The Paper Wasp by Lauren Acampora

Abby has stayed in her small home town, while her best friend, Elise, has gone to LA and become a star. They meet at their high school return and Abby then takes an unexpected trip to LA to rekindle the friendship.

Abby and Elise are both flawed characters whose motivations are hidden. Abby is quite a dark character, and the author made an interesting choice in not explicitly discussing her mental health, but there are clearly issues there that become more apparent as the book develops.

I was sucked into the world that this created and the dynamic between Abby and Elise is compelling throughout. Lauren Acampora has done a fantastic job at making unlikeable characters very readable.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy

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