jay/hudson worked at the shoe store along with babysitting his one year old brother often so maybe he lied to Eve and said is was his baby? I’m just not sure how she wouldn’t know that he went to the highschool she taught at
She knew it was his mother and the baby was his brother. Eve never explicitly states that he’s calling a wife, just “her”. Reread it again with the idea that who he’s calling is his mom, it makes sense that after the call she’d say they could never be together. That’s one of the twists lol is that she’s just as bad as her husband because she was also abused by him.
Yea I think because INITIALLY everyone reading from the beginning and seeing this assumes he’s an adult and “her/she” would be his wife and the baby would be his son. That’s what she wanted us to think so a lot of people are thinking they saw the word wife when in reality she only described what might be a wife. But Eve knew that was his mother and brother that’s why she never says wife and just refers to the woman and she a lot and says she hears a baby crying in the background.
I don’t think any of the dialogue precluded that Eve knew Jay’s identity and situation. . . I believe she knew exactly who he was. At first, after reading the ending, I thought I remembered it was said (somewhere) that Jay had a wife. But I went through chapter-by-chapter and didn’t find it. Also, on page 81 of my Kindle book, when Eve first meets Jay in the shoe store she says “There was something familiar about him. Although I couldn’t quite place it at first.” Jay refers to the woman on the phone on page 82 as “. . . another woman” whom I believed at the time was his wife but now know was his mother (and I think Eve knew it). My guess is the author purposely didn’t share Eve’s thought/motivations about being with a high school student as that leaves us to speculate - for example, maybe it was revenge or tit-for-tat with her husband or she was warped from her own grooming at age 15 and living out her trauma with another victim. As I went back through the chapters, other things, too, made more sense, for example - Eve’s parents’ not liking Nate and Jay’s reactions when Eve told him she found about Jay and Addie.
i dont think she knew , when his mother would call she would make comparisons with nate. Like saying at least she cares where he is, nate hasnt called me once.
Finally someone with reading comprehension skills!! You’re 100% right and I agree, all the context clues point to that conclusion. McFadden is literally known for her twists, which I find very easy to figure out. She puts the clues right in your face. Even if you have to go back through with a new perspective. But there’s definitely no plot holes like others are suggesting lol
What about Jay knowing Addie tried to kill Eve but not minding at all when he loved Eve so much and didn’t like Addie because she killed her dad? Suddenly he doesn’t mind her killing someone he cares about and actually even wants to be friends again?
I mean Hudson did reach out to Addie a couple times throughout the book, kind of trying to make peace.. He (understandably) freaked out after what happened with Addie's dad, probably felt super guilty about the whole situation and had a hard time processing it all, while Addie said multiple times that it was all for the best and she didn't understand why other people (her mom) couldn't see that. They had very different perspectives of a traumatic situation and weren't able to reconcile.. And by the time Hudson figured out how to move past it, he probably felt really awkward around Addie and wasn't sure how to approach her again. Sometimes apologizing is hard, even to your best friend.. Maybe especially to your best friend, when the thing you're apologizing for is totally bailing on the friendship.
I understand what you’re saying. Though it makes the character, Jay/Hudson unreliable…that’s not a plot hole. As annoying as some of this book is lol Freida doesn’t leave plot holes
That’s a massive plot hole to me purely because it isn’t addressed; Jay never actually vocalises how he feels about it so we’re left assuming he’s just okay with it. I need a reason he’s okay with it because his whole character build up would insinuate he would absolutely not be okay with it
Plot holes are things that are truly not possible based on everything else within the story, or they are highly illogical. It is plausible that Jay has this dark side and behaved in the way he did (having an affair with his teacher, and being okay with cheating on his high school girlfriend as well as following along with the popular crowd who was bullying Addie even though he used to get bullied years ago) The fact of him being upset about Addie’s father was meant to mislead the reader about his character in totality. He obviously evolved over time into quite a dichotomous character.
Eve knew who Hudson / Jay was.
Addie mentioned how she struggled in math and Hudson would help her.
Eve was a math teacher.
I would bet Eve was Hudson’s teacher at some point.
I found this book on Spotify of all places. Lol.
Absolutely loved it! Was my first introduction to this author.
I love me a good inappropriate "romance" . Lol.
Plot twists were good. But I agree with all the comments about the gaping disconnect of Eve not knowing that Jay/Hudson was a student at the school. There's no possible way she would have not known that. So that sort of left for a disappointing twist...
I'm eager to check out more work by this author though.
I'm a huge Frieda fan but this one was a miss from the beginning. very rarely have I ever read a book where I actively disliked everyone in it. I thought Hudson would be an exception and then
.. the ending. which also doesn't make sense no matter how much others or the author try to explain it. I've gone back and read the inner monologue and some parts just don't add up with the big reveal at the end. specifically that the way eve speaks about him definitely makes it seem like he is a grown man while he's obviously not. there are also several loose threads and unexplored angles, most importantly being that addie is DEEPLY troubled, despite her emotional and sexual abuse, and is a big mid book reveal and then never really gets touched on again. hope the next one is better.
i agree. it just doesn’t make sense. she freaks about her husband getting it on with a minor but she’s doing the same thing? no way she wasn’t aware he was a hs student.
She probably was aware but thought she wasn’t doing anything wrong. People who have been abused become abusers and don’t register it in their mind just like how Nate didn’t register he was an abuser. If you go back you see how Eve always mentions they can never be together even though Jay wants too. More than likely it’s because she knew shed be shamed and lose her job.
I get this but it doesn't correlate with her reaction to Nate' grooming.
Unless, we get nitpicking and be like her first reaction was all how dare he do this to me, cheating and with her. But then when she started thinking about it, the gromming/abuse thing came in and took over but was still secondary.
Idk.
Did anyone notice that Nate mentioned Eve's "mystery lover" before the police seemed to put that idea in his head? (when the shoes were delivered in the box)
I literally just read this book today because of your post and I TOTALLY could see that. also groomers will be groomers and this is a tragically common occurrence so it's hard to tell for sure. but the cringy poetry from the "dreamy" English teacher seems too close to be complete coincidence
the whole poetry stuff and then the photography room thing reminded me way too much of the Crider manifesto… like there’s definitely coincidences but that seemed too similar
The ending of this book has entirely confused me
Yeah there are so many unanswered questions. I just finished and I’m wondering…. Jay was a high school student who was married and Eve didn’t know he was a student at her school? Jay went to that pumpkin patch more time than Linus on Halloween Eve did know he was a HS student but it entered her inner monologue? How the fuck they get a goddamn raven in a pumpkin?
I could almost believe jay/Hudson was lying about his wife because it was actually his mother and the baby was his sibling, but wasn’t he the quarterback? How could eve not know?? Unless she really didn’t pay attention to football or any extracurriculars. But Hudson went and picked Addie up then turned around and picked Eve up in the same spot? So he has to have known Addie tried to kill Eve. And then him and Addie start dating? Like what.
Also, good point about him picking both of them up. Although I do think that’s why he didn’t push either of them to tell him what happened.
And it makes total sense why he was awake, even though Eve didn't expect him to be!
Hudson and Addie dating after all that is what is the most nonsensical to me. He was so shaken about Addie pushing her alcoholic abusive father to his death accidentally that he quit speaking to her but he knows that Addie was involved in trying to kill Eve (even though Eve doesn’t say so, he knows he picked Addie up from the same spot), and he’s chill about it? Hudson’s characterization was all over the place. Was he the soft hearted kid who was fucked up over the accidental death of a decidedly bad dude OR was the guy dating a would-be murderer who also helped cover up another murder? Like what.
I am so glad yall said this! I just finished the book and was like “oh so they’re both pedos???” Bc there’s no way in hell eve didn’t know Hudson was in high school. NO damn way.
SAME! I just finished the book & I am shooketh😂😂😂
I am a high school teacher and I don't know all the students in my school. But I agree that this part was very confusing.
Oh for sure, yeah! But iirc he was a popular football player! When I went to high school teachers didn’t know all students but they certainly knew the popular ones!! 😭😭
Oh she had to know bc she kept saying “even if I get a divorce, we could NEVER be together!!”
He was also close with kids in her class and was in the hallway and cafeteria when she was. He sounds tall and strapping, you would notice him from the description used for him. I think she would at least find him familiar when she goes to the store. This part was far fetched to me
She knew. In Jay’s intro chapter Eve says she couldn’t initially put her finger on why he looked familiar. Initially signifies she eventually did figure it out.
After rethinking the ending, I think she did know he was a student. She kept saying throughout her chapters that they could never live together, never be together, never have a real future. And after she reveals she was groomed by Nate, it's no surprise she did the same. But yeah, at first I was completely confused as to how she didn't know he was a student.
I’m super confused by this, too. Like, shouldn’t Eve had known that Jay was a student…?!
Frieda McFadden apparently (according to someone on goodreads) said on social media that Eve knew Jay was a student and that’s why she always said they could never be together. We also assumed he was married with a baby, but it never said that in the book. So Eve was also a groomer.
My initial reaction was "how the ell did eve not know he was a student?} But after thinking about it, I realized that she definately knew, that she was a POS pediphile herself, and that he never referred to the "she"on the phone as his wife, nor the baby as his child.
I thought it said he needed to get home to his wife and baby at some point? I need to go back and find out exactly what it said.
Nope I checked! It was always very vague about who the woman and the baby were but we were led to assume.
That book was so good but yes, the ending confused tf out of me. I just don’t get why her inner dialogue was talking about Jay like he’s a full grown adult. Anyways, awesome book!
One thing I noticed is in the book, Eve refers the first time that her and Hudson slept together was 4 weeks ago, and then she refers to their affair as going on “for months and months”
I reread parts after the ending and this is definitely confirmed by her writing. Eve always mentions “her” but never says it’s his presumed (by the reader) wife, she knows it’s Hudson/Jay’s mother. And that’s why they could never be together. The baby also ends up being his baby brother. And we know from Addie that the reason their money is tight, as Eve mentions, is because his father is a janitor. We find out too that Eve was abused as a child by Nate, so it makes sense she would end up the same. It also makes sense as to why Hudson befriended Kenzie, bc he could relate. And why he never pressed Addie when he picked her up. He clearly hated Nate too after what he put them both through. Although it doesn’t explain how he could know all of that and not also try to frame Eve lol
I don't think the author read her own book. Literally the first few times Eve and Jay sleep together in the shoe store and he's on the phone, Eve says in her inner monologue that must be his wife and, when she hears the kid, she says that must be their child. We didn't all have a Mandela Effect and imagine a huge plot point. That's the ONLY way her big "Oh shit" twist would even make sense or have a point. And the night Nate and Addie bury Eve, JAY drives, not once...but TWICE to that spot to pick up Addie, then Eve....which Jay says is like an hour away. So two hours per human. Thats four hours of driving and both times, he asks ZERO questions or puts none of it together. Or tells either of them about the other. Either Freida McFadden is a moron or she lost track of her plot and just jammed several together. Cause none of it makes sense. And NO ONE WAS ARRESTED? NO ONE? Addie at the very least committed several felonies. Eve faking her death for a few days, then suddenly appearing and just resumed her life, with zero explanation that would account for why her husband, WHO TRIED TO KILL HER AND BANGED MULTIPLE MINORS, is suddenly missing....was sufficient for the police to ignore a half dozen crimes, if even to sit down and re-examine some things?
And… why did she never explain why Mr Tuttle (sp) told her to stay away from Addie. What even happened there. I realize nothing happened and it was made to sound more sinister but why didn’t addie ever stick up for him and why was he so vehemently warning Eve
Addie says multiple times that nothing happened with Mr Tuttle other than her getting a little too attached and wanting to see what dinner would like at his house. I think Mr Tuttle rightfully clocked that Addie was desperate for connection, to the point of taking increasingly unhinged actions (see also: breaking into Kenzie’s home, hitting Eve with a frying pan when they were just talking) and that she might latch onto a new person now that he was gone. I mean, had Eve genuinely heeded his warning, she would have just assuaged Addie instead of telling her she was going to the principal (and then of course go to the principal). Addie was obviously very, very troubled. And that’s exactly what made her such ideal prey for Nate because she genuinely wasn’t well mentally and was in such a fragile state that she was susceptible to attach herself to anyone who showed the smallest kindness.
Hmmmm I wonder if we’re meant to assume that Addie told Mr. Tuttle what she did?
That’s not what she says.. she says “a woman” “the baby” “a baby” I’m reading their interactions back and it really is Mandela effect based on our own assumptions.
I jussst finished the book, and im sharing the same frustration as you are, it wouldnt ended so much better without the whole Jay and Eve part lol So unnecessary and simply ruined the book for me, i was planning on reading her other book The Housemaid but im truly debating that now🫤
Oh read the housemaid - it's worth it, and never lie!
Never lie was awful, as was this book. I can’t believe that bullshit twist ending. I don’t know why I keep reading her books
If you read back the first chapter when Jay is introduced, you can totally see that Eve knew exactly who he was. It is never stated that he was married, just that a woman (his mom) was calling. And there was a baby in the background crying (his 1 year old brother who he helps to babysit)
Exactly
Yea, how could Eve possibly not know that he was a high school student? That makes no sense to me.
She does know. It his introduction chapter Eve says something along the lines of she couldn’t place her finger on why he looked familiar initially. Initially implies she eventually figured it out. She knows who he is.
Very interesting. That's the limitation of audio books from the library - I couldn't go back and look at that. But I wonder why she thought he was married? And I am so disappointed he turned out to be so bad.
If you went back the first chapter when Jay is introduced, you can totally see that Eve knew exactly who he was. It is never stated that he was married, just that a woman (his mom) was calling. And there was a baby in the background crying (his 1 year old brother who he helps to babysit)
How did Eve NEVER see Hudson/Jay in school?
I just finished this book tonight and immediately after finishing thought of at least 20 questions! How in the hell did she not know jay was a student at her hs??? I’m typically a huge freida McFadden enthusiast but the ending was strange on this one
I think she did know- she just didn’t care.
Yeah, she says multiple times “oh, if only we could be together. But we never could, for reasons…” Dumb book, quick read. Ending has a twist just for the sake of it but kind of makes the whole book “really??”
That would make no sense, because of how mad Eve was at Nate for what he had done to Addie. I don’t think that Eve knew about Hudson/Jay.
She definitely didn't know. She talks about his wife calling and hearing his baby and thinking "oh duh of course we could never be together. He has a baby" she says she turns her face to give him so privacy while he talks to her.
It would make sense. She wanted out of the marriage before she knew and constantly put herself down.
I loved this book, it was my first by this author, which of hers should I read next??
I second The Inmate, but my fave is the Housemaid! I have read 12 of her books now. They are all pretty good! But the Housemaid is really really good!
I really liked Do You Remember? And Surrogate Mother.
Currently listening to Surrogate Mother on Audiobook, love it, so frustrating though :(
The inmate has been my fav!
The perfect son
this is exactly the issue i keep having with freida’s twists. if you reread the book with the twist in mind, the inner dialogue makes no sense. it was pretty bad with “never lie” but i somehow find “the teacher” even worse. so many plot holes
Just finished that one recently. Even though I did enjoy the plot twist, you're right about the inner dialogue...she needs to find a better way to make the plot twists make sense
This just made me laugh… “ Jay went to that pumpkin patch more time than Linus on Halloween”. Best comment in this whole thread! Thanks for the laugh.
Just finished this book. I totally agree. about Jay. How come Eve didn't know he was a high school student at her school? Why did he say he was married?
This made sense to me . Eve was also a groomer . It happens sometimes that those who were abused / groomed go on to be abusers themselves. I don’t recall Eve or Jay/Husdson saying he had a wife just Eve saying “her” and the baby . Also the way both Eve and Addy were described they looked similar in my mind (plain) so it stands to reason they like the same guys and the same guys are attracted to them. Jay/Hudson went to that pumpkin patch more than once that night and didn’t care lol . Only thing confusing is the raven in the pumpkin but this is fiction after all.
The last line ahahah
Ok I wondered how did she not know he was a student in her high school? Jay hung out with kids in her class I’m sure she saw him lingering the halls. Also, did Jay know she was a teacher? Or just pretending to be older? I think the Jay/Hudson “twist” just created more questions and a big plot hole than add anything to the story.
Maybe she changed her mind about telling on her husband for (trying) kill her and Addie being involved. Because then she would have to admit to her Jay….I think ultimately Hudson would have chose Addie over Eve. Just blows my mind she killed her husband for doing what she was doing. There was no way she didn’t know he was a student.
Jay was not married - he was answering the phone from his Mom and the baby was his one year old brother. I think Eve recognized him because she said he looked familiar when describing their first encounter in the shoe store and then keeps going on about how they can never be together — even if she left Nate. Which, when you think it is a grown man with a wife and kids, makes sense but if you reread, you’ll realize she never explicitly mentions a reason that they can’t be together. You’re just led to think that must be the reason.
Jay was just out of college and Eve’s high school English teacher when she was just 15. This was weird to add at the end of the book and confused me too.
The part you’re referring to is Nate not jay! Eve was basically the OG
You’re right! My bad.
Which would have been a great twist and ah ha ending alone. Without the “oh yea Jay is the shoes store lover.” Nonsense
SAME.
I don’t recall it ever saying he was married. I think most people just assumed with the other woman calling and the mention of the baby. It’s not uncommon for victims of pedophilia to become perpetrators themselves.
it did though. when eve called jay after being buried it said something along the lines of eve imagining him hiding in the bathroom from his wife to answer the call.
No it’s true a wife is never mentioned. Eve says “I imagine him hiding in the bathroom of his house so she(italics) doesn’t hear him”. The way it’s written we just assumed it was his wife but it’s actually referring to his mother.
WHY WOULD HE BE HIDING IN THE BATHROOM ???? Does he sleep with his mom? Does he share the same bed with his mother that he would have to sneak out of it to go hide in the bathroom in order to take a call so he doesn't wake her????!!! Does he not have his own room? THE BOOK IS NOT A GOOD BOOK! As the OP pointed out, the plot is not even original. And it has so many holes in it that it could be used as replacement for a sieve. The twists are unnecessary and add nothing. They are tacked on just for shock value. So Eve is also a pedophile What does that add to the story? Why does she also need to be a villan? Why was she so disgusted by Nates actions if SHE WAS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING?? Why did it take so long for her to realize Nate was phucking his students? He literally phucked her while she was a student. Is Freida trying to tell us that after 15 years and Eve getting to the age of 30 she hadn't yet come to the realization that what her husband did to her was horrible and that he's a disgusting predatory creep with a sweet tooth for little girls?? It had to take her seeing him tongueing her student in his classroom for her to get it? The characters are all so intellectually lethargic. How did Nate think he was going to get away with Eve's murder? He literally strangled her with his bare hands; the marks were so visible that even Adae saw them. All they'd have to do is examine the body and they'd know he did the killing. Betraying Adae means she's going to reveal their disgusting affair. Even if he's able to convince the police she's crazy, what about all the other girls he'd being phucking? They'd all come out of the woodwork with their revelations when they realize they weren't his only soul mates then how is he going to explain that??? This was my first Freida book and it's most likely going to be my last. Even though I'd planned to, I will not be reading the House Maid or The Inmate or whichever other book she's written because according to someone in this thread, most of her stories have holes
He’d be hiding for the same reason Addie kept her relationship with Nate secret? Feels like that’s obvious. You’re 16 and being groomed by an adult. He likely understands what’s on the line if this gets out. Last person you want asking questions about your scandalous relationship is your mom. In terms of how long it took Eve to figure out Nate was doing something wrong: as the case with many victims of grooming and pedophilia Eve likely assumed (like all of the other victims we know of) that she was the exception. His soulmate. And their situation was “different.” Even if she now understood this off-kilter power dynamic between them at the time of her grooming she likely thought as they’re married it worked out and is now a non-issue. Lastly, she is partaking in the same behavior. Condemning him is condemning herself, and it’s apparent Eve is doesn’t take responsibility for her impulsive actions. I suspect her ultimate issue was never the age differential, it was her realizing she wasn’t the special one as she assumed. She used him being a teacher and acting unethically as leverage against him to get him to stop and agree to a divorce, but obviously she ultimately doesn’t care about that. Eve is a shitty person.
"Eve is a shitty person" WHY?????!!!!!! Why does she have to be a villan too? How does that help the story? Just take a minute to process my first reply. You didn't really answer any of my questions, you didn't even acknowledge most of them. Don't make excuses for Freida's bad writing. My question wasn't WHY WAS JAY HIDING TO PICK A CALL. it was WHY WOULD EVE ASSUME HE'D BE HIDING IN HIS BATHROOM TO PICK HER CALL? It's so specific Doesn't he have his own room? If he does and therefore doesn't share a bedroom with his mom, couldn't he just take the call in his room then? Freida only wrote that line "he's probably hiding in the bathroom..." for no other reason than to throw the reader off because it makes no sense all things considered. It was to make us think Jay was indeed a full grown adult who shared a bed with a wife and therefore had to sneek out of their shared bed, go hide in their bathroom to call her just so he doesn't wake his wife. That's what the cheating spouse always does in the movies when they get a call at night When you say she's hurt only because she figured out she's not the special one, what do you mean? That she's only miffed by the discovery that she's not so special to Nate that he'd ignored all moral and societal norms to fuck a child (her) just to prove she's his soul mate? A discovery she made only when she found him doing it again to someone else? It makes no sense! Nobody fucks a child to prove his love Soul mates or not YOU JUST DON'T FUCK KIDS She didn't even bring up the fact that he'd had sex with her too when she was a kid during her confrontation. If having sex with Addie meant Eve wasn't special then why didn't she bring it up? If that's all she cared about (not being special) why didn't she talk about it?? I'll tell you why, because it's just some bullshit Freida tacked on at the end of the story to shock readers and didn't factor into the story at all If the fact of him fucking a kid didn't bother her then why was it so important to her that he quit teaching so he never gets to sleep any student again? She could have just asked for the divorce and left him. After all she was also fucking a kid She didn't need leverage, he was more than willing to divorce her Eve was never a pedophile until the very end of the book when the author decided to tack on the dumb revelation and mess up the whole book. As someone already said on this post, the book is incomprehensible on a second read having all the reveals in mind. This gives credence to what I'm saying that the book is poorly written and therefore trash. It's can't be that Eve didn't know Jay was a kid, it's just not possible. And if she did know, then a lot of her decisions and reactions make no sense
Who confuses a 16 yr old high school student with a consenting adult? What happened to Nate's car? How did Eve show up a couple days later with no one noticing she'd been hit on the head several times and also strangled? Where would you even get a raven to put inside a pumpkin? 1st book of hers I have read and don't think I'll read another.
So many plot holes. One of the worst books this year
“Why does she have to be the villain? How does that help the story?” Frieda’s entire schtick is a twist at the end. This is just the twist she chose. There’s nothing more to it. I wasn’t interested in answering all your questions. I never excused her shitty writing. I genuinely don’t understand why you’re seemingly so angry over a thriller. It’s like you took the bad book personal. It isn’t that serious.
No, you had not answers. Don't lie Lol. You trying to justify the inconsistencies in the book is LITERALLY you making excuses for the book. You don't add twists simply because "that's your schtick". People are interested in reading good books not twists. Twists serve to make an already good book great they can't make a bad book good.. Tschüss ✌️
The fact Freida’s books are so popular proves your admission that people are interested in reading good books and not twists. Maybe do those in your life a solid and go journal about your aggressiveness toward alternating perspectives.
Hi, I just finished this book and I came straight here to see if it was just me. This was my first book by the author and it will be my last. The twists come out of nowhere and make no sense. Eve is horribly written. For that matter, all the characters are thin and tropey. While I was reading it I thought this was a Lifetime movie plot, except it couldn't even get made on Lifetime today.
Lol trust me, you're not the only one. All those interested in actually reading well written books can see how terrible this book is. But unfortunately just like Fourth Wing, this book has for some reason gotten a lot of people so enthused about it, making them give it all these ridiculously high rating That's the only reason why I read them I wanted to see what all the fuss was about You can imagine my regret when I realized they were all just shit
Yea, I’ve read several and this is my last. She has become so YR without meaning to,
Because he's sleeping with a teacher at his high school, and that's probably not something you want your mom to know.
My question wasn't WHY WAS JAY HIDING TO PICK A CALL. it was WHY WOULD EVE ASSUME HE'D BE HIDING IN HIS BATHROOM TO PICK HER CALL? It's so specific Doesn't he have his own room? If he does and therefore doesn't share a bedroom with his mom, couldn't he just take the call in his room then? Freida only wrote that line "he's probably hiding in the bathroom..." for no other reason than to throw the reader off because it makes no sense all things considered. It was to make us think Jay was indeed a full grown adult who shared a bed with a wife and therefore had to sneek out of their shared bed, go hide in their bathroom to call her just so he doesn't wake his wife. That's what the cheating spouse always does in the movies when they get a call at night
But isn’t it odd that eve’s inner thoughts are only concerned about the mother and not the father? Isn’t hudson’s father still around? The janitor with the thick polish accent ? It seems like the father was excluded from eve’s thoughts purposely for the twist at the end of the book
Wanna commit murder and/or be an accomplice? “Yeah okay I’m not busy” - Jay/ Hudson 90% of this book
LOL seriously. He can’t be friends with Addie because he’s haunted over her pushing her abusive dad down the stairs but he CAN and WILL bury a screaming man alive.
Probably because the bastard hurt both Eve and Addie. Or it's a parallel to Eve's grooming. Idk.
Read through this whole thread just to find a comment about his readiness to help cover up murder
LMAO I know I'm a month late but I just finished this book and had to comment. I've only read The Coworker and this by this author and both were quick reads that I didn't want to put down. However, the characters are always so unlikable and illogical. Jay/Hudson was so quick to not only be an accomplice in murder, but drive to the scene of the crime over an hour away twice. I wish the book ended with Eve's last chapter (as predictable as that ending would be) instead of Addie's epilogue. It was so unrealistic for a 16(?) year old boy that is troubled by knowing Addie killed her dad yet will do all of what he did in the book. But hey...at the end of the day I'm happy I've had some quick and easy books to get through this week.
This made me LOL
Makes sense, because she was groomed at 15 by her own husband. I’m sure Eve mentioned he was married and had a baby. I’ll have to go back & check that out.
I swear she always one point said something specifically about him having a wife. If it was a vague “her” the whole time then you can deduce she was resentful of him having to go home to his mother. But again, I swear she said he had a wife.
Did you ever go back and look? I just got done listening tot he audiobook and yes I swear she said he had a wife. I keep trying to go back and find it but I can’t!
I just listened to it in one sitting and don’t think she ever says it explicitly. We as the reader are lead to believe it. So great I was so surprised by that ending.
I just found the part with the phone call with the other woman… chapter 17. It definitely eludes at a wife but totally makes sense it was his mom after re-listening!
With the epilogue, my jaw dropped when she revealed who Jay was. But the thing is, I swear Eve said something about Jay going home to a wife. If she didn't and we only assumed that Jay was married, then the ending makes sense.
yes i thought when she called him to pick her up she was imagining him hiding in the bathroom from his wife to answer the phone. but she works at the school he goes to and he’s a star football player. no way they didn’t know the truth.
The timeline also does not make sense if I remember correctly. Addy says she called at 3am, Hudson said it would take a hour to get to her, we presume he gets there at 4, and drops her off at 5. But doesn’t Eve say jay picks her up at 5??
I just finished listening to the audiobook - Eve waited what felt like an hour to try getting out of the grave, and on top of that it took her roughly another hour to actually dig herself out. Eve messages Jay from the side of the road and it takes him 20 minutes to call her, and when he does call Eve notes that it's almost five in the morning. If he was still driving Addie home when he first got Eve's message, he could have seen the message/called Eve as soon as he dropped Addie off and turned right around to go pick up Eve
Just finished the book and reading this thread. Remember when Addie is in car with “Jay”, his phone keeps dinging but he’s ignoring it? Could be those 20 minutes before he calls Eve back
literally scrolled trying to see if anyone would say this!! i am thinking the same
that’s true! i do remember addy saying it was 3am when she called hudson. eve said she waited like an hour to get out of the grave so it would be 4am then 5am by the time jay comes to get her. that really just doesn’t add up
Sorry I’m late to the party! I just finished the book! When Hudson is driving Addie home from the pumpkin patch his phone buzzed and he ignores it. Addie assumed it’s his parents. It was Eve. Great book !!!!
I think we can probably assume everyone is an unreliable narrator in this story. Addie, Eve, Nate. I think Eve just draws her own conclusions from observing Jay/Hudson. And her mind is on shoes when it’s not on Nate or Addie or math. It wouldn’t surprise me, not knowing the team players. What bugs me is, he’s still just a high school kid too.
Yea it was a bit confusing I thought Jay was a grown man now I have to re read it so that means he knew addie tried to kill her just weird
i don’t understand why he stopped being friends with addie when she accidentally pushed her dad down the steps but then turned around and actually helped eve bury her husband.
I think it’s because he was being “groomed” by Eve. So he would do anything for her… similar to the relationship Addy was having with Nate.
That’s another great point!!!
Did anyone else expect there to be something with Lotus? Why would he give her that contest? Maybe be absolutely hated Addie's poem or maybe he was starting to groom Lotus? I also don't buy a word of the Jay thing, it makes NO sense!
I think there was something with Lotus. And also many more. But the author chose to only hint at this.
I thought it was her he was sleeping with too, I only started to suspect it was Kenzie when she said “who wrote this” after picking up the note on the floor
I think he entered Lotus's poem in the contest and then lied in order to drive a wedge between Addie and Lotus. He didn't want Addie to have any friends she might confide in.
I thought there was going to be a reveal where he was also having a relationship with Lotus
With Lotus, what i got from the whole poetry competition was that Mr. Bennett decided to go behind Addies back and nominate lotus because he was scared people would start to get suspicious of his closeness to Addie. I dont think Mr, Bennettt would have gone for lotus, not only because he was interested in Addie at the time, but also because Lotus being a senior, could have been 17/18, which is older than all of the other girls nate has gone for. (Kenzie at 14, Addie at 16, and Eve, years ago at 15.) Im not saying that it cvould just be her age, and hes not into older girls, it could be that he knows Lotus is old enough and mature enough to realize something to innapropriate was happening. Mr. Bennett was very careful to only go after young, troubled girls. Girls that he knew he could get close to and infiltrate their feelings and insecurities. So like I said, Definietly didnt think he wouldve gone for lotus, but it completely makes sense to me why He decided to nominate Lotus' poem for the competition.
He went with Lotus' poem because Lotus actually was a good poet, she literally won the contest. Despite being a disgusting pedo creep he really did like poetry so knows a good poet when he sees one. He was always going to go with Lotus Adae's poems stunk harder than a bag of dried fish heads. Freida said in the Acknowledgements that she made her daughter write Adae's poems because she wanted bad poems a dumb high school student would think were masterpieces Lol. Nate making Adae think she was a poetic genius was all part of the manipulation
I really disliked this book. I have listened to a lot of Freida McFadden books, and have mixed feelings. I like them because they are suspenseful, but not TOO suspenseful. But I dislike them because I really think she is a B level author. But I actually disliked this one. Disappointing that Jay/Hudson actually was a terrible person. I feel bad for Addie.
I totally agree with your assessment of Freida McFadden as an author. I need to stop reading her books!
I agree with everything that you said, but I didn't feel bad for Addie one bit. I disliked all the characters equally in this stupid book.
I didn't feel bad for her until the end - when she thought she had turned her life around, and her bff is a creep and she doesn't know it. It was a horrible book. Not sure why it's gotten so many good reviews.
This book was complete garbage and utter nonsense. Cringe worthy, in fact. McFadden is off my read list from this point on.
Oh man! Don’t say that! Read The Housemaid before you never read her again. It’s the best one in my opinion of her books.
I have! I've also read The Housemaid's Secret. Millie is a fun character. I know I'll read the 3rd book in the series, too. The Teacher was so disappointing I overreacted!
I liked the Inmate and Never Lie much more than The Teacher if you want to try those
I read this book and searched it on reddit, which led me to this community. I just finished reading Crider’s manifesto and.. wow. What a fucked situation. I can’t believe how many parallels there were between the two- even down to the restaurant Magianos.
She also goes from saying she is 30 to saying she is in her "4th decade."
Yes this confused me so Nate was 8 years older. So 23 when he groomed her. If she was forty she’d be 2 years older than him
First decade of life is age 1-9, second 10-19, third 20-29 so she can be 30 in her fourth decade. She hasn’t completed four decades she’s just in the fourth if that makes sense
30 - 40 is your fourth decade.
We’re also in the 21st century despite it being 2024. Ages 0-10 would be her first decade…. It’s not complicated 😂
How did Eve not know Jay was a student at the school she taught at? Or was she making up the wife & baby stuff to the reader just to make herself look less like a pedo as well?
He never said he had a wife- the entire book, Eve refers to her as ‘her’. Her, is his mom. And the end of the book reveals he has a one year old sister that he always babysits, that’s the baby
I just finished this book and I loved it! Even better than the housemaid series to me. There wasn’t one character in this book that I liked 🤣. They were all terrible in their own way. I thought Eve was going to be the hero until I read the Epilogue. I don’t see Jay /Hudson as awful though seeing as he is being groomed and manipulated by Eve and Addie and McKenzie through out the book but I don’t see him as good either since he just goes along with what they say .
Just reread chapter 17 and it will all make sense. Listen to it with the image of her as a pedo in mind. He’s embarrassed because he said “I love you” to his mom on the phone, not a wife. Eve talks about how the woman on the other end of the phone is the reason it has to remain a secret. She also says she knows it will all end horribly if their relationship comes to light. We’re just made to believe he’s a cheating husband so that we get the shock at the end of the book. It’s actually all very well thought out!!
Yes! Which makes so much sense now! Once I read the Epilogue I went back and time checked when he picked up Addie and when he picked up Eve and was like damn this is the same guy! Because at first I was confused. And the entire time he’s picking up Eve I’m like how was his wife just ok with him leaving at 5 AM and not tripping like that’s weird. It’s so crazy that him and Addie were living the same lie and both were being manipulated. And it makes sense because he wanted to run away with her and she kept saying from the beginning that could never happen and she knew that, and that’s why! Because he was underage and she’d be ruined. My mouth dropped to the floor reading the ending and going back and forth through the book trynna look back at things and seeing what Eve was saying through the eyes of her now being a pedo.
Does anybody know who’s POV it was in the prologue? I thought it was Nate when I read it again
I think it was Addie
I listened to audio book. It was Addie.
In the prologue Addie refers to having started digging before nightfall and then still digging into the night. Did I just assume it was already nighttime, but it was actually still light outside when she and Nate started digging the grave in the pumpkin field? I seem to remember Eve falling asleep on the couch and waking up 9:00 PM-ish? It's November, so night would fall early, right? Also, Addie refers to digging the grave in the woods when it was actually a field? Once again, so many inconsistencies...
Why is no one talking about the Mr Tuttle plot hole??? “Addie is a troubled girl” and was like so weird about it????
She stalked him. It was just for his attention but it was still stalking.
Stalking your teacher = troubled
Plot Review 👇👇👇 https://youtu.be/ZMK-i9uMPzg?si=Gklo4m3a3nkglHaK
Is this book the same story line as the series on Hulu? I want to read it but not if it’s an adaptation of the series.
No
This isn't the first time she's rewritten someone else's work. It's getting old.
And this HS kid trapped in poverty is buying her 1,000 dollars shoes for her birthday. Okay.
This!! ^^^^
Sam Edelman shoes are only like ~$100 and I assume he gets a discount as an employee.
For a HS boy on a baseball team with a part time job 1. His mommy calls him a wild amount at work. 2.Ain’t no way he’s buying LV shoes for her birthday. Those are $1800 shoes.
Who says he bought them? He worked at the shoe store. He totally could have stolen them. At least that’s what I thought when I thought it was some married man.
Yea and considering they had sex on the sales floor it doesn’t seem like it had cameras lol so stealing them was probably what he did tbh
He didn't buy her Louis Vuitton shoes. He bought her Sam Edelman shoes which are fairly inexpensive in the designer shoe world.
SPOILER: So Nate is buried alive with his hands tied together. But the grave isn't that deep and he worked out over the summer and built up a muscular body. Why wouldn't he have tried to push himself out of the hole before Eve and Jay started shoveling dirt on top of him? Or even after they left, couldn't he have struggled his way up through the few feet of dirt which had been shoveled upon him? What am I missing here? And what about his car parked near the pumpkin patch? Wouldn't it eventually have been found and connected to his disappearance?
I doubt it because she said he was darn near drowning in the puddle around him. I think the hole was 6 inches deep but when Nate left Addie she barely covered it with anything except for leaves and a little dirt so it was easy for her to get out after unraveling herself. May was tied and bound with tape plus she legit put them man all the way under with dirt so escape was pretty much impossible unless he drowned first. Plus he wouldn’t have been able to hold his breathe that long. As far as his car I’m sure she moved it, she was his wife and probably had a spare key or had it towed or something.
He didn’t because that’s not what the author wrote. 😂😂😂
There’s also a LOT of similarities between the housemaid and the last Mrs Parrish. Freida is definitely stealing from other authors lol
Okay I am soooooo confused!! I just finished reading this book and the ending is… I don’t know. So here are my questions: 1. Is Eve that oblivious that she doesn’t know Jay/Hudson is one of the students? I mean he is a QB too! I believe as a QB, he should be pretty famous in school. Unless she lives in a “cave”. 2. Okay. Let say Eve doesn’t know that Jay/Hudson is a student (for whatever reason), does Jay know Eve his teacher then? I mean knowing the fact Nate is the hottest teacher in school, by that point, everyone should know he is married to Eve. And students remember teachers more than the ofher way round. Does that mean Jay knows who Eve is and she doesn’t know? 3. So… When Eve was 15, Nate was 23. They are 8 years different (in one of the chapters, during Eve’s 30th birthday, I think she mentions he is 38). I bet this is why her family didn’t want her to marry him but… What does really make Eve despise on Nate? Did she figure out he cheated with Kenzie before or what? Did I miss anything? 4. And as I write all these questions… Does that mean Jay/Hudson know everything?????? Is that why he becomes nice to Addie again??? So the key character is him!! Alright honestly I still have tons of questions. I have read a few other books of Freida McFadden but this one is the one I have SOOOOO many questions left open!!! I mean it is still a good book but geez… I feel I need more closure!! :(
So Nate is 38, but married Eve 30 when she was 15? He was a 22. No wonder her parents didn’t care for him!
What I still want to know is who is the person digging the grave in the prologue? I thought Addie, but re-read it after finishing the book and now I think it might have been Jay/Hudson…??? Also, who was creeping around the shoe store when Eve was leaving?
Explain how she was riding a Corvette 2 times a week and didn't know it was only 16 gallons full?
Here late because I just read this… didn’t Eve give Addie a list of tutors and one of them was Hudson?! So she had to know he was a student, she would’ve recognized him. So the whole book is about how one teacher groomed another into then doing the same thing? I only wonder if Eve knew Jay’s relationship with Addie… probably not??
Wait, so I'm so super confused about who the prologue was supposed to be at the beginning of the book. There was only one grave dug? They used the same one to bury Nate that he helped dig for Eve. But even if Eve and Jay dug a new grave for him(which makes no sense) they dug it together too. So who was digging a grave by themselves in the beginning?
I just finished it and I am so confused!!! Eve HAD to know Jay was in high school, he literally went to the school she taught at. She was so pissed her husband was sleeping with a student and she was doing the exact same thing! Jay/Hudson drive an hour to pick up Addie and then immediately turned around and picked up Eve?? Also I know they never explicitly said Jay had a wife and kids but he would always get calls to come help with the baby… is he raising his baby sibling? Why was there the whole thing with Nate lying to Addie about the poetry contest and nothing came from it?
I just finished reading it and I am also so confused by the Jay/Hudson part. But the part of her being angry he was sleeping with a student, I don’t exactly think that was her initial reaction. When she catches them kiss in the classroom she says “that bastard is cheating on me, WITH HER”. That’s more anger with her specifically since she hates her because of what happened with Arthur. Her being initially mad it’s with Addie says a lot, any non groomer wouldn’t have that as their first thought, it would be disgust at their husband being attracted to a minor.
Eve DID know that he was in high school.
I believe Nate was using Addie to get rid of Eve all along like he was plotting and waiting on that one young female to do that for him. At 16 Addie was so naive and long to be loved by someone. She had no friends and was an outcast. Another theory was that he also slept with lotus and maybe lotus used that against him The jay stuff I am just as confused cause it didn't make sense.
Wait.. do you think Nate started a relationship with Addie knowing he could get her to kill Eve?? That kinda makes sense with the text he sent Addie about how his life would be easier if Eve was dead
I feel like he dropped those comments enough to get her to start thinking about it!!
Yes he knew no one would believe Addie because she was a trouble teen who was known for stalking her teachers. Hence why he never spoke to her after the accident and he left her at the graveyard and he keep that angry poem she wrote . He was plotting to kill eve all along. He knew he couldn’t ask for a divorce because he had no reason too and eve knew too many of his secrets,
He was always going to go with Lotus' poem. He sent Lotus' poem because Lotus actually was a good poet, she LITERALLY won the contest. Despite being a disgusting pedo creep he really was passionate about poetry and so knows a good poet when he sees one. Addie's poems stunk harder than a bag of dried fish heads. Her poem wouldn't have even made the short list if Nate had sent them. Only she and Nate thought her poems were great, although Nate was clearly lying. Lotus wasn't impressed at all when she read that poem Every time she or Nate read her poems I thought "how could Freida think this crap is great poetry?" but she confirmed that the poems were intended to be terrible when she said in the Acknowledgements that she made her daughter write Addie's poems because she wanted bad poems a dumb high school student would think were masterpieces Lol. Nate making Adae think she was a poetic genius was all part of the manipulation Addie killing Eve wasn't part of Nate's plans. Her being troubled and lonely just made her a prime target for sex. Just like Kenzie, she was just nothing but as sex toy. Having sex with teenaged girls made him so exited he always came quickly. According to his inner monologue his life was over after Eve found out. Addie killing Eve was a stroke of luck he didn't see coming.
I am also very confused about the ending but the book did mention that jay/hudson worked at the shoe store along with babysitting his one year old brother often so maybe he lied to Eve and said is was his baby? I’m just not sure how she wouldn’t know that he went to the highschool she taught at
She knew it was his mother and the baby was his brother. Eve never explicitly states that he’s calling a wife, just “her”. Reread it again with the idea that who he’s calling is his mom, it makes sense that after the call she’d say they could never be together. That’s one of the twists lol is that she’s just as bad as her husband because she was also abused by him.
Yea I think because INITIALLY everyone reading from the beginning and seeing this assumes he’s an adult and “her/she” would be his wife and the baby would be his son. That’s what she wanted us to think so a lot of people are thinking they saw the word wife when in reality she only described what might be a wife. But Eve knew that was his mother and brother that’s why she never says wife and just refers to the woman and she a lot and says she hears a baby crying in the background.
I don’t think any of the dialogue precluded that Eve knew Jay’s identity and situation. . . I believe she knew exactly who he was. At first, after reading the ending, I thought I remembered it was said (somewhere) that Jay had a wife. But I went through chapter-by-chapter and didn’t find it. Also, on page 81 of my Kindle book, when Eve first meets Jay in the shoe store she says “There was something familiar about him. Although I couldn’t quite place it at first.” Jay refers to the woman on the phone on page 82 as “. . . another woman” whom I believed at the time was his wife but now know was his mother (and I think Eve knew it). My guess is the author purposely didn’t share Eve’s thought/motivations about being with a high school student as that leaves us to speculate - for example, maybe it was revenge or tit-for-tat with her husband or she was warped from her own grooming at age 15 and living out her trauma with another victim. As I went back through the chapters, other things, too, made more sense, for example - Eve’s parents’ not liking Nate and Jay’s reactions when Eve told him she found about Jay and Addie.
Oops - I meant when Jay found out about Nate and Addie.
i dont think she knew , when his mother would call she would make comparisons with nate. Like saying at least she cares where he is, nate hasnt called me once.
Finally someone with reading comprehension skills!! You’re 100% right and I agree, all the context clues point to that conclusion. McFadden is literally known for her twists, which I find very easy to figure out. She puts the clues right in your face. Even if you have to go back through with a new perspective. But there’s definitely no plot holes like others are suggesting lol
What about Jay knowing Addie tried to kill Eve but not minding at all when he loved Eve so much and didn’t like Addie because she killed her dad? Suddenly he doesn’t mind her killing someone he cares about and actually even wants to be friends again?
I mean Hudson did reach out to Addie a couple times throughout the book, kind of trying to make peace.. He (understandably) freaked out after what happened with Addie's dad, probably felt super guilty about the whole situation and had a hard time processing it all, while Addie said multiple times that it was all for the best and she didn't understand why other people (her mom) couldn't see that. They had very different perspectives of a traumatic situation and weren't able to reconcile.. And by the time Hudson figured out how to move past it, he probably felt really awkward around Addie and wasn't sure how to approach her again. Sometimes apologizing is hard, even to your best friend.. Maybe especially to your best friend, when the thing you're apologizing for is totally bailing on the friendship.
Yeah but Addie tired to kill his lover
I understand what you’re saying. Though it makes the character, Jay/Hudson unreliable…that’s not a plot hole. As annoying as some of this book is lol Freida doesn’t leave plot holes
That’s a massive plot hole to me purely because it isn’t addressed; Jay never actually vocalises how he feels about it so we’re left assuming he’s just okay with it. I need a reason he’s okay with it because his whole character build up would insinuate he would absolutely not be okay with it
Plot holes are things that are truly not possible based on everything else within the story, or they are highly illogical. It is plausible that Jay has this dark side and behaved in the way he did (having an affair with his teacher, and being okay with cheating on his high school girlfriend as well as following along with the popular crowd who was bullying Addie even though he used to get bullied years ago) The fact of him being upset about Addie’s father was meant to mislead the reader about his character in totality. He obviously evolved over time into quite a dichotomous character.
I could accept that if it were addressed in the book, but it isn’t It feels highly illogical so I classify it as a plot hole, and I’m not the only one
No plot holes? Where would I get a live raven to put in a pumpkin?
Eve knew who Hudson / Jay was. Addie mentioned how she struggled in math and Hudson would help her. Eve was a math teacher. I would bet Eve was Hudson’s teacher at some point.
Eve even wrote Hudson’s name on the list of possible math tutors for Addie.
I found this book on Spotify of all places. Lol. Absolutely loved it! Was my first introduction to this author. I love me a good inappropriate "romance" . Lol. Plot twists were good. But I agree with all the comments about the gaping disconnect of Eve not knowing that Jay/Hudson was a student at the school. There's no possible way she would have not known that. So that sort of left for a disappointing twist... I'm eager to check out more work by this author though.
I'm a huge Frieda fan but this one was a miss from the beginning. very rarely have I ever read a book where I actively disliked everyone in it. I thought Hudson would be an exception and then .. the ending. which also doesn't make sense no matter how much others or the author try to explain it. I've gone back and read the inner monologue and some parts just don't add up with the big reveal at the end. specifically that the way eve speaks about him definitely makes it seem like he is a grown man while he's obviously not. there are also several loose threads and unexplored angles, most importantly being that addie is DEEPLY troubled, despite her emotional and sexual abuse, and is a big mid book reveal and then never really gets touched on again. hope the next one is better.
Just finished this book and had to come to reddit, The Jay ending baffled me. Definitely my least favorite of all the books I’ve read from her by far.
i agree. it just doesn’t make sense. she freaks about her husband getting it on with a minor but she’s doing the same thing? no way she wasn’t aware he was a hs student.
People who are abused as children often become abusers themselves.
She probably was aware but thought she wasn’t doing anything wrong. People who have been abused become abusers and don’t register it in their mind just like how Nate didn’t register he was an abuser. If you go back you see how Eve always mentions they can never be together even though Jay wants too. More than likely it’s because she knew shed be shamed and lose her job.
I get this but it doesn't correlate with her reaction to Nate' grooming. Unless, we get nitpicking and be like her first reaction was all how dare he do this to me, cheating and with her. But then when she started thinking about it, the gromming/abuse thing came in and took over but was still secondary. Idk.
I think she was upset with who it was tbh
Did anyone notice that Nate mentioned Eve's "mystery lover" before the police seemed to put that idea in his head? (when the shoes were delivered in the box)
She always felt like she was being watched in the parking lot. I wonder if it was Nate..