It is just after lockdown. Bella receives a text meant for Connie from Mish, which starts a series of situations that have no happy ending.
Mish is an enigma. She hides too much and says too little. She cares for nothing and nobody except for a horse at the Pony Club where she works infrequently.
Her rule is that she doesn’t talk to adults. Her movements are tracked via her phone, by her overbearing father, a returned war veteran.
She is manipulative and uses her crafty ways to make Connie and Bella cover her wild actions.
She is also a shoplifter.
Bella’s mum is having a baby with her partner Pete, and although Bella has asked about her father, her mum won’t talk about it.
This makes Bella feel that sometimes it feels like we are three random people sharing a house.
When Mish meets a boy who promises to help her run away from her father, things get out of control.
As the other girls are drawn into Mish’s unlawful and impulsive actions, her power over them grows stronger and more dangerous.
How much do we really know about the people we love and trust?
What do you do when you can’t say No! to someone?
This is a riveting read whose issues are common yet uncomfortable to read. The words on the page feel dark alongside Mish’s actions, as they draw the other two girls into her cycle of despair.
Fantastic prose, and backstories that will make your pulse quicken.
Allow some time for a read of the whole book as you won’t be able to put it down.
Title: Look Me in the Eye
Author: Jane Godwin
Publisher: Hachette, $16.99
Publication Date: 28 February 2024
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780734420794
For ages: 14+
Type: Young Adult