Book review: The Poison Tree

Title: The Poison Tree
Author: Erin Kelly
Genre: Thriller, drama
Year published: 2012
Pages: ~382
A place to buy it: If you are in Sweden you can buy the book from Bokus(in Swedish) or if that's not the case you can buy it of Amazon.
Previous book review: The Sorrows of an American

Young Karen and older Karen

This story is set in two time periods. One when Karen is older and the other during a memorable summer in her youth. Most of the story is focused around the summer, that is when she meets the siblings Biba and Rex who live together in a big, messy house and have completely different personalities. Karen meet and instantly love the colorful, aspiring actress Biba with a love for smoking pot, drinking wine and throwing parties.

Karen and the siblings Biba and Rex

Biba invites Karen to one of her parties and that is when Karen meet Rex for the first time. He is a quiet, silently loving man with a passion in house renovation. Karen is not falling head over heels for Rex during their first meeting, but the reader learn very early in the book that Karen in the other time period - when they are both older - is together with Rex and that they have a daughter together. But the reader also learn that Rex - when they are older - just have come out of jail and that Karen feels guilty for something around that.

Karen love Biba incredibly much during that summer, and even though the sometimes reckless acts Biba do, Karen is always faithful to her new best friend. Karen moves into the house during the unforgettable summer and a series of unexpected events take place. (And if I tell you what happen I will spoil the book, but it is also what happens that makes the plot amazing!)

Tying everything together nicely in the end

The author never cease to surprise me during this book. In to the very last moment I don't quite stop getting surprised, even though I kind of saw the last turn coming. I'm very happy with the book, it really felt like a roller-coaster of believable characters and plot twists. And I have to say that the turns this story takes is what makes the book great, I can't tell you what happens so you just have to read it for yourself. It's a great read, I recommend to everyone!