The inventory character of the loopy ex-girlfriend has undergone a major reevaluation lately, leading to nuanced tales that unpack the misogynist nature of the trope. (Look no additional than Rachel Bloom’s musical TV collection of the identical identify if in case you have any doubt.) Sri Lankan creator Amanda Jayatissa follows up her award-winning debut, My Sweet Girl, with an excellent new tackle the determine. A psychological thrill trip that takes place throughout the fanciest of fancy nuptials, You’re Invited explores class divides, social media scandals and household drama, all by the eyes of a “crazy” ex-girlfriend who could be the sanest character within the guide.
Amaya Bloom lives alone in Los Angeles, removed from Sri Lanka the place she got here of age amid lavish environment as a part of the nation’s 1%. The 20-something retains her previous firmly to herself, besides throughout weak telephone calls along with her buddy Beth and gratifying encounters with Alexander, Amaya’s once-a-month, no-strings-attached lover. When Amaya receives a marriage invitation from Kaavi Fonseka—her former greatest buddy who’s now an achieved philanthropist, wildly profitable influencer and wealthy woman about city again in Sri Lanka—she’s undecided what to suppose. After all, the 2 haven’t spoken in 5 years. Then Amaya learns that Kaavi is marrying Amaya’s ex-boyfriend. Her mission? Stop the marriage, even when somebody has to die.
Fans of Crazy Rich Asians and Gone Girl ought to look no additional: Jayatissa spins a twisted story of glittery events, meddling aunties and a friendship between two younger ladies that went horribly awry as soon as a person obtained concerned. The novel’s opening sentence—“I woke up with bruised knuckles and blood under my fingernails, more rested than I have been in years”—is however a style of the horror to come back, all bedecked in yards of the best cloth and studded with gems from the Fonseka household’s jewellery empire. Both Amaya and Kaavi are fascinating characters, foils with a shared historical past and way more to every than meets the attention. You’re Invited is a completely satisfying and superbly plotted thriller, that includes characters you received’t quickly neglect and a head-spinning twist to high all of it off.
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