Everett
Jenifer Ruff, 2014
World Castle Publishing
278 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781629891422
Summary
At Everett, perfection has a dark side....
Brooke is a highly-motivated coed at prestigious Everett College. She is determined to graduate number one in her class, get accepted at a top medical school, and become a surgeon. She is brilliant, tenacious, and beautiful. Everything is going according to plan, although she's not sure what to do about Ethan, an attractive guy who would like to be more than just friends.
Her classmates and professors are all captivated by her achievements and her outward appearance, with the exception of one student. Only Jessica, a wealthy socialite and Brooke's complete opposite, senses that Brooke might not be all that she appears. But Jessica has her own problems, fueled by too many prescription pills, energy drinks, and a huge case of snobbery.
She's too busy looking down her nose when she should be watching her back. As the semester progresses, Brooke's carefully laid plans are inadvertently threatened. Her sinister past is revealed, and nothing is off limits when it comes to achieving her goals.
Jenifer Ruff does an excellent job weaving this thriller with deep character development, foreboding and surprising events.
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Northampton, Massachusetts, USA
• Education—B.A., Mount Holyoke College; M.P.H., Yale University
• Currently—lives in Charlotte, North Carolina
Jenifer Ruff is the author of dark psychological suspense novels Everett and Rothaker. For more information and future release dates visit the author's website.
Book Reviews
To begin with this appears just like any US college book about a bunch of students, warts and all. The author is subtle introducing the reader to the character. Brooke the star pupil appears perfect- wants to become a surgeon, has the best body as she is ultra fit teaches exercise classes and is so focused. Can anyone be more perfect?
Then there is Jessica living the charmed life, rich but hating the world and surviving on pills and energy drinks. Ethan is starry eyed with Brooke and only sees this “perfect person.” This is a really good psychological thriller, hints are there that Brooke is not as everyone thinks—Jessica is the only person to realize this, but in hating the world and having her own problems the rest just goes past her. The author has created a dark strange character in Brooke and it is only as you get further into the story that you realize just what she is capable of. A sequel is planned and I will be keen to see how things move forward and will Brooke become the surgeon she so longs to become?
A great psychological thriller and an author to look out for.
Jane Brown - e-thriller.com
Discussion Questions
1. How did Everett fit with your own school experiences?
2. Did any of the characters remind you of people you know?
3. What clues did you pick up on along the way that something was not quite right with one of the characters?
4. What were the themes in this book?
5. Near the end of the book Brooke tells Sarah a story about cars being towed at a party and Sarah says “how did you not know what was happening right under your noses?” and Brooke says “sometimes people just see what they want to see.” How do you think this applies to the book?
6. Do you think Brooke could actually get away with what she did?
7. Did it end the way you expected? What would you like to have happened?
8. What do you think is in store for Brooke?
9. If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask?
10. If this were a movie, who would you cast for the main characters?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)