Review: What Lies Between Us

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“I’m Not A Crazy Bitch, You’re A Crazy Bitch!”: A Memoir.

This is my submission for alternate working title of this novel, and if I do say so myself, it’s pretty spot on. Unless you keep your mother, who undoubtedly ruined your life with her lies and manipulations, chained up inside your attic, only allowing her the luxury of a slightly longer chain on special occasions so she can access an actual toilet to relieve herself, instead of the bucket in the corner of the room she typically is forced to use (wouldn’t this be more of a punishment to the hostage keeper, and not the hostage, to have to collect and clean said waste bucket…? I didn’t quite understand that logic), I think it’s safe to say your mommy issues are amateur hour. Get outta here with your pathetic “my mother didn’t tell me I was pretty” nonsense – boo hoo – these two play in the big leagues.

Told in alternating POVs across multiple timelines, this study in familial psychosis read like a mother / daughter version of the good cop / bad cop tactic. Except it's more like obsessive and codependent cop / bad cop, with the aforementioned designations swapping characters every other chapter. Neither mother nor daughter come across as particularly pleasant or likable at any time, but I have to admit, I couldn’t quite put my finger on who was more despicable of the two for a good portion of this book, which demands me to give credit to the author. Well done, John Marrs, you succeeded in curbing one of my favorite pastimes - crapping all over novels and deeming them “like, so predictable! Ew!” (because I have a ‘90s valley girl living inside my mind that passes the final judgment on everything, duh).

While it doesn't offer a perfect conclusion, what we are presented with is satisfying enough. I would have preferred something more ambiguous, purely because I’m annoying like that and don’t feel complete without having to ponder “what did it all mean?!!?” after closing a book. Or in this case, reaching the point in my Audible listening experience where the friendly male voice proclaims “We hope you have enjoyed our presentation of What Lies Between Us”… But ya know what friendly Audible announcer man? Surprisingly enough, I think I DID enjoy myself this time.


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