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Read This Book…

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

This week’s pick is an under-appreciated YA novel that has some great How to Get Away With Murder vibes, and is a really twisty thriller. However, content warning for domestic abuse, murder, stalking, drug use, and violence.

The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Logan is in love with Delilah—she just doesn’t know it yet. Delilah is a little too preoccupied to date at the moment—she lives with her mom and her mom’s awful, abusive boyfriend who makes their lives miserable. One day, Delilah has had enough and she snaps…and her mom’s boyfriend ends up dead. The police believe it’s an accident, and she doesn’t correct them. But then Logan comes into her life, and one day he lets slip that he’s been watching Delilah. And he knows what she’s done. And what’s worse, he has video evidence. Now Delilah has found herself caught in the web of yet another abuser, but just like last time, she’s not about to be a victim.

Jesse Q. Sutanto is known for her adult romantic mystery/comedy, Dial A for Aunties, but her debut has a darker undercurrent. She writes from both the perspectives of Logan and Delilah, which offers a stark contrast for telling this thrilling story. It’s almost creepy how well she captures Logan’s obssession and the mental gymnastics he goes through to justify stalking Delilah. As for Delilah, she is stronger than she appears and pretty resourceful, but the weight of carrying the secret of her accidental murder definitely affects her. As she slowly realizes Logan’s true nature and decides she must fight back, the story evolves into a tense cat-and-mouse game with a mystery element that’s impossible to put down! It’s also set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school, so if you like those dark academia vibes, this book is for you!

Bonus: If you enjoy this book, pick up her next YA, The New Girl! It’s a companion novel, set at the same prep school, and it explores another mystery and murder!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

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